SAN DIEGO—With the second-highest percentage of Millennials in the country, San Diego's lifestyle and its emergence as a tech market with a lower price tag than the Silicon Valley continues to reel in this demographic cohort, JLL associate Brandt Riedman tells GlobeSt.com. We spoke exclusively with Riedman about what else is drawing Millennials to this market and what San Diego is doing to retain them.

GlobeSt.com: What has led to San Diego having the second-highest percentage of Millennials in the country?

Riedman: I think a large part of it is the lifestyle that San Diego has to offer. It's a beach community with a thriving downtown. You can live in North County, surf every morning and commute to work, or you can live Downtown and never need a car. Furthermore, we're still a more affordable place to live than some of the other Western markets like Los Angeles or San Francisco.

GlobeSt.com: What is San Diego doing to retain the Millennial population it has and continue to attract more young professionals?

Riedman: There has been a large emergence of tech companies into the San Diego marketplace that we haven't seen before. Wrike, for example, just signed a lease in UTC, and WeWorks labs has been in Downtown San Diego for some time. We're seeing migration of new companies to San Diego that people only think of as belonging in Palo Alto or San Francisco. I think that trend is going to continue. Commercial real estate is really catering to this demand to retain/attract these companies by reflecting the lifestyle that San Diegans and Millennials are after. We're seeing a blend between office and outdoor spaces, amenities like bike and surfboard lockers and even pet-friendly office buildings.

GlobeSt.com: What other demographic groups do you see as strong in this market?

Riedman: San Diego is also a great hub for highly educated individuals. With the presence of multiple universities and one of the largest clusters for biotechnology in the country, San Diego has a draw for that kind of specialized talent.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about San Diego and Millennials?

Riedman: At the moment, San Diego is experiencing a net positive migration of Millennials. That, coupled with an increasing presence of companies looking for Millennial talent, will continue to grow this trend from both sides.

SAN DIEGO—With the second-highest percentage of Millennials in the country, San Diego's lifestyle and its emergence as a tech market with a lower price tag than the Silicon Valley continues to reel in this demographic cohort, JLL associate Brandt Riedman tells GlobeSt.com. We spoke exclusively with Riedman about what else is drawing Millennials to this market and what San Diego is doing to retain them.

GlobeSt.com: What has led to San Diego having the second-highest percentage of Millennials in the country?

Riedman: I think a large part of it is the lifestyle that San Diego has to offer. It's a beach community with a thriving downtown. You can live in North County, surf every morning and commute to work, or you can live Downtown and never need a car. Furthermore, we're still a more affordable place to live than some of the other Western markets like Los Angeles or San Francisco.

GlobeSt.com: What is San Diego doing to retain the Millennial population it has and continue to attract more young professionals?

Riedman: There has been a large emergence of tech companies into the San Diego marketplace that we haven't seen before. Wrike, for example, just signed a lease in UTC, and WeWorks labs has been in Downtown San Diego for some time. We're seeing migration of new companies to San Diego that people only think of as belonging in Palo Alto or San Francisco. I think that trend is going to continue. Commercial real estate is really catering to this demand to retain/attract these companies by reflecting the lifestyle that San Diegans and Millennials are after. We're seeing a blend between office and outdoor spaces, amenities like bike and surfboard lockers and even pet-friendly office buildings.

GlobeSt.com: What other demographic groups do you see as strong in this market?

Riedman: San Diego is also a great hub for highly educated individuals. With the presence of multiple universities and one of the largest clusters for biotechnology in the country, San Diego has a draw for that kind of specialized talent.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about San Diego and Millennials?

Riedman: At the moment, San Diego is experiencing a net positive migration of Millennials. That, coupled with an increasing presence of companies looking for Millennial talent, will continue to grow this trend from both sides.