New Research: The Best Places to Start Your Career.

When it comes to choosing the right location for a successful career, recent graduates face a daunting task. Various factors such as job market saturation, affordable housing, and commuting convenience need to be carefully considered for each potential area. To assist graduates in their search, WalletHub ranked over 180 U.S. cities, evaluating their market strength and overall livability using 26 key metrics, including entry-level job availability, starting salary, and housing affordability.

Find WalletHub’s main rankings in the map and table below.

Source: WalletHub

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table below depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Professional Opportunities	Quality of Life
1	Atlanta, GA	66.87	2	7
2	Orlando, FL	64.75	3	12
3	Salt Lake City, UT	63.54	8	6
4	Columbia, SC	62.31	5	24
5	Tampa, FL	62.17	6	31
6	Charleston, SC	60.78	10	18
7	Miami, FL	60.73	1	101
8	Austin, TX	60.44	26	2
9	Minneapolis, MN	60.08	23	3
10	Pittsburgh, PA	60.04	14	8
11	Wilmington, DE	59.75	4	63
12	Tempe, AZ	58.53	54	1
13	Denver, CO	58.52	22	9
14	Seattle, WA	58.26	39	4
15	St. Louis, MO	57.97	9	57
16	Scottsdale, AZ	57.86	19	20
17	Portland, ME	57.39	31	10
18	Boise, ID	56.92	25	21
19	Richmond, VA	56.86	15	38
20	Grand Rapids, MI	56.56	18	32
21	Madison, WI	56.20	75	5
22	Overland Park, KS	56.09	24	27
23	Washington, DC	55.67	44	14
24	Boston, MA	55.50	27	33
25	Providence, RI	55.13	12	85
26	Raleigh, NC	55.12	53	15
27	Knoxville, TN	54.88	20	54
28	Charleston, WV	54.66	7	138
29	Fargo, ND	54.42	72	13
30	Colorado Springs, CO	54.25	32	36
31	Cincinnati, OH	54.16	46	23
32	Rochester, NY	53.56	29	53
33	Charlotte, NC	53.31	36	44
34	Burlington, VT	53.22	99	11
35	Rapid City, SD	53.18	35	48
36	Tulsa, OK	53.11	21	90
37	Oklahoma City, OK	52.95	30	68
38	Sacramento, CA	52.87	41	47
39	Durham, NC	52.86	38	52
40	Chattanooga, TN	52.53	17	109
41	Des Moines, IA	52.46	48	49
42	Omaha, NE	52.40	59	37
43	St. Petersburg, FL	52.38	37	60
44	Portland, OR	52.31	95	17
45	Chandler, AZ	52.30	74	25
46	Fort Lauderdale, FL	52.27	28	86
47	Gilbert, AZ	52.21	42	58
48	Birmingham, AL	52.18	13	142
49	Sioux Falls, SD	51.98	69	35
50	Reno, NV	51.97	61	40
51	Lewiston, ME	51.89	11	153
52	Tallahassee, FL	51.71	83	26
53	Cheyenne, WY	51.55	34	76
54	Dallas, TX	51.21	43	79
55	Nashville, TN	50.95	65	50
56	Kansas City, MO	50.86	55	71
57	Spokane, WA	50.71	56	70
58	San Francisco, CA	50.67	125	16
59	Cedar Rapids, IA	50.61	73	51
60	St. Paul, MN	50.60	100	29
61	Fort Worth, TX	50.59	50	80
62	Jacksonville, FL	50.53	40	97
63	Columbus, OH	50.39	101	30
64	Tacoma, WA	50.34	52	82
65	Dover, DE	50.17	16	152
66	Irving, TX	50.12	57	81
67	Phoenix, AZ	50.01	77	55
68	Manchester, NH	49.98	45	91
69	South Burlington, VT	49.98	89	45
70	Irvine, CA	49.96	98	39
71	Tucson, AZ	49.79	76	62
72	San Diego, CA	49.72	113	28
73	Bismarck, ND	49.52	63	78
74	Huntsville, AL	49.24	85	59
75	Laredo, TX	49.04	33	129
76	Lincoln, NE	48.97	129	22
77	Nampa, ID	48.92	51	112
78	Mesa, AZ	48.88	67	89
79	Aurora, CO	48.82	49	122
80	Houston, TX	48.65	92	66
81	Indianapolis, IN	48.34	62	113
82	West Valley City, UT	48.20	84	84
83	Nashua, NH	48.20	71	94
84	Plano, TX	48.19	123	42
85	Las Vegas, NV	48.00	120	46
86	Lubbock, TX	47.87	88	87
87	Little Rock, AR	47.72	47	137
88	Buffalo, NY	47.66	97	83
89	Springfield, MO	47.56	79	96
90	Columbia, MD	47.37	146	34
91	New Orleans, LA	47.21	68	128
92	Virginia Beach, VA	47.07	127	56
93	Fort Wayne, IN	47.06	60	130
94	San Antonio, TX	47.02	112	77
95	Albuquerque, NM	46.89	119	75
96	Worcester, MA	46.81	90	105
97	Glendale, AZ	46.75	96	103
98	Baton Rouge, LA	46.68	80	121
99	Arlington, TX	46.67	87	115
100	Modesto, CA	46.64	58	144
101	Missoula, MT	46.58	170	19
102	Norfolk, VA	46.44	110	92
103	Louisville, KY	46.36	104	98
104	Winston-Salem, NC	46.33	66	141
105	Huntington, WV	46.10	81	124
106	Riverside, CA	46.09	91	125
107	Lexington-Fayette, KY	46.04	151	41
108	San Bernardino, CA	45.99	70	148
109	Wichita, KS	45.87	105	108
110	Vancouver, WA	45.85	86	127
111	New Haven, CT	45.85	102	106
112	San Jose, CA	45.83	133	64
113	Augusta, GA	45.67	64	157
114	Chesapeake, VA	45.43	116	107
115	Amarillo, TX	45.23	111	111
116	Billings, MT	45.20	144	69
117	Chicago, IL	45.14	143	65
118	Akron, OH	44.95	82	147
119	Greensboro, NC	44.94	108	126
120	Milwaukee, WI	44.69	126	110
121	Philadelphia, PA	44.61	124	120
122	Honolulu, HI	44.55	152	61
123	Peoria, AZ	44.50	106	133
124	Ontario, CA	44.48	118	123
125	Mobile, AL	44.22	78	160
126	Henderson, NV	44.20	132	102
127	Baltimore, MD	44.19	107	143
128	Cleveland, OH	44.02	121	132
129	Jersey City, NJ	43.98	167	43
130	Fort Smith, AR	43.91	94	155
131	El Paso, TX	43.81	141	95
132	Aurora, IL	43.66	109	146
133	Grand Prairie, TX	43.63	103	150
134	Warwick, RI	43.54	117	135
135	Fremont, CA	43.37	158	74
136	Oakland, CA	43.35	149	93
137	Bakersfield, CA	43.10	138	119
138	Fresno, CA	43.09	122	149
139	Port St. Lucie, FL	43.04	93	173
140	Salem, OR	42.95	148	104
141	Casper, WY	42.80	128	131
142	Columbus, GA	42.38	114	164
143	Fontana, CA	42.37	150	116
144	Juneau, AK	42.18	172	73
145	Los Angeles, CA	41.99	154	114
146	Las Cruces, NM	41.98	173	67
147	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	41.78	163	100
148	Corpus Christi, TX	41.73	145	134
149	Pearl City, HI	41.64	155	117
150	Memphis, TN	41.45	131	168
151	Toledo, OH	41.39	134	159
152	Newport News, VA	41.26	130	167
153	Fayetteville, NC	41.10	160	118
154	Oceanside, CA	40.91	142	154
155	Garland, TX	40.85	140	163
156	Anchorage, AK	40.73	178	72
157	Huntington Beach, CA	40.72	174	88
158	Jackson, MS	40.58	137	171
159	Santa Rosa, CA	40.41	135	172
160	Brownsville, TX	40.25	139	169
161	Santa Ana, CA	39.99	156	145
162	Stockton, CA	39.89	136	177
163	Montgomery, AL	39.57	153	158
164	Garden Grove, CA	39.22	179	99
165	Hialeah, FL	39.08	115	182
166	Cape Coral, FL	38.91	166	151
167	Chula Vista, CA	38.88	164	162
168	Anaheim, CA	38.84	168	140
169	Glendale, CA	38.84	169	136
170	Pembroke Pines, FL	38.80	159	170
171	Bridgeport, CT	38.50	147	180
172	Long Beach, CA	38.50	171	139
173	Yonkers, NY	38.43	165	166
174	Oxnard, CA	38.35	157	175
175	Moreno Valley, CA	37.81	162	176
176	Shreveport, LA	37.12	161	178
177	North Las Vegas, NV	36.99	175	165
178	Santa Clarita, CA	36.05	180	161
179	Detroit, MI	35.48	177	179
180	Newark, NJ	35.32	176	181
181	Gulfport, MS	34.18	182	156
182	New York, NY	33.29	181	174

