Next Generation Consulting (NGC) has announced its Next Cities rankings, and Charleston has been named #2 for Mighty Micros (100,000 – 200,000 population). The “Next Cities” index lists the best places to live and work for young professionals in three population categories.

NGC has studied the residential and relocation patterns of 20-40 years olds since 1998, and has developed a one-of-a-kind indexing system that evaluates a city based on the assets that are important to next gen workers. According to NGC, the seven indexes of a Next City are: Earning, Learning, Vitality, Around Town, After Hours, Cost of Lifestyle, and Social Capital.

NEXT CITIES RANKED BY POPULATION
Mighty Micros – Next Cities with Population of 100,000-200,000

1. Fort Collins, Colorado
2. Charleston, South Carolina
3. Eugene, Oregon
4. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
5. Springfield, Illinois
6. Cary, North Carolina
7. Ann Arbor, Michigan
8. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
9. Pueblo, Colorado
10. Gainesville, Florida
11. Stamford, Connecticut
12. Des Moines, Iowa
13. Spokane, Washington
14. Syracuse, New York
15. Huntsville, Alabama
16. Peoria, Illinois
17. Springfield, Missouri
18. Salt Lake City, Utah
19. Richmond, Virginia
20. Hampton, Virginia

View the entire list of “Next Cities” here.