Seattle and Washington D.C. Tied as Top Cities for Young People

The Wall Street Journal just released a job-trend list of the cities that are expected to attract the most young, educated people after the recession. Seattle made number 1, edging out New York, Chicago, and Portland handily. No surprise there. WSJ listed “Seattle's combination of a diverse high-tech sector, cultural life, access to rugged natural terrain and a strong university presence” as big draws. They also pointed out the tech angle:

Anchor to a region of corporate innovators, from Amazon.com to Starbucks, Seattle is "a high-tech and lifestyle mecca," Dr. Florida says. Mr. DeVol says the city's high-tech sector, with 226,300 workers, is just slightly smaller than Silicon Valley's. Joblessness, at 7.7%, remains relatively low. City officials see rapid growth in biotech; Seattle also has tens of thousands of jobs in music and interactive media. And it enjoys a reputation as home to a lot of brainy people.

We’re smart, cultured, have unparalleled access to nature, and we’re losing relatively few jobs. What college graduate wouldn’t want to live here? No brainer, right? What’s odd is that we’re tied with Washington D.C. for #1. Government hiring is projected to grow, and D.C. has jobs in lobbying, aerospace, contracting, and high-tech and professional services. And, of course, the service-minded flock to D.C.--most US nonprofits are based in the city.

Now, we’d never move to D.C. (Seattle’s dreary days perk us up like a cup of coffee, and muggy summers give us the willies), but it looks like we’re in good company.