This spring, I, along with thousands of other recent college graduates, began transitioning into adulthood by moving away from college and soft launching an adult life. The process seemed daunting: settling into a new job, saying goodbye to friends who moved onward and finding new rental housing among numerous options, ranging from a studio apartment to a single-family home.
Within a few weeks of our graduation, a new ranking released by Zumper and covered in the New York Times called Minneapolis the best city in the U.S. for recent college graduates, based on various economic, social and employment opportunities. As a recent college graduate myself, I took this ranking as an opportunity to reflect on my own experience moving across the Twin Cities — from St. Paul to Minneapolis — and see the city through the eyes of a recent graduate.
Minneapolis ranked first for balancing affordability, job opportunities and lifestyle amenities. Specifically, these metrics encompass median rent for a one-bedroom apartment (averaging $1,418 in Minneapolis), the proportion of young, single residents and those with bachelor’s degrees, and the unemployment rate and median income for individuals 25 or younger. As a proxy for lifestyle amenities, the study also factored in the number of restaurants per capita.
Here’s what Zumper had to say about Minneapolis: “Ranking in the upper third for all designated categories, Minneapolis, MN is the overall number one city for college grads. With consistent “B’s” for affordable rent, and median income, and an “A” for low unemployment rate, the Twin Cities is a desirable location for emerging leaders to enter the workforce while maintaining a lower cost of living. Minneapolis also received an “A” for restaurants per capita. Overall, this city is well rounded in all categories, attributing to its title of valedictorian in our rankings.”
How do these factors influence young adults’ decision-making? Although this ranking did not explicitly influence my decision to move to Minneapolis — nor where to move within Minneapolis — the intersection of lifestyle amenities and affordability did drive me to stay in Minnesota and move to the City of Lakes.
While these metrics are useful, missing from this analysis are the on-the-ground realities of starting a post-college life in Minneapolis.
(Relatively) Affordable Rent
Several friends and I decided to search for housing in Minneapolis across the river from where we graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul. As a transplant to the Twin Cities, from Portland, Maine, I thought it only fair to experience life in both twins.
As someone who has engaged with housing policy questions in work, school and even occasionally at brewery book talks, I found actively searching for an apartment showed a whole new side of housing in Minnesota.
Over the course of a week, we toured almost every kind of housing I could imagine. From old duplex to new build, we toured most of what Minneapolis had to offer. We gravitated toward Hennepin, Lyndale and Nicollet avenues in South Minneapolis, attracted by the prospect of a bikeable and walkable lifestyle. The area is also home to a large number of recent Macalester graduates who remain in the Twin Cities, pulling more people to the area as part of this social web.
Off our list was Downtown, still reeling from a slow post-COVID recovery; the emerging North Loop, which lacks the “lived in” feel of other Minneapolis neighborhoods; and Northeast, a quieter, family-oriented neighborhood that we perceived as a better home in our late 20s or early 30s.
We excluded other areas in North and South Minneapolis, as well as the East Bank and Prospect Park areas near the University of Minnesota campus because the Whittier neighborhood offered more proximity to friends and other recent Macalester graduates.
Our search revealed a spectrum of options catering to recent graduates. On West Lake, we explored a cozy three-bedroom above retail shops, surrounded by urban amenities like bars and restaurants. In Whittier, we found affordable rent and duplexes adapted to young tenants’ needs — where one landlord even planned to replace a car garage with bike storage.
We also toured a new development on Nicollet and East 42nd, though its features seemed less aligned with graduates’ preferences and price points.
We settled on an affordable Uptown duplex, splitting $2,000 monthly rent three ways. Sharing the building with five other recent graduates upstairs, we found our common preferences led to the same conclusion: Minneapolis, specifically this neighborhood, is ideal for starting post-college life.
The Twin Cities are home to many colleges minting new graduates every spring. Although many move on from Minnesota after graduating, many others stay, contributing to Minneapolis’ solid rankings for young people (defined as 18- to 34-year-olds in the ranking) as well as those with college degrees and single people.
Low Unemployment, High Lifestyle Amenities
Minneapolis ranked “A” for low unemployment rates among those 25 and younger. Our strong job market (with a regional unemployment rate at 3.7%) provides diverse early-career opportunities in the Twin Cities, while 2024 graduates more broadly are having difficulty finding jobs across the U.S.
This analysis relied on restaurants per capita as a proxy for attractive young adult lifestyles. But Minneapolis’ art and music scene, parks (now ranked No. 2 in the nation), bars, community events and other amenities join our vibrant food scene in making Minneapolis a hot spot for recent graduates — and all Minneapolitans. There’s always more to discover, too — like hot new Minnesota music, new restaurants or empowering community celebrations.
Recent graduates navigating Minneapolis housing prioritize affordable, vibrant neighborhoods with urban amenities and multimodal transportation options, dropping traditional priorities like parking or proximity to downtown, as we seek to embrace city life.
Governor Tim Walz and other Minnesota officials have stated goals to reduce brain drain as Minnesota graduates leave the state for opportunities elsewhere. But for many, the value proposition of the City of Lakes is enticing. The affordable cost of living and attractive lifestyle amenities check all the boxes for me and many other recent graduates looking to put down roots and take the first steps in establishing our careers.