No matter how low the rent is in North Dakota, there are nodoubt plenty of millennials who would prefer to live in a shoeboxin New York City than a mansion in Fargo.

But a ranking of the top 10 states for millennialsby MoneyRates.com based on a number of economic andsocial metrics, such as youth unemployment, college tuition, rentprices, the number of nightspots, and the number of health clubs,is informative nonetheless, and includes a few surprises.

As the list shows, the classic destinations for big dreamers —New York, California — aren't necessarily the best places to set upshop before you hit it big. Housing is expensive, jobs are notnecessarily plentiful, and oftentimes the restaurants and bars areprohibitively pricey for those in entry-level positions.

Here are the top 10 states for millennials:

Oil and gasdevelopment in the Bakken formation in northwestern North Dakotahas created an uptick in the number of young oil workers moving tothe area.

10. Texas

Contrary to the largely rural states that make up the rest ofthe list, Texas is a rapidly growing state that boasts three ofAmerica's 10 largest cities. Although it still has strong ties tothe oil industry, the Lone Star State has also become a major techcenter, a fact that has made it a top destination for youngprofessionals. There is decent rental availability, but rentcertainly isn't cheap in many of the large cities.

Devils Tower NationalMonument is one of many areas of natural beauty millennials inWyoming have available to them.

9. Wyoming

The cheap college tuition (University of Wyoming is the cheapestfour-year in-state college tuition in the country) and rock-bottomrents make the Cowboy State a great place to enjoy breathtakingbeauty on the cheap. It's not hard to find a job that will pay therent, either.

You might know Kansas asthe Sunflower State, but you probably didn't know it has one of theyoungest populations in the country.

8. Kansas

Kansas doesn't boast the highest number of nightclubs or fitnessfacilities, but it does have one of the youngest populations in thecountry. Couple that with a low youth unemployment rate, cheaphousing, and add in the fact that it generally performs well inwhat MoneyRates called the practical categories, and Kansas mightnot be just for Dorothy and Toto.

Lake Side Park andRose Garden in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which was once a boomingmanufacturing town. Factories across the state are gone now, butthe rent is very affordable.

7. Indiana

Like many other states in the Rust Belt, Indiana doesn't have aparticularly young population. MoneyRates says that's a “shame,”because it has a high concentration of nightspots, good access tointernet connectivity, and affordable rental options, making it agreat place for millennials to live well and on a budget (but stillwith quick streaming for Netflix).

Mardi Gras in NewOrleans is a popular destination for young people who come for theparty, but decide to move to Louisiana for theweather.

6. Louisiana

The Bayou State has the second highest proportion of youngpeople in the country, some of whom maybe only planned to stay forMardi Gras but fell in love with the unique culture of thestate.

Another reason to stick around? Unlike Wyoming, Indiana andKansas, winters are a little more bearable, with temperaturesaveraging in the low 50s.

But there's a catch: Despite its high ranking, the statehas the highest rate of unemployment, out-of-schoolmillennials in the country.

Glacier NationalPark in Montana makes a great getaway for students at any of thestate's public universities, which offer very affordable tuitionrates.

5. Montana

Montana isn't the first place you think of when somebody says“clubbing,” but the Blue Sky State has the second highestconcentration of nightspots relative to its youth population in thecountry. For those who are looking to go back to school, its publicuniversities also boast the second lowest in-state tuition.

There's not a lotof places to rent in Des Moines, and the rest of Iowa, butunemployment is low for young people.

4. Iowa

Iowa's youth unemployment rate is below 6%, but even with jobs,millennials may find it hard to find a place to crash because of alow supply of rental housing. Also, the internet connectivityrating isn't superb, but maybe that just means Iowa is on the brinkof some needed modernization.

Abraham Lincoln hasa home in front of Nebraska's capitol, but if you move to thestate, you'll have a hard time finding an apartment.

3. Nebraska

The state has the second lowest rate of youth unemployment inthe country, and MoneyRates notes that Nebraska fared better inother categories than its predecessors.

Still, it's No. 3 for a reason: The Cornhusker State'shousing market hasn't caught up to its population, making it hardto find an apartment.

Want to live nearGeorge, Tom, Teddy, and Abe? The rent is really cheap in SouthDakota, and the jobs are plentiful.

2. South Dakota

South Dakota is even cheaper than its northern neighbor, withthe absolute lowest average rents in the nation. Nearly nonexistentunemployment also suggests young people can find a job to supportthe measly rent bill. More money to spend on roadtrips to theBadlands and Mount Rushmore.

Oil and gasdevelopment in the Bakken formation in northwestern North Dakotahas created an uptick in the number of young oil workers moving tothe area.

1. North Dakota

And with the surprise win, the Dakotas take the top spots formillennials.

North Dakota edged out South Dakota in MoneyRates list mostlybecause of its recent economic boom, largely credited to thegrowing oil industry in the Bakken Formation. The boom (botheconomic and oil) has attracted many young workers to the state,giving it the highest proportion of people in the 20 to 24 agerange and the lowest unemployment rate for that age group at 4.6%(the average for other states is 10.7%).

The economic prosperity, however, is threatened by the dramaticdrop in the price of oil over the past year. Still, North Dakotahas great internet access and plenty of entertainment for themillennial generation.