Most welcoming cities for newcomers

March 2024 - Moving to a new city is full of exciting possibilities and can be the perfect excuse to make a fresh start. It can also be extremely daunting - especially if you’ve left your support network behind and are looking to create a new one.

A city doesn’t truly feel like home until you’ve built a community, and a great way to do this is by living somewhere where you know you’ll be able to build relationships easily. Moving in with roommates (and choosing the right ones!), could be key to this, but the city you choose can also make a difference.

SpareRoom analyzed data from over 47,000 roommates, based on what they listed as their interests in their profiles. We looked at the cities where most people listed ‘meeting new people’ and ‘socializing’ as their interests, then combined the data to create a ranking of the most welcoming cities for newcomers.

These are the most welcoming cities for newcomers:

1. San Antonio, TX
2. Charlotte, NC
3. Phoenix, AZ
4. Austin,TX
5. Dallas, TX

These cities ranked bottom for most welcoming for newcomers:

1. Virginia Beach, VA
2. Portland, OR
3. Miami, FL
4. Los Angeles, CA
5. New York, NY

Three cities in Texas ranked in the top 5 - San Antonio, Austin and Dallas - which may have something to do with the state being famous for its southern hospitality and friendly nature. Conversely, two of the lowest-ranked cities, Los Angeles and New York, are better known for their hustle culture.

Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom spokesperson comments:“Living with the right people can be a make-or-break situation when you move to a new city. If you never make those connections you may never settle and end up leaving, meaning you might just miss out on a whole new chapter of life. Meeting the right people, on the other hand, can help you make the most of your move. Who knows what that will lead to!"

Here’s the list in full: