Adulting 101: Portland and Seattle rank as top destinations for Millennials

Think Millennials are scared off by Portland and Seattle's reputations for having a high cost of living? Nope!

Both Northwest cities made the top-10 list destination for Millennials, as ranked by magnifymoney.com. In 50 U.S. cities, the study looked at Millennials' workforce participation, unemployment rates and median wages and analyzed their population changes over a five-year period. Despite high housing costs, Millennials in those cities may find they're better equipped to pay down debt and accumulate wealth as they follow lucrative job paths with national companies headquartered in the Northwest (thanks, Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, Nike …).

Portland was ranked No. 7, with Seattle right behind at No. 8. San Francisco claimed the No. 1 spot. During the study, wages for Millennials climbed 28.3% in Portland and 15.4% in Seattle. All the top-10 Millennial cities are west of the Mississippi (with four on the West Coast).

That's not to say there aren't lots of other great choices for Millennials looking to put down roots. For example, if your housing budget is at top of mind and you prefer a laid-back, more rural lifestyle, a home in south central Washington or north eastern Oregon's Umatilla County might be for you. Even costs for your homeowners and auto insurance are likely to be lower.

And wherever you settle, you can't go wrong with these tips for negotiating a good deal on an apartment.