Remitly, a leading digital financial services provider for immigrants and their families, conducted a data study that reveals the university city of Cambridge is the number one city to find a like-minded community group, with the most Meetup groups per person of any other city in the UK.
With international migration standing at a historical high, one of the most important things for people to be able to settle in a new city is finding a community of people with similar interests.
Taking this into account, Remitly analysed data from the popular social media app Meetup to discover which cities have the highest number of communities per person. This was revealed by counting the amount of available Meetup groups within the city and surrounding area, and accounting for population size.
The top 20 UK cities with the most Meetup groups per person:
In first place was Cambridge, offering almost ten Meetup groups per 10,000 population, with groups ranging from dog lover communities to meditation groups. Brighton ranked in second place, perhaps unsurprisingly, with the city being famed for welcoming locals. The coastal city offers a total of just over 200 Meetup groups, meaning those new to the area have many opportunities to meet new people and try out a new skill or hobby. Northern city Manchester (376 groups) followed in third spot, while Scotland’s capital Edinburgh (288 groups) and university city Oxford (95 groups) rounded off the top five.
The nation’s capital city London ranks 16th, offering over 2,600 clubs in total – the equivalent of just under three groups per 10,000 people when accounting for population.
| Rank | City | Total number of Meetup groups | Available Meetup groups per 10,000 people |
| 1 | Cambridge | 148 | 9.9 |
| 2 | Brighton | 206 | 7.5 |
| 3 | Manchester | 376 | 6.8 |
| 4 | Edinburgh | 288 | 5.9 |
| 5 | Oxford | 95 | 5.8 |
| 6 | Bristol | 246 | 4.3 |
| 7 | Cheltenham | 49 | 4.2 |
| 8 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 107 | 3.8 |
| 9 | Bath | 35 | 3.5 |
| 10 | Exeter | 40 | 3.2 |
| 11 | Nottingham | 101 | 3.2 |
| 12 | Reading | 74 | 3.2 |
| 13 | Norwich | 63 | 3.2 |
| 14 | Glasgow | 194 | 3.2 |
| 15 | St Albans | 27 | 3.1 |
| 16 | London | 2,618 | 2.9 |
| 17 | Chester | 25 | 2.9 |
| 18 | Leeds | 145 | 2.7 |
| 19 | Stevenage | 25 | 2.7 |
| 20 | Poole | 39 | 2.5 |
The global cities with the most Meetup groups per person:
Outside of the UK, Remitly’s study shows that the ‘Seattle Freeze’, the name given to the city for its reputation as being a difficult place to make friends, may be thawing. With 1,774 listed Meetup groups in the city ranging from art and culture, to health and wellbeing, Seattle might just be the best place to forge new and meaningful friendships.
The Swiss city of Zurich topped the European rankings ahead of Dublin and Barcelona, whilst Wellington’s laidback lifestyle proved the best place for community spirit in Oceania. Singapore is the number one place to meet new friends in Asia, Buenos Aires was top for Argentina and the port city of Cape Town ranked ahead of Johannesburg and Pretoria as the top community-minded city in Africa.
| City | Continent | Available Meetup groups per 10,000 people |
| Seattle | North America | 24 |
| Zurich | Europe | 17 |
| Wellington | Oceania | 5 |
| Singapore | Asia | 1.7 |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 0.4 |
| Cape Town | Africa | 0.3 |
Jago McKenzie, Business Management Director at Remitlycommented: “Alongside finding the right place to work and live, establishing a community of friends who share similar interests is one of the most important aspects of moving to a new city. A strong sense of community can increase your sense of belonging and purpose, and prevent any feelings of isolation and loneliness that can be common when moving somewhere new.
“Community groups and meetups are not new but the way we access them has changed drastically in the social media age, using platforms such as Meetup is a brilliant way to find the best groups for you to connect with quickly and easily. Seattle topping our study was a surprise given its ‘Seattle Freeze’ reputation, but it’s a fantastic and popular place to relocate to, with many new and well-established groups across a variety of different interests. Anyone moving to the city will have an abundance of options to meet like-minded individuals who share the same hobbies and passions.”
To view full data from the study and for further regional breakdowns, visit: https://www.remitly.com/gb/en/landing/community-spirit-cities
