Espoo is the city that has seen the greatest increase in its appeal – Tampere remains the top-ranked city among the largest cities
Espoo has seen the greatest increase in its appeal among Finland’s ten largest cities. Tampere remains Finland’s most attractive city, while Jyväskylä and Kuopio are tied for second place.
In January, T-Media surveyed potential and current residents of Finland’s ten largest cities to gauge their views on the cities’ appeal and ability to retain residents. This marked the fourth time Attraction&Retention annual Attraction&Retention has been conducted.
The average appeal of the ten largest cities has declined slightly among potential residents. The only cities to have increased their appeal are Espoo and Turku.
“Espoo’s growth shows that people continue to move here in search of work and expertise. The city is particularly attractive to knowledge- and expertise-intensive companies and skilled professionals,” says Jukka Mäkelä, Mayor of Espoo.
Lahti, Oulu, and Kuopio have lost the most of their appeal. Tampere remains the most attractive city in the survey, although its appeal has also declined.
The location attracts potential residents—and keeps current residents in the city
Outside the capital region, positive perceptions of the community and the environment stand out year after year: issues related to urban safety and livability are particularly significant, whether the respondents are potential or current residents.
One of the factors examined is economic vitality—that is, whether the region is a growing economic area where businesses thrive. Among the ten largest cities, Tampere is the only one to receive an “excellent” rating in this category.
This is how we conducted the study
The results are based on Attraction&Retention conducted by T-Media in January 2024. The survey examined the attractiveness and retention power of Finland’s ten largest cities in terms of population, among both potential residents and the cities’ current residents. A total of 2,255 city residents participated in the survey, and 1,709 potential residents responded. The survey’s target group consisted of Finns aged 15–65, excluding residents of the Åland Islands.
Attraction&Retention T-Media’s Attraction&Retention, a city’s attractiveness score is calculated as the average of six different categories: economic vitality, community, environment, location, services, and cost structure.
More information
Kari Väisänen, Senior Advisor, T-Media, +358 400 138 767
Riku Ruokolahti, Director of Development, T-Media, +358 400 512 200
