According to Niche, a market-leading data resource that helps its users review and compare towns and schools across the country, the District is officially one of the best cities for young professionals in the nation!
The ranking, which considered several factors such as average entry-level salary, the number of entry-level roles, prevalence of networking opportunities, number of millennial residents, and, of course, access to bars, restaurants, and affordable housing.
The data used to make this ranking was sourced from the U.S. Census, the FBI, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, amongst other sources.
Where does Washington, D.C. rank amongst the best cities for young professionals in America?
Washington, D.C. managed to rank the #4 best city for young professionals in America!
The top-10 best cities for young professionals in the nation were as follows:
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- San Francisco, California
- Seattle, Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Arlington, Virginia
- Berkeley, California
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Denver, Colorado
- Santa Clara, California
What makes Washington, D.C. such a great city for young professionals?
While the ranking did not provide a full breakdown of the data behind the District’s ranking, based on what we know about the District, we can make a few educated assumptions:
- The District has a high millennial population with a significant amount of workers between the ages of 25 and 34.
- Considering Washington, D.C. was ranked the #5 most educated city in America, it’s fair to assume it has a very high higher-education rate.
- There are plenty of bars and restaurants that range from reliable dives to Michelin-Guide caliber fine dining.
- The District was recently ranked the 5th most walkable city in the nation.
To summarize it, Washington, D.C., provides a great balance of work opportunities and quality of life for young Americans.
What was the ranking’s methodology?
The factors and the weight they were given when establishing a numeric value for the ranking were as follows:
- Residents 25-34 Years Old – 15%
- Higher Education Rate – 12.5%
- Access to Coffee Shops – 10%
- Cost of Living Grade – 10%
- Access to Bars – 7.5%
- Access to Restaurants – 7.5%
- Diversity Grade – 7.5%
- Composite Overall Score – 5%
- Crime & Safety Grade – 5%
- Millennials Below Poverty – 5%
- Percent Change in Employees – 5%
- Walkability Grade – 5%
- Young Professional Newcomers – 5%