Top 10 Cities for Millennial Newlyweds To Thrive Financially

Building a successful marriage — personally and financially — can be a struggle. That’s why it’s important to start your new lives together in a place that will allow you to easily gain solid financial footing while also offering plenty of opportunities for romance and recreation.

To find the top 10 cities for millennial newlyweds to thrive financially, GOBankingRates referenced data from a recent StorageCafe study, which used the 25 to 44-year-old age bracket (which technically includes some older Gen Zers and some younger Gen Xers) to identify the most likely population to get married currently. The study also identified cities with abundant career opportunities and housing, relatively affordable electricity rates, a high percentage of other millennial couples, low divorce rates and plenty of restaurants and leisure activities. Household income for millennials in each city was found by basing it on a similar age grouping from the U.S. Census.

Here are the top 10 cities for millennial newlyweds to thrive financially.

• Married population: 44.1%
• Divorced population: 8.9%
• Unemployment rate: 2.1%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $133,997
• Average cost of electricity per month: $173

In Arlington, date nights are easy to plan. The city has 2.3 restaurants and 0.3 amusement and recreation opportunities per 1,000 people. To get an idea of what that means, the top city for dinner date opportunities, which is San Francisco, boasts 3.8 restaurants per 1,000 people. And Scottsdale, Arizona, which ranks the highest for amusement and recreation, has 0.6 amusement and recreation opportunities per 1,000 people.

Plus, Arlington’s housing units per capita — aka availability of housing units per person — is 0.5. Comparatively, St. Louis has the highest housing per capita at 0.6.

• Married population: 50.3%
• Divorced population: 8.6%
• Unemployment rate: 3.5%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $118,924
• Average cost of electricity per month: $247

Move to Irvine and you’ll find 2.4 dining venues per 1,000 people and 0.3 amusement and recreation opportunities per 1,000 people. Housing per capita in the city is 0.4.

Irvine also has 15.5 miles of improved trails and 3.5 miles of nature trails per 10,000 residents for couples who like walking and hiking together.

• Married population: 57%
• Divorced population: 10.9%
• Unemployment rate: 3.8%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $97,953
• Average cost of electricity per month: $222

If date nights are your thing, Plano has 2.7 restaurants per 1,000 people, while amusement and recreation opportunities are 0.2 per 1,000 people. Housing units per capita in the city are 0.4. Plano also has 3.4 miles of improved trails and three parks per 10,000 people.

• Married population: 51.1%
• Divorced population: 12.7%
• Unemployment rate: 2.5%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $101,834
• Average cost of electricity per month: $186

Restaurants are also plentiful in Scottsdale at 2.6 per 1,000 people. Housing units per capita are 0.6, which is the second-highest housing inventory when you factor in population, according to the study. The city also has 9.3 miles of nature trails per 10,000 people.

• Married population: 50.8%
• Divorced population: 13.2%
• Unemployment rate: 2.8%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $81,283
• Average cost of electricity per month: $184

Besides its multiple white-sand beaches, Virginia Beach has 2.4 restaurants and 0.3 amusement and recreation opportunities per 1,000 people. The city also offers 6.5 parks per 10,000 people for those impromptu newlywed picnics. Housing units per capita are 0.4.

• Married population: 61.9%
• Divorced population: 6.1%
• Unemployment rate: 3.4%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $186,009
• Average cost of electricity per month: $247

Fremont has a divorced population that’s a tenth of its married population. However, it has one of the lowest number of dining venues and recreation and amusement opportunities of the top 10 cities on the list at 1.7 and 0.2, respectively. Housing units per capita are 0.4.

• Married population: 53.7%
• Divorced population: 11.9%
• Unemployment rate: 2.9%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $94,659
• Average cost of electricity per month: $184

Chesapeake is the second city in Virginia to make the list. However, its unemployment rate is a bit higher and its average household income among millennials is lower than what you’ll find in Virginia Beach. Housing units per capita in Chesapeake are 0.4 and opportunities for amusement and recreation are 0.2 per 1,000 people.

• Married population: 45.3%
• Divorced population: 11.0%
• Unemployment rate: 2.0%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $69,651
• Average cost of electricity per month: $128

Lincoln has the lowest unemployment rate of the 10 cities at 2.0% and it also has the lowest average cost of electricity. However, average household income is comparatively low. The city is a great place for couples who like spending time outdoors together with 5.9 miles of improved trails and five parks per 10,000 residents. Housing units per capita are 0.4 per 1,000 people.

• Married population: 40.3%
• Divorced population: 11.2%
• Unemployment rate: 2.3%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $135,662
• Average cost of electricity per month: $189

If living in the Pacific Northwest is more your style, Seattle offers a solid population of married millennials and a relatively low unemployment rate. Opportunities for playing sports and being outdoors in nature are relatively high. Housing units per capita are 0.5 per 1,000 people.

• Married population: 57.6%
• Divorced population: 10.4%
• Unemployment rate: 2.4%
• Household income (25-44 year-olds): $107,786
• Average cost of electricity per month: $180

If opportunities for sports and nature are high on your list as a couple, Gilbert is the place to be. The city also offers a relatively high average household income. Plus, like the majority of the other top 10 cities in the study, housing units per capita are 0.4.