Where are the best cities for young Latinos to live, work, play and fall in love?
mun2 ranked the country's biggest cities (more than 500,000 people) by how young, affordable, diverse, well-educated and single they are. Above and below are the top 15.
top cities for making love & money
| most singles |
| 1. | Boston |
| 2. | Chicago |
| 3. | L.A. |
| 4. | Austin |
| 5. | Denver |
|
| cheapest housing |
| 1. | Austin |
| 2. | San Antonio |
| 3. | Dallas |
| 4. | Houston |
| 5. | Boston |
|
| top salaries |
| 1. | San Jose |
| 2. | Boston |
| 3. | NYC |
| 4. | San Diego |
| 5. | L.A. |
|
| youngest (18-34) |
| 1. | Phoenix |
| 2. | Boston |
| 3. | Austin |
| 4. | Denver |
| 5. | San Diego |
|
key facts about the top 15
| 15. Las Vegas |
| Las Vegas offers young Latinos more than an endless party, ranking high when it comes to diversity, income growth over time and great weather. |
| Residents 18-34 | 23% |
| Percent Latino | 31.5% |
| avg. Salary, all occupations | $40,740 |
| Median Rent | $1,034 |
| Unemployment Rate | 12.4% |
| Single Men | 33.6% |
| Single Women | 24.9% |
| 14. El Paso |
| Don't let the proximity to violence-plagued Juarez put you off. El Paso remains a solid city for young Latinos looking for affordability, steady income growth, the lowest rent costs and great weather. |
| Residents 18-34 | 24% |
| Percent Latino | 80.5% |
| avg. Salary | $35,120 |
| Median Rent | $730 |
| Unemployment Rate | 10% |
| Single Men | 32.7% |
| Single Women | 38.2% |
| 13. San Antonio |
| San Antonio is one of the most affordable cities on our list, with high rankings when it comes to good opportunities for minority entrepreneurs, low rent, low crime and a low unemployment rate. |
| Residents 18-34 | 26% |
| Percent Latino | 61.5% |
| avg. Salary | $39,410 |
| Median Rent | $730 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.3% |
| Single Men | 36.7% |
| Single Women | 30.6% |
| 12. San Jose |
| In the heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose is ideal for young Latinos looking for a city that pays the highest average salaries per worker, and ranks high when it comes to the number of residents with college degrees, low crime and Latino college graduation rates (state). |
| Residents 18-34 | 25% |
| Percent Latino | 32.6% |
| avg. Salary | $68,658 |
| Median Rent | $1,304 |
| Unemployment Rate | 9.9% |
| Single Men | 37.1% |
| Single Women | 29.3% |
| 11. Houston |
| Houston is the top city for minorities looking to start their own businesses and the most affordable to live in. |
| Residents 18-34 | 29% |
| Percent Latino | 42.4% |
| avg. Salary | $46,290 |
| Median Rent | $776 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.2% |
| Single Men | 40.1% |
| Single Women | 32.7% |
| 10. Tucson |
| Tucson ranks solidly when it comes to affordable rent, low unemployment and great weather. |
| Residents 18-34 | 29% |
| Percent Latino | 39.5% |
| avg. Salary | $42,160 |
| Median Rent | $675 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.8% |
| Single Men | 42.3% |
| Single Women | 34% |
| 9. San Diego |
| A short weekend trip away from Mexico, beachy San Diego ranks well when it comes to safety, young people, good salaries, income growth over time and Latino college graduation rates (state). |
| Residents 18-34 | 31% |
| Percent Latino | 28.6% |
| avg. Salary | $50,200 |
| Median Rent | $1226 |
| Unemployment Rate | 9.6% |
| Single Men | 43% |
| Single Women | 34% |
| 8. Chicago |
| Artsy and historical, Chicago will draw in ambitious young Latinos because of its solid rankings when it comes to high average salaries, income growth over time, the number of colleges and universities, singles and Latino college graduation rates (state). |
| Residents 18-34 | 30% |
| Percent Latino | 27.3% |
| avg. Salary | $48,490 |
| Median Rent | $866 |
| Unemployment Rate | 9.5% |
| Single Men | 48.9% |
| Single Women | 43.3% |
| 7. Dallas |
| Home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other city, Dallas is a city where young Latinos can work hard and play hard, ranking high when it comes to opportunities for minority entrepreneurs, affordability and low rent. |
| Residents 18-34 | 29% |
| Percent Latino | 43.1% |
| avg. Salary | $46,860 |
| Median Rent | $773 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.9% |
| Single Men | 42.3% |
| Single Women | 34.5% |
| 6. Los Angeles |
| One of the oldest "Latino cities", L.A. ranks high when it comes to income growth over time, and solidly when it comes to a high percentage of singles, low crime and opportunities for young entrepreneurs. |
| Residents 18-34 | 28% |
| Percent Latino | 48.5% |
| avg. Salary | $50,120 |
| Median Rent | $1029 |
| Unemployment Rate | 11.1% |
| Single Men | 46.4% |
| Single Women | 38.8% |
| 5. Phoenix |
| Despite bad press because of harsh state anti-immigrant laws, Phoenix is still one of the country's most Latino cities, ranking as the youngest and sunniest on our list, and as one of the best for minority entrepreneurs. |
| Residents 18-34 | 47% |
| Percent Latino | 43.2% |
| avg. Salary | $43,450 |
| Median Rent | $824 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8% |
| Single Men | 40.6% |
| Single Women | 31.8% |
| 4. New York |
| The original multi-culti city is still a great place for young Latinos to call home, ranking number one when it comes to safety, and high when it comes to singles, the number of colleges/universities and Latino graduation rates (state). |
| Residents 18-34 | 28% |
| Percent Latino | 29% |
| avg. Salary | $55,080 |
| Median Rent | $1029 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.3% |
| Single Men | 44.5% |
| Single Women | 39.2% |
| 3. Denver |
| Denver has become one of the most Latino cities in the country and ranks high when it comes to a sizeable young population, diversity and solid Latino college graduation rates (state). |
| Residents 18-34 | 31% |
| Percent Latino | 34 |
| avg. Salary | $49,440 |
| Median Rent | $779 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.5 |
| Single Men | 43.2% |
| Single Women | 34.7% |
| 2. Austin |
| A city known for its exceptional music scene, Austin also has the most residents with college degrees, and ranks high when it comes to affordability, low unemployment, young residents and diversity. |
| Residents 18-34 | 35% |
| Percent Latino | 35.1% |
| avg. Salary | $46,130 |
| Median Rent | $860 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.7% |
| Single Men | 45.9% |
| Single Women | 37.8% |
| 1. Boston |
| Boston ranks ahead of the rest when it comes to the city's overall young population, the percentage of singles, overall diversity, low unemployment, and the college graduation rates of Latinos in the state. |
| Residents 18-34 | 40% |
| Percent Latino | 17.5% |
| avg. Salary | $56,560 |
| Median Rent | $1,161 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.6% |
| Single Men | 53.1% |
| Single Women | 58.6% |
How we ranked the cities
mun2 identified the largest metropolitan cities with populations over 500,000 residents.
We then analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and several large national studies that used similar data to narrow the list.
Next, we analyzed more than a dozen criteria for our rankings, including the percentage of 18-34 year-olds per city, Latino college graduation rates, the number of colleges and universities, affordability, housing costs, income growth over time, average salary, percentage of singles, weather, safety, how the city's diversity compares to the national average, and opportunities for minority entrepreneurs, among others.
Finally, we weighted how each city scored according to these categories to come up with the final ranking.
