Millennials prefer cities with good public transit

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2014/04/24/millennials-prefer-public-transportation/8097555/

Hadley Malcolm, USA TODAY
2:07 p.m. EDT April 24, 2014

If you want to woo Millennials to your city, make it easy for them to get around — without their own wheels.

A survey out this week from The Rockefeller Foundation and Transportation for America finds that the majority of Millennials want to be less reliant on cars. The survey questioned 18-to 34-year-olds across 10 cities with varying levels of public transportation: "mature" – Chicago, New York and San Francisco; "growing" – Charlotte, N.C., Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul; and "aspiring" – Indianapolis, Nashville, Tampa-St. Petersburg.

It found that Millennials want low cost transit and multiple options for getting around a city. More than half of respondents said they would consider moving to another city if it had better access to public transportation. And 66% listed high quality transportation as a top factor in deciding where to live.

A preference for public transit in part comes down to cost. Seventy percent of Millennials who don't have a car said they couldn't afford to live in an area without public transportation. Of those who make less than $30,000 a year, 92% say it's important that their city offer affordable transportation options, compared with 88% of all respondents.