What makes a city attractive when you’re in your late teens and early twenties? Well, it depends who you are and what you want, of course.
So close your eyes for a minute and picture your ideal college or post-grad life. What do you see? Are you jogging around a lush neighborhood park? Surrounded by fun friends around your age? Checking out restaurants, museums, shows, and sports games? Thriving at a great job? Maybe living your best life working from home (and also streaming your fave shows) with speedy internet?
Everyone’s image is different, but a recent study by CommercialCafe—a commercial real estate listing service—ranked the best cities for Gen Z to live and work. Here are the factors they evaluated to come up with their list:
- Cost of living
- Gen Z educational enrollment
- Gen Z as percent of the population
- Unemployment rate
- Average internet speed
- Number of entertainment establishments, including sports venues, museums, amusement parks, arcades, bars, and restaurants
- Green commuting score
- Prevalence of parks
You can take a look at the top 10 winners based on this criteria below—and click through to see internship and job opportunities in each city.
But remember that your own considerations may be different—and that’s OK. Maybe you don’t want to live in a major city at all. Maybe you just want to be near your family or cultivate connections in a smaller community. Maybe you’ve dreamed of working for a particular company headquartered elsewhere. Maybe you’re one of two-thirds of U.S. workers who’d consider relocating in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned and only want to live and work in a state that protects abortion rights.*
Whatever it is, if it’s important to you, it’s worth factoring into your decision.
*We’ve made notes on abortion rights below, but laws are in flux, so please check the details and most up-to-date information before making any decisions.
