Wichita landed at No. 19 on a national ranking of large U.S. cities for Generation Z, the first time the city qualified for the large-city tier.

The 2026 report from CommercialCafe, a commercial real estate platform, evaluated cities with populations of at least 400,000. It scored them on nine metrics: cost of living, jobs for recent graduates, Gen Z population share, educational enrollment, internet cost, recreational establishments, parks, green commuting and unemployment. The report was published Aug. 25.

Wichita's entry into the large-city category reflects its population crossing the 400,000 mark. Mayor Lily Wu noted on X in May 2025 that U.S. Census Bureau estimates put Wichita's 2024 population at 400,991, up from 397,656 in 2023.

The city's strongest selling point, according to the report: affordability. CommercialCafe described Wichita as having the lowest living costs in the Great Plains, at almost 13% below average. The city's affordability index scored 87.3.

Other Wichita data points include a 7.5% Gen Z share of population, $69.30 monthly internet cost, 39.3% school enrollment rate and 1,003 recreational establishments. The report listed Wichita's unemployment rate at 10.2%. CommercialCafe did not explain its unemployment methodology, and the figure is significantly higher than the city's overall jobless rate.

Wichita scored lower on green commuting, with just 2.2% of residents using public transit, walking or cycling. The city had three parks per 10,000 residents.

Kansas City, Missouri, ranked No. 9 on the same list. Seven of the nine Midwest cities evaluated placed in the top 20, according to the Wichita Eagle.

The ranking aligns with a priority the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce identified months before the report's release. "The data shows we must do more to keep young professionals here in Wichita and engaged in our community," Chamber President and CEO John Rolfe said at the organization's 2025 Chair's Lunch in February 2025.

CommercialCafe noted that nearly half of Gen Zers identify the high cost of living as the single biggest barrier to their financial success, putting pressure on where young workers can afford to start out.