Settling into a new living space is often the next step after the walk down the aisle for many newlyweds, and we know finding a place to start a life together is a big decision. To help make the decision perhaps a little easier, we analyzed data, including rental inventory, median rent prices, percent of married population, average household income, population of 25-44 year olds, and restaurants per 100,000 people, to rank 100 cities and find the best places to live for newlyweds. Consider saying “I do” to one of these top cities!
Best cities for newlyweds: key takeaways
- Austin, TX is the overall best city for newlyweds
- Akron, OH has the lowest median rent price for 2-bedroom apartments
- San Francisco, CA has the highest median household income
- Plano, TX as the highest percentage of married population
- Syracuse, NY is the overall worst city for newlyweds
The top 10 best cities for newlyweds
Known as the “live music capital of the world” Austin is beloved for its abundance of entertainment, tasty Southern barbeque, and youthful, vibrant culture. With high marks in four out of five categories, Austin, TX claims the title as the best city for newlyweds. Receiving an “A” grade for inventory of 2-bedroom apartments, Austin is a top Texas city to find the perfect living space without the pressure of other more saturated markets. Additionally, generous median household income, means Austin couples can afford the higher price tag of monthly rent known for this popular area. With a high percentage of married individuals, population of 25-44 year olds, and restaurants per capita, newlyweds can relish the opportunity to connect with other couples, while experiencing an abundance of top rated establishments and events.
Following Austin is San Diego, California. With a warm climate, expansive oceanfront, and lively craft brewery scene, San Diego is an ideal location for both beach lovers and newlyweds alike. San Diego scored well in most categories, with the exception of median rent prices. With a median 2-bedroom apartment rent price of $2,400, San Diego rent is higher than other cities. Still, generous household income, high rental inventory, and a large married population make this sunny California city an ideal location for newly married couples to live in wedded bliss.
Third on our list of best cities for newlyweds is Seattle, WA. Seattle is known for its picturesque scenery, but the city also holds a great opportunity for recently married couples to build a life together. Seattle has a high volume of 2-bedroom apartments for rent, and is in the top 5 for median household income with $97,185 annually. Seattle also earned high grades in population of 25-44 year olds and is among the top 10 of restaurants per capita.
The City by the Bay is a popular choice for many individuals to call home, but should also be a top consideration for recent newlyweds. Although San Francisco has the second highest monthly rent, only to New York, NY, prospective residents will be pleased to know that this city has the highest household income with $119,136 annually. With a high volume of 2-bedroom apartments for rent, newlyweds can expect to find the perfect space to live married life in San Fran.
As the largest city in Oregon, Portland is a lush and inviting city to call home in the Pacific Northwest. Portland scored particularly well with restaurants per capita, as the third best in the category. Portland also offers a generous median household income with $73,159 annually, and a high population of residents in the 24-44 age range. The median rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in Portland comes in at $1,650 earning the city a “D” letter grade for that designated category.
Sunny San Jose, California is the sixth best city for newlyweds. With lower 2-bedroom apartment inventory and a median monthly rent of $2,602, competition in the rental market can be expected. However, San Jose is home to a large married population, and above average restaurants per capita, making this city a great place to form connections with other couples and enjoy double dating at San Jose establishments.
Representing the East Coast on the list of best cities for newlyweds is New York, NY. NYC has the largest volume of 2-bedroom apartments for rent, giving couples many options to choose from for the ideal setting for your newlywed bliss. However, New York City is known for high rent prices, supported by its “F” letter grade for the category. Still, with above average median household income, a large percentage of 24-44 year olds, and many options for dining, couples will have no problem enjoying married life in The Big Apple.
With high inventory and reasonable prices of 2-bedroom apartments, Phoenix could be the perfect destination for newly married couples to find a home in this desert oasis. Median household income in Phoenix is lower than others in the top ten, coming in at $60,914 annually.
Couples looking to settle down in the Midwest may want to set their sights on Omaha, NE. With the lowest median 2-bedroom rent in the top ten at $920 per month and a median household income of $62,213, Omaha offers affordable living to couples starting out.
Completing the top ten best cities for newlyweds is Colorado Springs, CO. Home to stunning natural beauty, Colorado Springs offers recently married couples access to many options for housing without the high price rent found in comparable Colorado cities like Denver. Colorado Springs is also among the top ten cities for married population speaking to the cities desirability for couples post nuptials.
Cities ranked by top categories
Here are the top five cities for each individual category:
Largest inventory of 2-bedroom apartments for rent
- New York, NY
- Chicago, IL
- Boston, MA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Austin, TX
The cities with the largest inventory of 2-bedroom apartments are also known for their large population of residents. New York, NY has the largest offering of 2-bedroom apartments for potential renters.
Lowest median 2-bedroom rent price
- Akron, OH
- Shreveport, LA
- Wichita, KS
- Tulsa, OK
- Lubbock, TX
Akron, OH is the most affordable city to rent a 2-bedroom apartment with the median rent priced at $745 per month.
Highest percentage of married population
- Plano, TX
- Gilbert, AZ
- Chesapeake, VA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Chandler, AZ
With 56.9%, Plano, TX has the largest married population percentage. Following is Gilbert, AZ with 56.5%, Chesapeake, VA with 53.8%, Virginia Beach, VA with 51.7%, and Chandler, AZ with 51.1%.
Highest median household income
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Gilbert, AZ
- Seattle, WA
- Plano, TX
San Francisco, CA has the highest median household income at $119,136. Comprising the rest of the top five is San Jose, CA at $117,324, Gilbert, AZ at $99,154, Seattle, WA at $97,185, and Plano, TX at $96,348 annually.
Largest population of 25 to 44 year olds
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Houston, TX
- Phoenix, AZ
New York, NY has the largest population of residents aged 25 to 44, followed by Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix.
Restaurants per capita
- Orlando, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Portland, OR
- Denver, CO
- Cincinnati, OH
Orlando, FL has the largest volume of dining opportunities for residents to enjoy. Following Orlando is Atlanta, GA, Portland, OR, Denver, CO, and Cincinnati, OH.
The 5 worst cities for newlyweds
- Syracuse, NY
- Providence, RI
- Newark, NJ
- Buffalo, NY
- Rochester, NY
These East Coast cities prove to be less desirable destinations for recent newlyweds to live. As the worst city for newlyweds, Syracuse, NY received mostly failing grades, with the exception of 2-bedroom rent prices priced at $1,000 per month on average.
Methodology
To determine the best cities for newlyweds we analyzed the top 100 US cities on seven key metrics. These metrics included the following:
- Inventory of 2-bedroom apartments – Zumper.com
- Median 2-bedroom rent – Zumper.com
- Married population – American Community Survey 2020
- Median household income – American Community Survey 2020
- Population of 25 to 44 year olds – American Community Survey 2019
- Restaurants per 100k people – OpenStreetMap
Each city received a ranking and a weighted score for each metric. 2-bedroom apartment inventory accounted for 30 percent of the weighted score. Married population and median household income each accounted for 20 percent. Median 2-bedroom rent accounted for 15 percent, population of 25-44 year olds accounted for 10 percent, and restaurants per 100,000 people accounted for 5 percent. We then assigned letter grades to each city based on the quintiles for each data point:
- A = rank higher than 80% of cities
- B = rank higher than 60% of cities
- C = rank higher than 40% of cities
- D = rank higher than 20% of cities
- F = rank in the bottom 20% of cities
Full data
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