Keep Austin Young
Move over, millennials: Austin now ranks among world's best cities for Generation Z
Many rankings have hailed Austin as a haven for millennials. Now, a new one zeroes in on Austin as one of the top choices for an even younger group, Generation Z.
Berlin-based housing website Nestpick examined 22 factors — including digital connectivity, environmental friendliness, affordability, career opportunities, recreation, and safety — to pick the best cities in the world for Gen Zers. Austin ranks No. 1 in Texas, No. 8 nationwide, and No. 44 globally, according to the study.
Members of this generation are defined as people born between 1997 and 2012, meaning they currently range from age 7 to 22, and represent nearly one-third of the global population. Nestpick describes Gen Zers as “digital natives who value security, diversity, and autonomy, and aim to achieve it through pragmatism and determination.”
Austin scored particularly well in the study’s digital connectivity, education, environmental, healthcare, and “right to protest” categories. Among the areas where Austin didn’t perform so well were gender equality, LGBTQ equality, e-sports activities, and, oddly, coworking.
Nestpick chose a shortlist of 110 global cities for its study based on their reputations as destinations to pursue work and education, as well as their appeal to members of the Generation X and millennial generations. Of those cities, 15 are in the U.S. Here’s how the American cities fared on a nationwide basis:
- Los Angeles
- New York City
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Boston
- Chicago
- Miami
- Austin
- Denver
- Houston
- Dallas
- Portland, Oregon
- Washington, D.C.
- Philadelphia
- Detroit
“Taking a values-centric approach to this study, we looked into which cities around the world best understand, advocate [for], and embody the principles Gen Zers prioritize,” Ömer Kücükdere, founder and CEO of Nestpick.com, says in a release.
Globally, Los Angeles appeared at No. 3 and New York City at No. 5. London topped the list. Down further on the worldwide list were Houston at No. 47 and Dallas at No. 49.