Now that working from home seems to be here to stay, you can kind of live wherever you want.
While many people chose a city because it was where their job was located, that’s just no longer important for many jobs. So if that applies to you….where do you want to live?
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Travel + Leisure recently convened a group of experts to rank which are the best cities for people to live in their 30s, an age when you are beginning to settle into your career, but could still be open to big life changes like moving. The data was based on criteria such as cost of living, access to education and child care, high salaries and job opportunities (not everyone can work from home, after all), recreational opportunities and a vibrant local entertainment scene, and a good work-life balance.
Here are the nine best places to live that they landed on.
1. Denver
An abundance of technology and energy jobs, more people are moving to Denver, and they’re staying because of the city’s craft beer scene, an abundance of outdoor activities and a scenic view of the mountains that can’t be beat.
Additionally, property taxes are low, and with median home value of $560,000, there’s plenty of affordable options for housing.
2. New York City
New York City, baby! Forget any reports you read about New York experiencing a crime wave or whatever, that’s complete nonsense. Young people continue to move to the Big Apple because it has more entertainment options than anywhere else, jobs in finance and the entertainment industry, world-class restaurants, and a diverse population. The only drawback is that buying a home in the city tends to be out of many people’s budgets. But hey, you can always find a sublease in Brooklyn!
3. Zurich
The Swiss people have longer mastered work-life balances and an overall great quality of life. Zurich in particular stands out for its excellent health care system, abundance of jobs, great infrastructure and high levels of safety. It also has plenty of outdoor recreation and is centrally located near many other major European cities.
4. Austin, Texas
The median age of people who live in Austin is 35.8 years, as the city continues to draw people in for its music, comedy, food and art scenes. Plus, home prices continue to be reasonable, sometimes going for $350,000 in nearby suburbs.
5. Copenhagen
New parents in Denmark are legally required to get 52 weeks of parental leave, and child care is subsidized. If that’s not enough, people work 25.9 hours a week and get 25 days off a year. Plus, Copenhagen has an abundance of parks, museums and restaurants.
6. Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver isn’t just a city where a million TV shows are shot, it also boasts great health care and education, low unemployment, low rates of crime, a world-class entertainment and arts scene and generous parental leave benefits. Also, it has the North Shore Mountains and Pacific Ocean, which also helps.
7. Portland, Ore.
Nearly a third of Portland’s residents are in their 30s, as they’re drawn in by the city’s pet friendly and child friendly vibes and abundant mountain views. You can ski, you can hike, you can have great coffee and donuts and there’s still plenty of affordable houses for first-time buyers.
8. Stockholm
Stockholm has some of the best quality of life in the world, thanks to its public transportation, lovely parks and lakes and top-notch health care and education systems.
9. Washington
Someone in the nation's capital is always hiring, which makes it attractive to people looking for a career change, while also ensuring the economy and real estate market stays strong and stable. It’s also located near the beaches of Maryland and the skiing opportunities of West Virginia.
