WSJ: Austin, Dallas are among top 10 youth-magnet cities

Arts, culture, jobs top list

Steve Hawley, Sep 30, 09.

The Wall Street Journal has compiled a list of the top 11 youth-magnet cities in the US, and Austin is fifth while Dallas comes in ninth. The other top cities, in placement order, are Washington, D.C. (tie for #1), Seattle (tie for #1), New York (#3), Portland (#4), San Jose, CA (#6), Denver (tie for #7), Raleigh-Durham (tie for #7), Chicago (tie for #10), and Boston (tie for #10).

The newspaper surveyed six experts in topics such as demographics, economics, geography, and urban issues. The article states:

Where trendy smaller cities might have captivated youth in the past, today’s recession-scarred young people are more pragmatic, placing “greater emphasis on where high-quality, high-paying jobs are created,” says Ross DeVol, director of regional economics for the nonprofit Milken Institute. Northeastern and West Coast cities are ascendant, eclipsing former Sunbelt favorites such as Atlanta.

It also notes that some former youth magnets, such as Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Naples, Florida have been damaged by the housing and financial collapses last year.

About Austin, the article says:

A state capital and the site of a big University of Texas campus, Austin has become a gathering place for tech- and arts-conscious young adults. Its SXSW media and arts conference, and its Austin City Limits music festival, draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Both unemployment and the cost of living are relatively low. And with significant high-tech, videogame and renewable-energy sectors, [panelist Ross] DeVol calls Austin “a model for a thriving 21st-century knowledge-based community.”

The downside: Some panelists have doubts about how strongly Austin will rebound after the recession.

And about Dallas, it states:

A diverse economy and cultural offerings put Dallas on the list. One panelist says Dallas offers “the best combination of knowledge-based jobs and lifestyle amenities of any place in the country.” Its economy includes big telecommunications, data processing, electronics manufacturing, professional services and distribution sectors. Anchor of a region with many corporate headquarters, including Exxon Mobil, Dallas last year also lured the head offices of AT&T, bringing thousands of high-paying jobs.

Downside: Dallas lacks a reputation as a youth mecca, and summers can be very hot.

The article details the top five cities, but the other six are discussed in the “interactive graphics” section.