Although it's hard to predict what the future will hold, we've come up
with a list of 15 cities that we think will be hot in 20 years.
To
compile this list we looked at job growth, population growth and
demographics, affordability, livability, and the health and well being
of the residents.
We also considered how the city is innovating
in terms of technology, sustainability, culture, and more. And we
thought about how "cool" the city is--an important factor in attracting
the young, creative types who will make the city hot.
[Related:
10 cities with amazing deals for renters]
We
looked at how the next generation will influence the city--whether
they're hipsters, tech-savvy pros, artists, or environmentalists. The
cities that made this list vary greatly, but they all have one thing in
common: great people and great ideas.
NickeyNickey via Flickr1) Brooklyn, NY, will become a cool capital of cultureFor years, Brooklyn took a backseat to its towering neighbor, Manhattan--but no longer.
Today,
Brooklyn is one of the fastest growing cities with a population of
about 2.5 million, making it the most populous borough in New York and
independently one of the largest cities in the US.
This
hipster-friendly borough attracts young chefs, artists, entrepreneurs,
families, and more, who have opened hip farm-to-table restaurants, cool
art galleries and boutiques, and hipster markets like the Brooklyn Flea
and Dekalb Market. With amazing cultural venues like the Brooklyn
Academy of Music (BAM) and the Brooklyn Museum, and the addition of the
Barclays Center, NYC’s newest sports and entertainment venue, the area
is bound to continue to develop and gentrify.
2) Seattle, WA, will be the best place to be a young professionalSeattle
gained momentum back in the ‘90s when Kurt Cobain started the grunge
trend and a little coffee shop called Starbucks began to gain traction.
Today
the city continues to attract young people and was recently ranked the
best place for young professionals to thrive, according to mobile events
company timeRAZOR, thanks to its high number of bars and restaurants
(numbering over 6,000) and its high median income (the average college
graduate there earns $53,185 annually).
Seattle was also ranked
one of the 10 Cities with the Fastest Growing Wages in America. Home to
major corporations Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing, and tech startups like
Facebook and Zynga (which recently opened offices there), the city will
continue to attract young, creative professionals in the next few
decades.
eschipul via Flickr3) Austin, TX, will create tons of new jobsThis college town was recently ranked the Next Biggest Boomtown in the US by Forbes.
It’s the third fastest-growing city in the US, according to the US Census Bureau, with high rates of job creation.
Austin
is also a hip, artsy college town that attracts artists, students,
intellectuals, and creative types. The thriving live music scene and Tex
Mex food add to the allure, ensuring that people will continue to call
Austin home.
p medved via Flickr4) Portland, OR, will become one of the coolest cities for young peopleWith
its laid-back outdoorsy lifestyle, organic restaurants, hip coffee
shops, and a featured role on the IFC show Portlandia, Portland has
become a popular destination for young twenty-somethings.
According to a recent YPulse survey, more and more millennials are opting to live in small cities, like Portland.
This
small, creative city was ranked the number one green city in the US by
the Mother Nature Network, and it's also one of the most bike-friendly
cities in the US.
Let Ideas Compete via Flickr5) Boulder, CO, will become the newest hotbed for startupsBoulder
is fast becoming the newest tech center with a thriving community of
startups, earning it the nickname of Silicon Flatirons.
In fact,
there are so many new jobs here, with at least 50 tech companies hiring,
that the organizers of Boulder Startup Week paid for people to fly to
Boulder to fill these open jobs.
Boulder is widely regarded as
one of the healthiest and happiest cities in the US according to Gallup,
thanks to the active outdoor lifestyle and the thriving intellectual
community that comprises this college town.
[Related:
8 Cities with Surprising Job Growth]
NCDOTcommunications via Flickr6) Raleigh, NC, will be an amazing place to get a jobThis
charming city attracts college students, families, and immigrants, with
its job prospects, safety, affordable housing, and short commutes.
As
a result, Raleigh was ranked the number one city for business and
careers by Forbes, with the fastest growing job market in the US. It’s
also the fastest growing city in the US, according to the US Census
Bureau.
Wikimedia Commons/Shawn Wilson7) Detroit, MI, will make a comebackAfter
years of neglect and devastation--sinking so low that the state of
Michigan threatened to take over the city--Detroit is poised for a
comeback.
According to a recent YPulse survey, more and more millennials are opting to live in small cities, like Detroit.
