Austin Among Top Cities for Millennials Seeking Jobs and Lifestyle

St. Elmo Brewing is a popular South Austin spot for beer lovers and folks who want to hang out. The brewery is family and pet friendly with indoor and outdoor spaces.

As millennials enter their 30s and 40s, many are shifting focus from travel to settling down — raising a key question: Where are the best places to live?

“When it comes to what matters most, millennials tend to focus on a few key factors: job opportunities, housing affordability, commute times, and access to parks or community spaces,” said Florin Petrut, a real estate writer and research analyst for RentCafe.

Others say millennials are also looking beyond traditional “it” cities.

“We want it to be one of those best-kept-secret kinds of situations — a city that offers affordability, career growth and diversity of industries,” said Jules Garcia, a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Warburg. “Community, lifestyle and geographical diversity are also crucial.”

Here’s what to know about where millennials are choosing to live — and why Austin made the list.

Four real estate experts interviewed by Travel + Leisure all pointed to Austin as a top choice.

Some say the city’s recent slowdown after rapid growth has created new opportunities for buyers.

“Though some might argue that Austin has lost its luster, that’s exactly why there’s opportunity there,” Garcia said. “Austin went through a mega-wave of growth and development that wasn’t fully absorbed post-pandemic. Because of that, there is now price flexibility for inventory that wouldn’t even have been a discussion a few years ago.”

Others highlighted lifestyle and economic factors.

Austin’s “vibrant downtown area, live music scene and active nightlife create a fun and energetic environment that many millennials look for,” said Taylor Lucyk, a broker associate.

Petrut pointed to job growth, a strong rental market and continued expansion in tech as major draws, while Nikita Idiri described Austin as a “middle ground” where homeownership is still attainable while remaining tied to a strong economy.

According to the experts cited by Travel + Leisure, these cities stand out:

• Tampa, Fla.
• Nashville, Tenn.
• North Carolina’s Research Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill)
• Austin
• Washington, D.C.
• Des Moines, Iowa
• St. Petersburg, Fla.
• New York
• Charlotte, N.C.