Two Tennessee cities rank high in SmartAsset’s “Best Cities for Young Professionals” listing
The 2021 edition of SmartAsset’s fifth annual study of the “Best Cities for Young Professionals” is out, and two Tennessee cities made the list. Nashville came in at #6, and Chattanooga tied for #16 with Lincoln, NE. Three of the top five might surprise you. Sioux Falls, SD was #1, Minneapolis is #2, and Pittsburgh came in at #5. There’s a good deal written about St. Louis which ranked #4.
What are the criteria that were used to develop the rankings? SmartAsset writes: “We compared the largest 150 U.S. cities across nine metrics, looking at affordability, workforce demographics and entertainment options.” More specifically, the nine measures are as follows: (1) percentage of the population between ages 25 and 34; (2) January 2021 unemployment rate; (3) labor force participation rate for young professionals; (4) median gross rent; (5) estimated cost of living; (6) entertainment establishment density; (7) median earnings for full-time workers; (8) four-year change in median earnings; and (9) median rent as a percentage of full-time workers’ earnings.
