North Dakota – The Surprising Millennial Magnet

Brace yourself to see more and more millennials around the Peace Garden State, North Dakota, as each year passes. While California and New York are often touted as great places for millennials in terms of job opportunities, it might come as a surprise that North Dakota has made the list as a growing millennial hotspot.

Get our free mobile app

Millennials, generally defined as those born between 1981 and 1996, are a significant demographic group in the United States. As they seek places to settle down and build their lives, certain factors play a pivotal role in their choices.

Methodology

To determine the best and worst states for millennials, Scholaroo conducted a study that compared the 50 states across seven key dimensions:

1. Affordability
2. Employment
3. Health
4. Personal Finance
5. Political & Social Environment
6. Quality of Life
7. Safety

Analysts evaluated those dimensions using 52 relevant metrics, and each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 being the max. They then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the sample. This is where I should have paid attention in Algebra.

How did our region rank?

27th - Montana with an overall score of 62.08

26th - South Dakota with an overall score of 62.41

11th - North Dakota with an overall score of 67.09

1st - Minnesota with an overall score of 71.63

North Dakota's appeal to millennials is likely attributed to our strong job market and quality of life. The state offers affordable housing and a lower cost of living compared to some of the more expensive states on the coasts. Additionally, North Dakota's political and social environment, as well as its emphasis on personal safety and healthcare, make it an attractive destination for the millennial generation. We have known this for quite a while...it appears the more people are finding out our secret!