San Antonio is proving itself to be a highly desirable place to live for Gen Z individuals, so says a new survey by online platform CommercialCafe.

The report, “Best Cities for Gen Z in 2025 & Beyond: Which Areas Are Most Livable for Young People?” analyzed nine metrics across the largest U.S. cities with populations of more than 400,00 residents. The key indicators consisted of a cost-of-living index, the share of the employed population working in jobs requiring a college degree, the percentage of the population aged 20-24, and the diversity of recreational activities, among others.

San Antonio was chosen as the 11th best city for Gen Zers nationwide and the 6th best city in the South. Minneapolis, Minnesota, topped the list as the No. 1 best city for Gen Z. Though the study focuses on Gen Zers in their early twenties, the youngest Zoomers are 13 years old (born in 2012) and up to 28 years old (born in 1997).

Although just missing the top 10, Alamo City provides several advantages compared to smaller university towns or innovation hubs higher on the list. Chief among those is affordability: San Antonio was ranked 5th in the nation on the cost-of-living index.

Although San Antonio has a reputation for having a slower pace of life, CommercialCafe ranked it 8th in recreational establishments. That category encompassed restaurants, bars, stadiums, or museums — a rejoinder to the frequently lobbed social media complaint that there’s “nothing to do” in the city.

“While they may have inherited the title of ‘most-criticized generation’ from Millennials, Gen Zers are proving themselves to be financially astute, community-oriented and cost-conscious,” the report said. “Moreover, their digital-native upbringing makes them uniquely positioned to leverage emerging technologies — particularly artificial intelligence — with unprecedented skill.”

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin ranked as the 8th best U.S. city for Gen Z to live, followed by Houston (No. 9), Fort Worth (No. 20), El Paso (No. 26), and Dallas (No. 27).

The top 10 best cities for Gen Zers in 2025 are:

  • No. 1 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • No. 2 – Atlanta, Georgia
  • No. 3 – Boston, Massachusetts
  • No. 4 – Tampa, Florida
  • No. 5 – Raleigh, North Carolina
  • No. 6 – Omaha, Nebraska
  • No. 7 – Columbus, Ohio
  • No. 8 – Austin, Texas
  • No. 9 – Houston, Texas
  • No. 10 – Kansas City, Missouri