Manchester is a great city to live in, especially for young professionals in their twenties. Thanks to its neighbourhoods and opportunities, it is a top contender against megacities like London.

According to the Orega officers who crunched the numbers of living costs and even pollution levels, the Greater Manchester area is one of the top places to live in the UK. And some of the main reasons include excellent educational and work opportunities.

Their findings also revealed that Manchester has over 12,000 job listings, affordable rent, and more than 40 co-working spaces. 

Young professionals can also have a vibrant lifestyle, such as dining at Michelin guide restaurants or having a blast at ten green flag parks.

As for accommodations, the data also shows that the average two-bedroom apartment in Manchester costs around £1163 per month. This is way lower than that of the London standards of about £3000 per month, which is a financial nightmare for young people.

Laura Walker, the marketing and sales director at Orega, stated that young professionals desire cities with good amenities, an abundance of career opportunities, and a flexible work-life balance.

And the answer to those desires lies in Manchester since it provides more significant job opportunities and prospects than London. 

In addition, the surging cost of living to survive in London requires young professionals to earn at least £25,000 per year just to get by.

Great Manchester Neighbourhoods for Young Professionals

1. Charlton

Charlton is an excellent option if you want that suburban and city lifestyle mix. You can enjoy the opportunities available in big cities and the lifestyle of a small town in this neighbourhood.

The average housing cost in Charlton stands at around £335,000, and you can easily take a 15-minute Metrolink to get back to the city centre of Manchester.

When you’re not in the mood to go to the city, you can also enjoy the local restaurants, coffee houses, and shopping locations in Charlton. 

2. Altrincham

Altrincham is home to a large market town with plenty of generational and cultural history. Also, if you are interested, you can find many job openings for web developers and recruitment officers.

As for leisure activities, they have music venues, canals, and gardens if you like green spaces and a more sedate lifestyle.

To top it off, Altrincham also caters to first-time homebuyers, which can be significant for those who wish to start a family in the Manchester area.

3. Dewsbury

Dewsbury offers a lot of opportunities for teaching, human resource, and junior engineering jobs. It also has easy accessibility to Manchester City Centre if you’re not working in the area.

Additionally, Dewsbury is the place to be if you want that diverse nightlife scene and excellent restaurant options.

4. Deansgate 

Deansgate has many hospitality jobs, from junior retail staff and managerial positions to apprenticeship opportunities. There are also vacancies for junior architects.

This neighbourhood would also pique the interest of those who appreciate historical areas and has easy access to downtown Manchester.

On the downside, the living costs can be expensive for people who just graduated from university.

5. Salford

Salford is best for young professionals or fresh media graduates because there are available jobs for the BBC. It’s also a place for those who seek to be in the construction and medicine industries.

For those who enjoy nature, you’ll appreciate the green spaces in the Salford area.

6. Rusholme 

Rusholme is a famous cultural location with high-performing schools and commodities. This area also has affordable housing and apartments.

There are also plenty of junior positions available for young professionals or fresh graduates with tech experience since the area is a hub for software companies.

Rusholme is also ideal if you don’t wish for the somewhat busy lifestyle in Manchester City.

Education and Industry

The Greater Manchester area is constantly adapting and evolving, with the city now becoming part of the Northern Powerhouse. 

These characteristics are evident in job opportunities available for young professionals with tech experience, customer service experience, HR experience, and construction work.

This area is also home to four universities with over 350,000 students. Fortunately, these students have exposure to job opportunities in catering services and other relevant industries. 

One notable institution is the Manchester University, which carries the press stage of being the eighth-best university in Europe. 

Manchester University is an excellent option for young professionals if they wish to get additional qualifications by doing a Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, or a Ph.D. to improve their professional qualifications.

It’s definitely given that Manchester has the resources and opportunities available for academic and professional improvement. These are essential elements which are the keys to success for young and ambitious professionals.

Another great benefit is that Manchester has the UK’s most significant financial and professional services outside London. 

These financial services offer employment opportunities in a diversity of disciplines. Some include banking, financial services, legal, insurance, and accountancy.

There are also other job opportunities in these big offices and company departments, especially in the HR Department. So, those with experience working in administration or qualifications in understanding human psychology can have a competitive edge.

It’s also worth noting that global firms like Barclays, HSBC, Etihad, and Aegis are open to hiring young professionals. 

The Greater Manchester area is also perfect for networking with leading professionals and future leaders. There are also opportunities to connect through LinkedIn, a social media platform for professionals, and traditional networking events in Manchester.

On top of that, Greater Manchesters doesn’t have the same high intensity of congestion and crowds – unlike London. 

One reason for this accessibility can be the tramline network and the benefits of being a small city with over 500,000 people. Regardless, the Greater Manchester area continues to grow and develop, thus creating more and more opportunities.

Why should young professionals live in the Greater Manchester area?

Young professionals should live in Manchester because it offers opportunities to develop their careers. 

Living in this area also beats staying at places with high living costs and challenging work environments like London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds, and Coventry.

Another winning factor is that Manchester allows you to flourish and build towards a future with your first home and the financial flexibility you desire. It also opens more doors to either establish a secure career or continue to branch out to new experiences.

Manchester is basically a hot pot of diverse professional job opportunities, such as in the tech industry, construction, finance, and other modern jobs.

And even if you don’t end up with a career in the city, you will have endless opportunities to hone and develop yourself as a young professional waiting to make a mark in Manchester.