Millennials sometimes have it tough—for many members of the generation, social milestones and certain rites of passage into adulthood (e.g. breaking into and building careers, buying real estate, starting families, etc.) have been "delayed" when compared to the overall timeline for members of previous generations, like the Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers before them. Luckily for millennials, there's a little place called Austin, TX.
For the past few years, Money (owned by TIME magazine) has been publishing an annual list of "Best Places to Live" in America. This year, they also published a smaller list ranking the five "Best Cities for Millennials", based on projected job growth and ease of living—and guess who came out #1?
It's no question that Austin is a great place for any member of any generation, and it's easy to see why our beloved city consistently ranks high on these lists—the quality of life just can't be beat. But the Austin region is an ideal place to relocate and live especially for young professionals, aged 20-35. Things that are crucial to consider, like jobs, rent or real estate, and food and other daily necessities all pass the test here.
Working in Austin
Incidentally, Austin also happens to rank #4 on Glassdoor's list of "25 Best Cities for Finding a Job", based on their own industry studies. Working in Austin ranks well in things like employer and job satisfaction, and ease of obtaining employment (based on the ratio of openings to the general population). As millennials wanting a shot at success in their chosen careers, a $50,000 median base salary and the number of job openings tallying at 33,198 is pretty hard to ignore.
With the tech industry boom from a decade or two ago not showing any signs of slowing down, Austin's future looks even brighter. The city has a projected job growth count of 13.3% through the next four years until 2019. This is largely thanks to top ten employers in Austin like Dell, IBM, AT&T, and Oracle, industry giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon setting up shop here, as well as quickly rising local startups like Main Street Hub, Spredfast, WP Engine and SpareFoot, to name just a few.
Living in Austin
Living standards are another factor that young people setting their eyes on Austin should consider. Not only do things like real estate in Austin appeal to millennials in terms of affordability (how can you beat a big-city median home value of $226,400?), but living in Austin means you're often surrounded by amenities like grocery stores, shops, and eateries to grab a quick bite in. There's never a shortage of activities to keep the busy millennial, well, busy either. Trendy restaurants, lively bars and nightlife, and recreation always find their way on to one's to-do list. And of course, Austin isn't called the Live Music Capital for nothing.
Have other reasons for millennials to love Austin, TX? Leave your comments below!
Posted by Mary Ann Castro on
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