Best U.S. Cities to Live In If You're Under 35 — and How Denver Stacks Up

Denver and youth go together.

So conclude the folks at Vocativ.com, who included D-town among its list of the best cities to live in for people who are age 35 and under.

Where did Denver finish? Find out in the following top ten, featuring photos and excerpts from Vocativ.com text.

To see the original post, which features 35 cities and much more information, click here.

Number 10: Portland, Oregon
Portlandia jokes aside, a lot about Portland defies stereotypes. It's actually an older city (median age: 36) than some on our list, and it has better-paying jobs and more job growth than that 21st-ranked category would suggest (unemployment is a tad high). It's not as cheap to live in as you might hope, but the food and drink offerings make up for that, with great pizza and coffee options in hipster mecca the Pearl District and drinks 'n' arcade games at Old Town/Chinatown's Ground Kontrol — not to mention an actual, real bookstore with bound, ink-on-paper books in downtown's famous Powell's Books....

Number 9: Madison, Wisconsin
Wisconsin's capital ranks in the top 10 in both housing and jobs. The city has proved to be largely recession-proof over the years, keeping unemployment low and job growth high in sectors like technology and education. Groceries are a little pricey, but drinks aren't. It's Wisconsin, so beer and sausage are everywhere, especially in German areas like Essen Haus, and you'll need them to fatten up for those cold winters. ...

Number 8: St. Paul, Minnesota
Another spot where the numbers are in your favor, Saint Paul has low unemployment (although the salaries are low, too, shockingly so when compared with neighboring Minneapolis), inexpensive housing, and cheap food and drinks. Though Saint Paul is better known for its beautiful Victorian homes than trendy 'hoods — which make it a great place to start a family — bohemians flock to Lowertown for its cheap rents, strong public transit and ethnic eats from places like Tanpopo Noodle Shop....

Number 7: Seattle, Washington
With a vibrant musical heritage, amazing food and more coffee houses than you could ever visit, Seattle ranks high for the urban experience it offers. Neighborhoods like Capitol Hill and Ballard are gay- and hipster-friendly, while Pioneer Square and SoDo offer state-of-the-art stadiums to catch Seahawks, Mariners and Sounders games....

Number 6: Minneapolis, Minnesota
The (larger) Twin City to Saint Paul, Minneapolis ranks tops for jobs on our list, with high salaries and low unemployment, fueled by a large presence of Fortune 500 companies like Target and 3M. Tons of park space and the 50-mile Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway make Minneapolis a smart choice for urban dwellers who value nature, and it's extremely bikeable, with trails around the city for recreation or commuting....


Number 5: Austin, Texas
Arguably one of the best towns in the country for seeing live music, Austin serves music fans all year long, beyond SxSW and ACL. It lands second on our list in terms of jobs, with a nice mix of well-paying occupations in fields like government and a hot high-tech sector, as well as low unemployment and job growth....

Number 4: Denver, Colorado
Legalized weed! Now that's out of the way, we can talk about what a cool place Denver is to live, even if you don't touch the green. Arts district LoHi has rooftop bars like Linger, a killer music festival and enough coffee shops to give Seattle a run for its espresso beans. Denver is a great sports city, too, with teams in all four major sports....

Number 3: San Francisco, California
The white-hot tech scene helps give San Francisco some of the best-paying jobs in the nation. The city also has the second highest percentage of LGBTQ folks among cities on our list, and while the Castro is a gay mecca, nearly every neighborhood is welcoming. There are great coffee shops, bars and restaurants all around town. Burma Superstar is a must, and taco stands like El Farolito won't break the bank....

Number 2: Arlington, Texas
Literally everything is cheap in Arlington. First of all, you can get a two-bedroom apartment for under $900 a month. Two. Bedrooms. Also inexpensive: food, beer, even kombucha. (Just kidding, Texans outside of Marfa and Austin don't know what that is, but with what Arlingtoners save on rent, they can afford to have it delivered from L.A., on foot.) Jobs are on the rise in Arlington, too, although you might have to work at Six Flags....

Number 1: New York, New York
New York doesn't initially scream "livable." "Fun," sure, but how does anyone survive in the Big Apple? Ah, but that's the thing about NYC—it makes clear the difference between merely getting by and thriving....