Millennials, also known as Gen Y, are the demographic cohort born between 1981 and 1996. Ranging in age from 25 to 40, they were the first generation to come of age with the Internet and social media, but have also lived through the 9/11 attacks, the War on Terror, the Great Recession, protest movements such as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter, and the COVID-19 pandemic.Â
The ways in which COVID changed life in America — among other things bringing a significant portion of the workforce the ability to telecommute — have encouraged some millennials to reassess where and how they want to live. In addition, many now have or are planning families and want to make the best decisions for their children as well as themselves. These are 50 ways American life has changed in the last decade.
For those who want to make a move, some destinations are more hospitable than others. 24/7 Tempo has developed a list of the best and worst states for millennials, using data compiled by the credit reporting and advice site WalletHub. The site compared states across five key dimensions: affordability; education and health; quality of life; economic health; and civic engagement. The dimensions were evaluated using 34 variously weighted metrics, including everything from singles- and family-friendliness to share of millennial smokers and binge drinkers to average earnings and labor force participation rate grown for members of the generation.
The best and second-best states, according to the data, are Washington and Utah, which rank No. 1 for affordability and economic health, respectively. Washington is home to companies such as Starbucks and Microsoft, and its largest city, Seattle, is known for quality of life and civic engagement. Utah has a diversified economy covering industries such as tourism, mining, energy, agriculture, and information technology. These are the states with the best and worst economies.
Click here to see the best and worst states for millennials
At the other end of the list are West Virginia and New Mexico. The former is situated in the rust belt and has traditionally been dependent on the out-of-favor coal mining industry. The latter is home to such attractive places as Santa Fe and Taos, but may be a victim of its success in attracting residents, as it scores poorly for affordability.Â
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50. West Virginia
> WalletHub score: 32.48
> Top metric: Affordability (#25 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 318,773 — 12th fewest
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Source: Raisa Nastukova / iStock via Getty Images
49. New Mexico
> WalletHub score: 35.15
> Top metric: Affordability (#40 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 420,181 — 15th fewest
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
48. Mississippi
> WalletHub score: 36.80
> Top metric: Civic Engagement (#21 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 558,856 — 16th fewest
Source: georgeclerk / E+ via Getty Images
47. Nevada
> WalletHub score: 39.74
> Top metric: Economic Health (#30 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 666,061 — 21st fewest
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Source: wundervisuals / E+ via Getty Images
46. Louisiana
> WalletHub score: 41.26
> Top metric: Affordability (#24 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 969,170 — 24th most
Source: BorderaS / E+ via Getty Images
45. Arkansas
> WalletHub score: 41.36
> Top metric: Affordability (#26 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 577,184 — 18th fewest
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Source: JerryGrugin / iStock via Getty Images
44. Kentucky
> WalletHub score: 43.09
> Top metric: Affordability (#11 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 854,727 — 24th fewest
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Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
43. Alabama
> WalletHub score: 43.76
> Top metric: Affordability (#17 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 944,541 — 25th most
Source: GabrielPevide / iStock via Getty Images
42. South Carolina
> WalletHub score: 43.97
> Top metric: Affordability (#21 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 995,900 — 23rd most
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Source: Jupiterimages / PHOTOS.com>> via Getty Images
41. Rhode Island
> WalletHub score: 45.43
> Top metric: Education & Health (#4 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 216,592 — 8th fewest
Source: Alex Potemkin / iStock via Getty Images
40. Delaware
> WalletHub score: 45.66
> Top metric: Education & Health (#20 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 184,440 — 6th fewest
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Source: A&J Fotos / E+ via Getty Images
39. Alaska
> WalletHub score: 46.73
> Top metric: Civic Engagement (#8 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 167,071 — 3rd fewest
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Source: Hannah Gregory / iStock via Getty Images
38. Oklahoma
> WalletHub score: 47.02
> Top metric: Affordability (#19 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 801,484 — 23rd fewest
Source: DisobeyArt / iStock via Getty Images
37. Hawaii
> WalletHub score: 47.30
> Top metric: Education & Health (#3 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 297,193 — 11th fewest
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Source: Holcy / iStock via Getty Images
36. Wyoming
> WalletHub score: 47.42
> Top metric: Affordability (#29 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 113,603 — 2nd fewest
Source: Paulaandreaonline / Getty Images
35. Maine
> WalletHub score: 47.84
> Top metric: Civic Engagement (#1 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 241,825 — 9th fewest
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Source: ablokhin / iStock via Getty Images
34. Maryland
> WalletHub score: 49.09
> Top metric: Education & Health (#7 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,235,942 — 19th most
Source: Robert Winkler / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
33. Connecticut
> WalletHub score: 49.71
> Top metric: Education & Health (#5 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 661,067 — 20th fewest
Source: urbancow / E+ via Getty Images
32. Montana
> WalletHub score: 49.91
> Top metric: Economic Health (#15 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 201,386 — 7th fewest
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Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
