Oulu is the only city to have increased its appeal – Tampere remains the top-ranked city among the largest cities

Oulu is the only city among Finland’s ten largest to have increased its appeal; the appeal of the other cities has declined. Tampere remains Finland’s most attractive city, while Oulu has risen to second place alongside Kuopio, with Jyväskylä coming in third.

In T-Media’s Attraction&Retention of the ten largest cities, people’s critical attitude toward various factors affecting attractiveness has increased since the previous survey round.

The aspects of a city’s appeal that are now rated most highly are, in particular, its location and economic vitality—that is, the state of the local economy and how well businesses are doing there—as well as the city’s services.

**Image**: T-Media’s Attraction&Retention the city and its surrounding area as a place to live and work, thereby assessing its regional appeal among the target groups surveyed. The city’s attractiveness score is calculated as the average of six different categories: economic vitality, community, environment, location, services, and cost structure.

At the turn of the year, T-Media surveyed the views of so-called potential residents in Finland’s ten largest cities regarding the cities’ appeal and ability to retain residents. This annual survey was conducted for the third time.

The average appeal of the ten largest cities has declined, with Oulu being the only city to have increased its appeal. The cities that have lost the most appeal, in order, are: Turku, Lahti, Vantaa, and Helsinki. Tampere is the most appealing city in the survey for the third time.

Attractiveness scores and changes for the largest cities

**Lähde:** T-Median Kaupunkien Vetovoima&Pitovoima -tutkimus 2023. Asteikolla 1–5 annetuista arvioista on laskettu keskiarvot, joita tulkitaan seuraavasti: erinomainen tulos ≥ 4.00, hyvä tulos 3.50–3.99, kohtalainen tulos 3.00–3.49, heikko tulos <3.00. Taulukossa olevat luvut on pyöristetty kahden desimaalin tarkkuudella.

Cost structure and financial viability play a major role

Oulu stands out clearly among the ten largest cities. The city has succeeded in enhancing its appeal in five key areas: cost structure, economic vitality, community, environment, location, and services.

“What is particularly notable about Oulu is that the city has increased its appeal even in terms of its cost structure, which is surprising given the current economic climate. The city is also bucking the trend in terms of the environment and community, with a significant increase in its appeal. In general, it seems that people are increasingly evaluating a city’s appeal in terms of its economic vitality—that is, what the economic landscape is like and how well businesses are doing in the area,” says Kari Väisänen, the senior expert in charge of the T-Media study.

The rating for services in Oulu has remained unchanged at a high level. For the other cities surveyed, the situation is somewhat the opposite: their appeal is declining, particularly in terms of cost structure, community, and the environment.

Long-term efforts are paying off, the city’s appeal is growing, and the region’s importance is increasing. We recognize that we must work continuously to enhance the city’s appeal and ability to attract and retain residents. “One of the key areas for development is strengthening cooperation between the city, businesses, and educational institutions. We aim to develop and strengthen the city as an enabler of development and growth,” says Seppo Määttä, Oulu’s new mayor.

From the perspective of attracting and retaining residents, it is important to provide current and future residents with high-quality services for both daily life and leisure. We also prioritize safety in collaboration with other authorities. We also work closely with tourism industry stakeholders, universities, and research institutions. Attraction&Retention T-Media’s Attraction&Retention, which show Oulu’s growing appeal, encourage Oulu to continue investing in the future with a view to development and growth,” Määttä notes.

The Helsinki metropolitan area continues to suffer from a high cost of living – in cities outside of congested Finland, environmental and community factors are highly valued

Cities in the Helsinki metropolitan area, particularly Helsinki and Vantaa, are suffering more than ever from high operating costs and, to some extent, from national media coverage that often highlights negative factors. Espoo remains the most attractive city in the metropolitan area, although even its appeal is now only at a moderate level. Among the cities in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Vantaa’s overall attractiveness figures have declined the most.

“The various cost pressures facing households are also reflected in the survey results. As respondents, potential residents paid even more attention to the city’s cost structure as well as factors related to the community and environment, such as safety and overall livability. The further away from so-called ‘congested Finland’ you go, the better these three factors are rated. Oulu, Kuopio, and Jyväskylä are good examples of this. The cities’ strong retention power has a significant impact on the positive behavior of current residents,” says Väisänen.

This is how we conducted the study

The results are based on the Attraction&Retention survey. The survey examined the appeal and retention power of Finland’s ten largest cities, in terms of population, particularly among potential residents. A total of 1,399 Finns participated in the survey. The target group for the survey was Finns aged 15–65, excluding 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.