If you’re a millennial looking to live somewhere new, you are most likely considering factors like financial security, job opportunities and quality of life.
That’s according to personal finance website WalletHub, which ranked the best and worst states for millennials in 2021. Here, WalletHub defines millennials as those between ages 24 and 40.
One key metric WalletHub considered was affordability, which tends to be particularly important to this age group. To determine each state’s affordability, the site looked at the cost of living, the average price of a Starbucks latte, millennials’ average monthly earnings, housing costs, millennial homeownership rates and annual child-care expenses. Average monthly earnings recieved the most weight in the ranking.
To quantify the cost of living for each state, WalletHub used the cost of living index from The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), an organization that supports research affecting the quality of life of communities. The average score for all the places C2ER looks at equals 100, and each place’s individual score represents a percentage of the average.
Below, take a look at the top 15 most affordable U.S. states for millennials in 2021.
- Indiana
Average monthly earnings: $4,376
Millennial homeownership rate: 65.68%
Cost of living index: 95.26
- Georgia
Average monthly earnings: $4,594
Millennial homeownership rate: 54.60%
Cost of living index: 93.23
A woman smiles in Nashville, Tennessee.
A woman smiles in Nashville, Tennessee.Twenty20
- Tennessee
Average monthly earnings: $4,528
Millennial homeownership rate: 59.55%
Cost of living index: 92.24
- Minnesota
Average monthly earnings: $5,157
Millennial homeownership rate: 69.33%
Cost of living index: 102.42
- Kentucky
Average monthly earnings: $4,262
Millennial homeownership rate: 61.83%
Cost of living index: 92.5A vehicle travels along a nearly empty street in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. A vehicle travels along a nearly empty street in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020.Dan
- South Dakota
Average monthly earnings: $4,229
Millennial homeownership rate: 65.83%
Cost of living index: 100.11
- Ohio
Average monthly earnings: $4,505
Millennial homeownership rate: 62.74%
Cost of living index: 92.34
- Michigan
Average monthly earnings: $4,703
Millennial homeownership rates: 68.08%
Cost of living index: 90.54
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, IowaTwenty20
- Iowa
Average monthly earnings: $4,545
Millennial homeownership rate: 71.5%
Cost of living index: 98.29
- Texas
Average monthly earnings: $5,245
Millennial homeownership rate: 58.04%
Cost of living index: 96.76
- New York
Average monthly earnings: $6,679
Millennial homeownership rate: 44.0%
Cost of living index: 111.82
Chicago, IL, Wicker Park
Chicago, IL, Wicker ParkTom Boyle
- Illinois
Average monthly earnings: $5,309
Millennial homeownership rate: 59.42%
Cost of living index: 99.92
- Missouri
Average monthly earnings: $4,418
Millennial homeownership rate: 65.81%
Cost of living index: 89.95
- North Dakota
Average monthly earnings: $5,134
Millennial homeownership rate: 64.09%
Cost of living index: 107.47
- Washington
Average monthly earnings: $6,641
Millennial homeownership rate: 53.35%
Cost of living index: 113.87
Two years ago, millennials became the largest generation in the U.S., surpassing baby boomers. Today, millennials make-up the largest portion of the workforce, spend the most on goods and services and account for nearly 80 million Americans.
But millennials face numerous financial challenges, such as student loans and stagnant wages. That may be why affordability is a key issue for millennials when determining where to live.