With WalletHub’s comprehensive rankings, recent graduates can make informed decisions when choosing the perfect location for a successful career.

Lily Turner

Next 6 Tips for Managers to Help Employees Curb New Job Jitters »

Previous « The Role of Senior Leadership in Conflict Resolution When Mistakes Happen in the Workplace — 5 Steps

Is It Time to Invest in Team Training? How to Know — and How to Choose What Works

Photo by Jonathan Borba When progress stalls, the urge is often to change the plan,…

2 months ago

Leadership

The Stillness That Speaks: How Quiet Leaders Command Boardrooms Without Raising Their Voices

Photo by Christina Morillo You don’t have to dominate the conversation to own the room.…

2 months ago

Leadership

How to Spot and Elevate Underutilized Talent in Your Company

Image by freepik Every workplace has its quiet strengths—the folks who don’t always take center…

3 months ago

Management

Real Strategies to Strengthen Internal Communication in Hybrid and Remote Teams

It doesn’t matter how great your tech stack is or how many cloud-based solutions you…

5 months ago

Mindset

Scientists Say it’s Possible That the Emotions in Your Heart are Transmitted to Others

While the exact mechanisms are still being researched, there is evidence to suggest that the…

6 months ago

Leadership

Personal Branding for Introverts Written by an Introvert (and AI)

People are often surprised when I tell them that I'm an introvert. After all, as…