Oulu Is the Only City to Have Increased Its Appeal – Tampere Remains Number One Among the Largest Cities

Oulu is the only one of Finland’s ten largest cities 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 call home, thereby assessing its regional appeal among the target groups studied. 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 so-called potential residents of Finland’s ten largest cities to gauge their views on the cities’ appeal and ability to retain residents. This annual survey was conducted for the third time.

The average attractiveness of the ten largest cities has declined, with Oulu being the only city to have increased its attractiveness. The cities that have lost the most attractiveness, in order, are: Turku, Lahti, Vantaa, and Helsinki. Tampere is the most attractive 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 increasing its appeal in five different areas: cost structure, economic vitality, community, environment, location, and services.

“What’s unique about Oulu is that the city has increased its appeal even in terms of its cost structure, which is surprising given the current economic situation. The city is also bucking the trend in terms of the environment and community, and its appeal has grown significantly. In general, it appears that people are increasingly evaluating a city’s appeal in terms of its economic vitality—that is, the state of the local economy 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 bearing fruit, 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 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 city 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 that Oulu’s appeal is growing, 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—cities outside of congested Finland value environmental and community-related factors

Cities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, particularly Helsinki and Vantaa, are suffering more than ever from a high cost structure and, in part, from national media coverage that often highlights negative factors. Espoo remains the most attractive city in the Helsinki 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 scores have declined the most.

“The various cost pressures facing households are also reflected in the survey results. Potential residents who participated in the survey paid even more attention to the city’s cost structure as well as factors related to the community and the environment, such as safety and overall livability. The farther one moves from so-called ‘congested Finland,’ the higher the ratings for these three factors. Oulu, Kuopio, and Jyväskylä are good examples of this. The cities’ strong ability to retain residents 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 attractiveness and retention power of Finland’s ten largest cities by population, particularly among potential residents. A total of 1,399 Finns participated in the survey. The target group for the survey 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.