Manchester is known as one of the youngest places in the UK, with a young population that’s growing rapidly each year. According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of young people living in Manchester had increased by 26% from 2002 to 2017. So, aside from the thriving student scene, what has caused Manchester to become such a hit with young people, particularly young professionals? Here are three major reasons why Manchester is such a fantastic UK city for young professionals to live in.
The business scene is world-class
The business scene in Manchester is one of the main reasons the city attracts so many young professionals and graduates each year. The Manchester business scene has grown massively over the years, now boasting a number of huge business names and independent start-ups. Popular fast fashion houses like Missguided and Boohoo were founded in Manchester, along with many other businesses such as the world-renowned sports clothing brand JD. Since the creation of the Salford Quays regeneration scheme, MediaCityUK, even more companies set up base in Manchester, including the BBC, Kelloggs and ITV.
There’s plenty to see and do
With a fantastic food and drink scene, vibrant nightlife, endless shopping choice and plenty of cultural attractions, Manchester residents are spoiled for choice in things to see and do. Young professionals in Manchester can spend a long day in their city centre workplace and easily walk to a local bar or restaurant to meet up with friends. Then, on the weekend, they can explore local art galleries or go and see an independent film. Compared to smaller cities in the UK, there are so many more ways for young people to stay occupied in Manchester, and this crucial for a lot of young professionals.
It’s more affordable than London
In a lot of ways, Manchester can be compared to London. There are similar business prospects and a similar amount of cultural and leisure attractions. One way that Manchester and London differ, however, is with affordability, with Manchester being a lot more affordable than London. This is another major factor that makes Manchester such a top UK city for young professionals to live in. Over recent years, figures have shown that more and more young people are actually moving away from London and heading to Manchester, and affordability is a huge factor in this. To put things into perspective, here is a comparison of the price difference between some everyday costs in London vs Manchester. According to data from Numbeo.com, a gym membership in London might cost £42.24 on average, compared to £26.35 in Manchester, while a monthly travel pass in London can cost around £150 compared to £69.78.
There’s also a huge price difference for accommodation in Manchester vs the capital. In Manchester, the average monthly rent for a city centre apartment is £786.67, while a similar property in London would cost you a huge £1,756 – more than double the price. Due to more young people choosing to live and work in Manchester, there has been a surge in demand for city-centre or Salford Quays based property, which is attracting attention from buy to let investors. RWinvest, a property company with investment properties in Manchester and Liverpool, published a guide to UK house prices which revealed that not only is property more affordable in Northern cities like Manchester, but house prices in the area are also predicted to grow massively. With more properties being built and purchased by savvy investors, there’s set to be plenty of living options for Manchester’s young professionals for years to come.