In a recent study conducted by Apartment Advisor, Denver is ranked the seventh-best city for recent college graduates. Despite the fact that Denver is among the most expensive cities to live in the United States, earning its spot at seventh-most expensive, it is still somehow within the range for best cities for post-graduates. All I can wonder is, how?
In a city as expensive as Denver, with a median rent of $1,700 a month for a simple one-bedroom apartment, it is hard to believe that Denver is still among some of the best cities to live post-grad, especially when thinking about the massive debts that most will carry on from student loans.
This statistic obviously raises questions for skeptics, considering Denver’s ongoing housing crisis, resulting in a rise in rent prices over the last decade and an increase in the homeless population in Denver. Affording anything at all in Denver seems to have gotten increasingly more difficult, it doesn’t make any sense that Denver would be among the cities listed by Apartment Advisor.
When taking all factors in, we can begin to see why Denver has made this list. Though the cost of living in Denver is expensive, the median salary is also higher on average than some of the 84 other largest cities that were surveyed, giving Denver its seventh-place ranking. With Denver in seventh, there were still some cities that were considered better.
The cities that beat Denver in the survey were Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Seattle, Minneapolis and Madison. Some of these cities proved to be as high-earning as Denver, however are cheaper in rent. This isn’t to say that other smaller neighboring cities won’t also be good options to settle in after college though as well.
This goes to show how expensive the cost of living has increased over time to the extent that even a city like Denver is considered a great city for post-grads, despite the skyrocketing rent prices. Even with a higher median salary, living in Denver still isn’t feasible for many.
“Middle class” incomes in Denver can range anywhere between $54,700 to $163,000. It is shocking that upwards of mid to high $100,000s can still be called “middle class,” but it still somehow is in our current economy. Even with a “middle class” income, it is not likely that you will be able to live comfortably with rent prices as they are. This is primarily due to the skyrocketing rent costs, without proper wage alignment.
Based on this survey, I offer that your best option post-grad would be to choose one of the cities on the list to begin looking for jobs. Once you’re able to get a job, you might want to consider taking a commute to work, just to be able to have cheaper rent. Neighboring suburbs will have far cheaper rent than the cities discussed.
Overall, it is ridiculous to think about the fact that it is almost impossible to live comfortably, even on a “median salary” in one of the “best” cities post-grad. With this in mind, you must take all factors into consideration when choosing a city to live after you graduate.
