Ann Arbor rated No. 8 'cheapest city' for recent college graduates

Luxury high-rises are sprouting up like weeds in downtown Ann Arbor, so it may come as a surprise to some that the city is apparently one of the cheapest places in America to move after college. Appearing on yet another “top 10” list, Ann Arbor came in at No. 8 on Complex’s guide for thrifty recent college graduates which was headlined by No. 1 Spokane, Wash.

According to the pop-culture website, typical monthly rent for one bedroom outside of the “city center” costs about $600. The costs for utilities, public transportation and “annual income needed for a living wage before taxes” (estimated at $19,738 for Ann Arbor) were also factored into the decision process. Midwestern hubs Dayton, Pittsburgh and St. Louis were Nos. 2, 3 and 4 respectively, with Austin, Texas and Memphis the only southern cities to make the list.

Ann Arbor’s rent was in the middle of the pack for the list, but the estimated $100.64 for utilities was the cheapest of the ten chosen cities. Complex also explicitly cites Ann Arbor’s frequent appearance on other top lists as one of its major draws, giving credence to the Kellie Woodhouse Snowball Theory of “Best Of” Lists expounded upon here.

• Read the full list from Complex.

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2