In a national survey seeking the ideal habitat for the 18 to 34-year-old millennial, a creature who wants a flexible job, low rent and good coffee (though, frankly, who doesn’t?), New York was found barely habitable. The Big Apple ranked 63 out of 75 metro areas.
The index, put together by Apartment List, ranked the 75 contenders on three criteria: job market, affordable housing and “livability,” which accounts for weather, dating opportunities, accessible parks and green space, and crime rate. New York ranked 30 for its job market, millennial unemployment is at 7.6 percent; 68 for affordability, only 44 percent of millennials can afford the median rent of $1,802; and 44 for livability.
Alongside New York at the bottom of the index is Miami and Orlando, which ranked 69 and 73 respectively, while San Francisco pulled off a respectable 44.
So where do millennials truly belong? The top destinations for millennials — about 65 percent of whom say they want to live in cities — are the dark horses of Pittsburgh, PA; Provo, UT; and Madison, WI.
[Apartment List] — E.K. Hudson