BEST CITIES FOR YOUNG SINGLES

For young singles, two factors can be crucial to choosing where to live: Can I afford the rents? And what can I do there? Finding an apartment that fits a starting-out budget is key. And whatever money is left over often goes to meals out, concert tickets and bar tabs. These metro areas all scored well on rental affordability and have a high number of restaurants and night spots per capita. Each area also scored highly on our bohemian index -- a measure of the city's diversity and cultural amenities. Here are our five favorites:

For a full explanation of our criteria click here.