The 35 Best US Cities for People 35 and Under, According to Vocativ

NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Vocativ (Vocativ.com), the recently launched global news site for the Digital Generation, today announced the publication of its first Livability Index, using the company's unique Deep Web analysis and methodology to rank the 35 Best US Cities for People 35 and Under. Vocativ's index takes into account not only necessities such as salaries and housing, but also lifestyle variables relevant to people in their 20s and 30s, including access to live music and bike lanes, and the cost of beer and marijuana.

Vocativ's Livability Index sources data from the Open Internet to leverage key indicators essential to people 18 to 35. In addition to average salary, employment rate and the cost of rent and utilities, the survey also looks at factors that influence how young people live on a day-to-day basis, including the price of gas, groceries and broadband Internet, the availability of young single people and the number of laundromats per capita. Finally, the study takes into account "softer" lifestyle metrics, including the availability of vintage clothing stores and the cost of a manicure.

"We wanted to create a semi-exhaustive, mostly scientific guide to America's most livable cities based on criteria our readers actually care about," says Scott Cohen, CEO of Vocativ.  "When you take a look at the results, a picture starts to emerge that is often surprising. Like, maybe moving to Fresno isn't totally insane." 

"If you want to build a new type of index, you need a new way of thinking," explains Vocativ Founder Mati Kochavi. "Vocativ's unique technology and methodology makes sense of the Deep Web to bring information to light. In this case, to create a valuable and entertaining tool for our readers — just one of many to come."

The top-ranked cities according to Vocativ's Livability Index are, in descending order:

1. PORTLAND
2. AUSTIN
3. SAN FRANCISCO
4. SEATTLE
5. MINNEAPOLIS
6. LAS VEGAS
7. ATLANTA
8. LONG BEACH
9. DENVER
10. PHOENIX
11. WASHINGTON, DC
12. BOSTON
13. OMAHA
14. TUCSON
15. ALBUQUERQUE
16. SACRAMENTO
17. RALEIGH
18. VIRGINIA BEACH
19. COLUMBUS
20. SAN JOSE
21. KANSAS CITY
22. MIAMI
23. NEW YORK CITY
24. FRESNO
25. NASHVILLE
26. TULSA
27. CHARLOTTE
28. OKLAHOMA CITY
29. SAN ANTONIO
30. HOUSTON
31. SAN DIEGO
32. DALLAS
33. PHILADELPHIA
34. MILWAUKEE
35. COLORADO SPRINGS

The 20 criteria Vocativ's researchers used to rank each city:

1. Youngest Population
2. Lowest Average Rent
3. Cheapest Gallon of Gas
4. Cheapest Electricity
5. Lowest Average Cost of Food and Beverage
6. Public Transportation Ridership
7. Green Commuter Index
8. Cheapest Broadband
9. Highest Average Salary
10. Most Laundromats Per Capita
11. Most Coffee Shops Per Capita
12. Most Vintage Clothing Stores Per Capita
13. Most Cheap Takeout Restaurants Per Capita
14. Lowest Priced Manicures and Pedicures
15. Highest Percentage of Young Single People
16. Most Music Venues Per Capita
17. Cheapest Pack of Cigarettes
18. Cheapest Pint of Beer
19. Cheapest Ounce of High-Quality Marijuana
20. Lowest Unemployment Rate

About Vocativ:

Vocativ is a groundbreaking news organization for people in their 20s and 30s that uses a combination of proprietary technology, advanced methodology and fearless journalism to tell stories that matter to millennials around the globe. The company navigates the Deep Web to make sense of the 80 percent of the open Internet that search engines don't reach, including public social media posts, open databases and records. Vocativ, which is headquartered in New York City, was founded by Mati Kochavi. The company has a staff of more than 50 analysts, engineers and journalists from news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, Vice, ESPN, The Huffington Post, The New York Times, ABC News, Fox News, Newsweek/Daily Beast, The New York Daily News, NBC News, RAI, CNN and Reuters.

Contacts:
Sarah A. Chase, Director of PR for Vocativ
[email protected]
(646) 213-3839

Mario Ruiz, DKC Public Relations
[email protected]
(917) 864-5370

SOURCE Vocativ