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Study ranks Charlotte among best cities for millennials

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Forbes, with the help of Niche.com, is the latest to release a ranking that gives high marks to Charlotte for what the city has to offer professionals who want to make the Queen City home.

Niche.com, founded in 2002 as college review and recommendation site CollegeProwler.com, provides information for individuals seeking information on schools and neighborhoods.

The website used data from cities and metro areas that have 1 million or more residents to create the latest list.

Forbes took an in-depth look at the study and found that it looked at U.S. Census and FBI information, as well as surveys taken during the past four years that involved nearly 500,000 college students and graduates.

Forbes said factors also examined the percentage of the population identified as 'millennials' (ages 25 to 34), median income, education level and racial diversity.

Other factors considered included nightlife, cultural attractions, shopping and professional sports. That data was used to determine the best areas within cities for millennials.

The study ranked Charlotte No. 18 overall, with 14 percent of its population between the ages of 25 and 34.

Forbes said the study found the crime rate in the Queen City to be below average, median income to be $28,494 per year and median rent to be $818 per month.

Third Ward was listed as the best neighborhood for millennials. It is home to the Charlotte Knights' new BB&T Ballpark, the Carolina Panthers' Bank of America Stadium and Johnson & Wales University's Charlotte campus.

Read the complete Forbes article here.