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Being young in New York has never exactly been the financially responsible choice. Your bedroom is the size of a walk-in closet, your rent may require several roommates, and a “cheap” cocktail can somehow cost $17. But apparently, Gen Z still thinks the city is worth it.
Time Out has revealed its 2026 ranking of the world’s best cities for Gen Z and New York landed at an impressive No. 6 globally. The list was created with Intrepid Travel using responses from under-30s in our annual survey of city dwellers around the world, with only the highest-scoring city from each country included.
So, what keeps young New Yorkers enamored with the city? A whopping 98-percent of Gen Z New Yorkers surveyed described NYC as walkable, while 88 percent called the city lively. Even more impressive: 95-percent gave New York’s cultural scene high marks, helping the city rank third in the world for culture overall. And although nobody is going to confuse NYC with a bargain destination anytime soon, 93-percent said going out to see art here is accessible.
Which all tracks. Between free museum nights, gallery openings, outdoor movies, concerts in parks and approximately 4,000 things happening on any random Tuesday, New York remains remarkably good at giving you something to do even on the day after you've paid rent.
Still, we couldn't quite crack the global top five. Tokyo took the No. 1 spot, helped by some almost suspiciously cheerful numbers: 100-percent of Gen Z respondents there said they find joy in everyday experiences, while 89-percent rated the city’s nightlife highly. Porto came in second, followed by Melbourne, Edinburgh and Shanghai. New York landed immediately ahead of Copenhagen, with Berlin, Valencia and Bangkok rounding out the top 10.
And while New York’s affordability scores were, predictably, nothing to brag about, its sixth-place finish suggests Gen Z is willing to tolerate quite a lot for the privilege of living here. Tiny apartment? Fine. Questionable rent-to-income ratio? Apparently survivable. Having world-class art, nightlife, food and something interesting happening every time you walk out the door? Priceless.