A financial education website has named Kirkland as the sixth best city in the state for “millenials” seeking jobs. But local officials suggest this pertains mainly to those who work the city’s many hi-tech companies – at least for the time being.

According to the study conducted by NerdWallet, Kirkland experienced nearly 40 percent growth in millenials, people between the ages of 28-33, between 2010-2013. For their list of top cities, which placed Redmond as the best city for millenials seeking employment, NerdWallet examined the city’s unemployment rate, rental and housing affordability, as well as the prevalence of Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)-related jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Kirkland has a 4.2 percent unemployment rate. Trulia reports the median sales price for homes in Kirkland between Oct. 14, 2014 and Jan. 15 was $445,975. Trulia also reported that sales prices have appreciated 14 percent during the past five years.

Bruce Wynn, executive director at the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, said the growth spurt of millenials can be attributed to hi-tech industries and companies like Google, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in Kirkland during October. With one campus in the Moss Bay neighborhood off of 6th Street South, company officials are currently adding a second campus site adjacent to it in anticipation of an additional 1,000 workers. This is on top of the 1,400 full-time employees they have in the state. Wynn added that Google also hosts two chamber luncheons a year to attract students interested in STEM.

“There is a lot of money pouring into the school foundations and chamber to keep that on the front burner,” he said.

Yet, he said Kirkland’s appeal for millenials is really dependent on what they do for a living, especially if they intend to live in the city.

“Technology and science rule, and that is a big priority here in Kirkland,” he said, citing the move by other major companies such as Microsoft, Costco and Bluetooth into the city due to its growing reputation as a center-hub for technology-focus industries.

“They’re coming and it doesn’t take a lot of advertising,” Wynn said. “Word is getting out.”

The emphasis on technology is reflected in new chamber events. One example is the Kirkland Startup Weekend Makers Edition, where participants attempt to create a company from concept to the final pitch to potential investors within a weekend. Samantha St. John, director of marketing and communications for the chamber, said the most recent startup weekend event was overwhelmingly comprised of millenials.

“It was amazing how many were under 25,” she said.

The increase in millenials is also reflected in the chamber’s creation of a new young professional group for people under 40 that helps provide feedback on what would make the city more attractive to their demographic.

“More gathering spaces is one of the things we’ve heard from the under 30 crowd,” St. John said. “Different interesting nightlife has been expressed… but there are certain things they want to stay the same, like the look and feel of the city. It doesn’t have lots of skyscrapers, it has that charm to it. It has small independent businesses and boutiques.”

One company that seems to represent this hybrid of millenials and hi-tech industries is BitTitan, an IT change automation company specializing in data migration and onboarding, which recently opened their Kirkland office at 3933 Lake Washington Blvd NE. The company works with clients such as Microsoft, Rackspace, Wowrack, and Go Daddy using products like MigrationWiz to move data from one cloud provider to another and from an on-premise solution to the cloud. These migrations, according to CEO Geeman Yip, used to be a cumbersome ordeal back in 2007 when BitTitan first started, in which as they had to be done manually. Now, the process has been streamlined and no longer requires downtime for the client.

According to Yip, Kirkland’s geographic location and atmosphere is what attracts tech companies.

“Kirkland is a place where you can live, work and play – all within a one-mile radius,” wrote Yip in an email interview. “It’s great for attracting new talent and is easily accessible to all of our employees – North, South, East and West. Kirkland has one of the largest Park and Rides less than a mile from our office. We even have corporate housing here in Kirkland, which is great for out-of-town guests as well as remote employees visiting the office – they can walk to everything.”

Not only has the company seen tremendous growth, with the number of employees tripling in 2014 to 77, but nearly half of them are under 33.

The company says along with the appeals Kirkland has to offer, it seeks out millenials through career fairs, while retaining current employees through quarterly events specifically catered toward them and an updated bonus pay program.

For millenials who work in a field out of these industries, however, much of what makes Kirkland an appealing place to work and live is beyond financial reach, according to Wynn.

“If they work at Google – most of the millenials are going to be there and Tableau Software and Radius, large companies here that are hi-tech  – they’re doing great. They’re making close to six figures and can afford to buy a house and rent and enjoy everything that Kirkland has to offer.”

“If you’re working at the medium income level,” he continued, “you’re not going to be able to buy a house or even rent in Kirkland. But if you’re in the higher bracket, which the high-tech companies can provide, then you’re going to be fine.”

The difference for people who just work in Kirkland and those who live and work changes as they get older, Wynn said, and this is indicated by Google’s campus expansion.

“They find that people want the energy of the city, but if you’re older than in your 20s or 30s and you’ve been there for a while, Kirkland is the town to buy a house in and live in,” he said.

St. John said Kirkland’s Octoberfest and Summerfest events, along with the numerous coffee shops, are also drawing younger people to a city that has yet to add any skyscrapers to its downtown area.

“A lot of people come here because of the culture of our communities,” she said. “Coffee shops are filled with millenials working from their laptops. That’s one of the things we’ve noticed… there’s big business but it hasn’t built up to where it doesn’t feel like a community. It still has that tight knit community feel. We have that nice blend.”

While the high rental prices can prevent millenials with lower incomes from living in the city, this may change as apartments become smaller, something which, according to Kirkland native Cassandra Joyner, fits with their preference for smaller, urban living spaces.

Joyner, who works at Sotheby’s International Realty, said the trend for millenials who move to Kirkland now is typically when they are in their 30s. By then, they have either reduced or eliminated their student debt and acquired a higher paying job, but low interest rates have also enabled people to make a down payment on a house earlier than they would have otherwise.

This might change due to micro-apartment complexes, such as the one currently under construction at 450 Central Way developed by Natural and Built Environments. At an October Kirkland Chamber of Commerce luncheon discussing housing in Kirkland, Robert Pantley, head of Natural and Built Environments, expressed his belief that these apartments, priced at around $795 a month, will make it possible for low income individuals to live in the city. Joyner said these micro-apartments, which consist of a master bedroom-sized apartment and a shared kitchen community area, fit better with the average millenials’ lifestyle that involves far less living space than previous generations. Also, companies like Google offer so many services, such as food, fitness classes and gyms, making it more convenient to have a smaller residence.

“I think that we are more open to the idea,” she said. “The more traditional idea of what housing needs to be – property, living space – now, with our generation it’s being geared towards a community where you can do all these things. I think older clients want more space and a yard and other things to use, but the younger generation is more open.”

As a millenial growing up in Kirkland and now living here, she said the things she enjoys about the city often come up when speaking with a potential customer.

“I highlight [that] I love living in Kirkland,” she said. “It’s very centrally located. It’s easy to jump across to Seattle. I think just having a sense of community. You have everything you need, entertainment, restaurant, hi-tech businesses in the area.”