The oldest members of Generation Z are turning 27 this year and likely working toward their first significant workplace promotion or saving up to become homeowners. Meanwhile, the youngest Gen Zers are turning 12, still a few years away from the intricacies of adulthood and the job market. In between these age ranges are around 69 million Gen Zers, who account for around one-fifth of the total population of the U.S. As such, the generation\u2019s role in society and the economy will only increase as they all come of age.<\/p>\n
Gen Z has all of the promise and potential of a generation reaching maturity \u2014 and they\u2019re also\u00a0saving up faster than other generations before them<\/a>. At the same time, the timeframe for their coming-of-age offers challenges, as well as opportunities. For instance, high mortgage rates and the affordability crisis have an outsized effect on younger people with less disposable income. This, compounded with Zoomers\u2019 emphasis on quality education and experiences, means Gen Zers are hard-pressed to make the best choice when choosing the right city to settle down and start their life in.<\/p>\n In this context, we set out to highlight the cities with the greatest potential benefits for Generation Z in 2024<\/strong>. Specifically, we ranked the cities in the U.S. with populations above 400,000 by Gen Z-friendly indicators, such as internet cost, employment for fresh graduates, affordability and places for recreation. Notably, our cutoff point of at least 400,000 residents was chosen because we focused on larger, regional population centers as the primary destinations for undergraduates and young professionals. See the Methodology section<\/a> for a full breakdown of our indicators.<\/p>\n Keep reading for the complete national ranking, or navigate to separate breakdowns of U.S. geographic regions by using the following jump links:<\/p>\n *The study only includes cities with more than 400,000 residents. The Northeastern U.S. only includes three cities above this cutoff point: New York City (ranking 39th on the national list), Boston (#3) and Philadelphia (#6).<\/em><\/p>\n The neck-and-neck race between Atlanta and Minneapolis to claim the title as the best U.S. city for Generation Z continues in 2024, with the two cities trading places yet again. The remaining best destinations for the cohort were spread mainly across the East Coast, Gulf Coast and Midwest. Texas boasted the largest number of entries in the larger top 20 with four, followed by North Carolina’s two entries.<\/p>\n\n
Atlanta Reclaims Title of Gen Z Ground Zero in U.S.<\/h2>\n