These
young idealists are moving back to Detroit, breathing new life into the
downtrodden city with their small businesses, many of which are
socially and environmentally responsible. The Urban Innovation Exchange
showcases Detroit’s growing social innovation movement, promoting small
businesses, like Recycle Here! and Food Lab Detroit. This type of
optimism and innovation makes Detroit a city to watch.
8) Philadelphia, PA, will become a dynamic arts destinationThe low housing prices, affordable lifestyle, and cool arts scene are attracting young people to Philadelphia.
These
people are getting involved in the city through organizations like
Young Involved Philadelphia and bringing a new sense of dynamism to the
city, with new restaurants, shops, galleries, and a cool music and arts
scene.
The City of Brotherly Love has some of the best public art
in the country. It's famous for its murals, which adorn buildings all
around the city. The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program coordinates
these murals, connecting artists to the community.
Philadelphia was also ranked one of the 10 Cities with the Fastest Growing Wages in America.
Peyri via Flickr9) Nashville, TN, will offer a lot more than just country musicThere used to be only one main reason to move to Nashville: country music. But that’s changed.
Nashville’s
economy is booming, and the city has one of the fastest growing job
markets in the US. Forbes ranked it as one of the Next Big Boom Towns in
the US.
Between the steady job growth, the thriving music and
culture scene, and the diverse population, the country music capital
will continue to grow.
KB35 via Flickr10) Bentonville, AR, will thrive as home to one of the biggest companies in the USWal-mart,
the second biggest American corporation according to the Fortune 500,
is headquartered in this relatively small city in northwest Arkansas.
The
Wal-mart campus and Walton family play a big role in the Bentonville
culture. Wal-mart heir Alice Walton spent $800 million on the Crystal
Bridges museum of American art, which was designed by architect Moshe
Safdie and houses her vast personal collection of modern art.
As the Waltons continue to invest and Wal-mart continues to thrive, Bentonville will become a top city.
churchstreetmarketplace via Flickr11) Burlington, VT, will continue to trail blaze as a sustainable cityThis laid-back city epitomizes small-town charm, but it’s also emerging as a leader in sustainability.
Most
restaurants here serve local organic fare, shops sell local
Vermont-made products, and people shop for groceries in community-owned
co-ops. Much of the food consumed in town come from local farms or from
the Intervale Center, a nonprofit organization that cultivates 350 acres
of land to provide food for the city residents.
This
environmentally-friendly city has turned its focus on sustainability
into a form of economic self-reliance--a model which will become
increasingly more important in the years ahead.
Flickr/Trevino12) Mountain View, CA, will continue to lead as a tech cityHome
to major tech companies Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Mozilla, and more,
Mountain View is arguably one of the most tech-centered cities in the
world.
In fact the city is so tech-focused that there’s city-wide free Wi-Fi, courtesy of Google, and the Computer History Museum.
With
more and more startups finding a home here, this Silicon Valley hub is
bound to continue to innovate and attract tech-savvy residents.
Wikimedia Commons13) Pittsburgh, PA, will become the next hipster havenWith
its affordable housing, thriving student population, emerging arts and
hip-hop scene, and fast-growing job market, Pittsburgh is quickly
becoming the newest hipster haven.
The Steel City is attracting and retaining these young creative types with its cool cultural scene and thriving economy.
It
was recently ranked the second-best performing city in the US by the
Metro Monitor from the Brookings Institute and one of the top cities in
the US where people are hiring, according to Gallup.
14) Salt Lake City, UT, will attract the most college gradsWith
its active healthy lifestyle, its beautiful mountainous surroundings,
and its thriving job market, Salt Lake City, recently ranked One of The
10 Best Cities for College Grads, will continue to attract eager young
college graduates.
The city was also recently ranked One of the Fastest Growing Job Markets in the US.
Robert Johnson/Business Insider15) Williston, ND, will make oil money hand over fistNorth
Dakota is experiencing an oil boom, which could make Williston and the
nearby towns one of the largest sources of petroleum in the country--and
that means unprecedented wealth in the years ahead.
The
population has exploded as people flock there in droves to seek their
fortunes, and although the city is undertaking a building frenzy, it
hasn’t been able to keep up with the influx of wannabe oil workers.
This
oil boom is both a blessing and a curse as it has meant overcrowding,
traffic, and a housing shortage, but Williston is frantically trying to
keep up and will be an area to watch.