31. Indiana
> WalletHub score: 50.35
> Top metric: Affordability (#15 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,299,852 — 18th most
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
30. Florida
> WalletHub score: 50.46
> Top metric: Economic Health (#14 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 4,108,725 — 4th most
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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
29. Vermont
> WalletHub score: 50.50
> Top metric: Education & Health (#6 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 112,136 — the fewest
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Source: deimagine / E+ via Getty Images
28. Arizona
> WalletHub score: 50.56
> Top metric: Economic Health (#12 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,459,119 — 14th most
Source: Kirkikis / iStock
27. New Jersey
> WalletHub score: 50.61
> Top metric: Education & Health (#8 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,725,299 — 12th most
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Source: krblokhin / iStock via Getty Images
26. Georgia
> WalletHub score: 50.73
> Top metric: Affordability (#14 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 2,172,009 — 8th most
Source: JimVallee / iStock via Getty Images
25. Tennessee
> WalletHub score: 51.48
> Top metric: Affordability (#13 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,361,866 — 16th most
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Source: Jordan Siemens / DigitalVision via Getty Images
24. Idaho
> WalletHub score: 51.62
> Top metric: Economic Health (#3 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 351,301 — 13th fewest
Source: stevecoleimages / E+ via Getty Images
23. North Carolina
> WalletHub score: 52.54
> Top metric: Civic Engagement (#10 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 2,058,843 — 9th most
Source: CHBD / iStock via Getty Images
22. New Hampshire
> WalletHub score: 54.14
> Top metric: Economic Health (#6 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 250,305 — 10th fewest
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Source: TriggerPhoto / iStock via Getty Images
21. Kansas
> WalletHub score: 54.55
> Top metric: Economic Health (#9 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 573,705 — 17th fewest
Source: rez-art / iStock via Getty Images
20. Ohio
> WalletHub score: 54.94
> Top metric: Affordability (#9 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 2,265,875 — 7th most
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Source: vorDa / E+ via Getty Images
19. Missouri
> WalletHub score: 55.03
> Top metric: Affordability (#3 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,226,666 — 20th most
Source: RyanJLane / E+ via Getty Images
18. Texas
> WalletHub score: 55.27
> Top metric: Affordability (#6 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 6,298,200 — 2nd most
Source: huePhotography / iStock via Getty Images
17. Michigan
> WalletHub score: 55.85
> Top metric: Affordability (#8 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,921,051 — 10th most
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Source: ablokhin / iStock via Getty Images
16. South Dakota
> WalletHub score: 55.88
> Top metric: Economic Health (#7 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 172,730 — 5th fewest
Source: itsskin / E+ via Getty Images
15. California
> WalletHub score: 55.99
> Top metric: Quality of Life (#11 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 8,800,969 — the most
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Source: RyanJLane / E+ via Getty Images
14. Oregon
> WalletHub score: 56.72
> Top metric: Civic Engagement (#4 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 899,008 — 25th fewest
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Source: Mark Lucey / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
13. Nebraska
> WalletHub score: 57.35
> Top metric: Civic Engagement (#6 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 389,407 — 14th fewest
Source: monkeybusinessimages / iStock via Getty Images
12. New York
> WalletHub score: 57.35
> Top metric: Quality of Life (#2 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 4,121,641 — 3rd most
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Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
11. Virginia
> WalletHub score: 58.02
> Top metric: Civic Engagement (#2 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,768,034 — 11th most
Source: Leonardo Patrizi / E+ via Getty Images
10. Illinois
> WalletHub score: 58.09
> Top metric: Affordability (#4 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 2,591,190 — 5th most
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Source: sdominick / iStock via Getty Images
9. Pennsylvania
> WalletHub score: 58.43
> Top metric: Civic Engagement (#9 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 2,501,404 — 6th most
Source: wweagle / E+ via Getty Images
8. Wisconsin
> WalletHub score: 60.69
> Top metric: Civic Engagement (#3 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,114,706 — 22nd most
Source: DurkTalsma / iStock via Getty Images
7. North Dakota
> WalletHub score: 61.58
> Top metric: Affordability (#2 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 171,736 — 4th fewest
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Source: pascaluehli / iStock via Getty Images
6. Colorado
> WalletHub score: 61.70
> Top metric: Quality of Life (#3 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,339,725 — 17th most
Source: YangYin / iStock via Getty Images
5. Minnesota
> WalletHub score: 62.10
> Top metric: Quality of Life (#4 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,150,923 — 21st most
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Source: EQRoy / Shutterstock.com
4. Iowa
> WalletHub score: 62.47
> Top metric: Affordability (#7 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 604,882 — 19th fewest
Source: georgeclerk / E+ via Getty Images
3. Massachusetts
> WalletHub score: 64.02
> Top metric: Education & Health (#2 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,431,870 — 15th most
Source: mihtiander / iStock via Getty Images
2. Utah
> WalletHub score: 64.58
> Top metric: Economic Health (#1 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 704,125 — 22nd fewest
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Source: RyanJLane / E+ via Getty Images
1. Washington
> WalletHub score: 68.01
> Top metric: Affordability (#1 best in the nation)
> Millennials: 1,707,877 — 13th most
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