Republished with permission from WalletHub
With 2021 behind us, it’s time to think about fresh starts, whether that means small changes or a complete life overhaul. For many people, finding a new or better job will be a top resolution.
The jobs market made quite a bit of recovery in 2021 after it took a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the most recent jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate is 4.2%, far below the high of 14.7% seen during 2020. Many companies are now actually facing a labor shortage, which puts people looking for jobs in a position of leverage when it comes to negotiating their compensation and benefits.
College graduates from the Class of 2022 should expect to see a big boost in hiring compared to the previous class, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Employers plan to hire 26.6% more new graduates from the Class of 2022 than they did from the class of 2021.
Ultimately, your luck of finding work depends largely on location. To help you with the job hunt, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 31 key indicators of job-market strength. They range from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary.
Overall Rank | City | Total Score | Job Market | Socio-economics |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Columbia, MD | 68.41 | 2 | 1 |
2 | Salt Lake City, UT | 66.81 | 1 | 23 |
3 | San Francisco, CA | 65.24 | 3 | 6 |
4 | Portland, ME | 64.46 | 10 | 4 |
5 | Austin, TX | 63.60 | 8 | 15 |
6 | Orlando, FL | 63.54 | 4 | 24 |
7 | Seattle, WA | 63.44 | 11 | 9 |
8 | Scottsdale, AZ | 63.43 | 7 | 17 |
9 | San Jose, CA | 62.63 | 9 | 37 |
10 | Nashua, NH | 62.19 | 17 | 10 |
11 | Plano, TX | 61.97 | 12 | 32 |
12 | Pittsburgh, PA | 61.69 | 19 | 13 |
13 | South Burlington, VT | 61.57 | 27 | 7 |
14 | Columbia, SC | 61.42 | 5 | 98 |
15 | Overland Park, KS | 61.35 | 28 | 8 |
16 | Chandler, AZ | 61.34 | 16 | 19 |
17 | Boise, ID | 61.18 | 24 | 14 |
18 | Warwick, RI | 61.05 | 23 | 16 |
19 | Charleston, SC | 60.55 | 14 | 63 |
20 | Des Moines, IA | 60.22 | 21 | 49 |
21 | Huntsville, AL | 60.20 | 6 | 122 |
22 | West Valley City, UT | 60.20 | 22 | 46 |
23 | Tempe, AZ | 59.83 | 30 | 20 |
24 | Minneapolis, MN | 59.73 | 58 | 5 |
25 | Madison, WI | 59.57 | 72 | 2 |
26 | Spokane, WA | 59.52 | 20 | 76 |
27 | Atlanta, GA | 59.49 | 15 | 97 |
28 | St. Louis, MO | 59.15 | 13 | 119 |
29 | Raleigh, NC | 58.99 | 42 | 22 |
30 | Tacoma, WA | 58.80 | 26 | 84 |
31 | Gilbert, AZ | 58.78 | 31 | 55 |
32 | Washington, DC | 58.72 | 40 | 33 |
33 | Virginia Beach, VA | 58.56 | 45 | 30 |
34 | Boston, MA | 58.52 | 32 | 60 |
35 | Irving, TX | 58.49 | 18 | 109 |
36 | Miami, FL | 58.35 | 24 | 101 |
37 | Tampa, FL | 58.07 | 48 | 45 |
38 | Fremont, CA | 58.02 | 52 | 41 |
39 | Pearl City, HI | 57.98 | 34 | 67 |
40 | Portland, OR | 57.62 | 78 | 11 |
41 | Reno, NV | 57.59 | 55 | 51 |
42 | Grand Prairie, TX | 57.57 | 35 | 92 |
43 | Denver, CO | 57.49 | 69 | 18 |
44 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 57.32 | 64 | 28 |
45 | Vancouver, WA | 56.84 | 41 | 102 |
46 | Charlotte, NC | 56.81 | 38 | 103 |
47 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 56.76 | 51 | 87 |
48 | Manchester, NH | 56.73 | 65 | 50 |
49 | Glendale, AZ | 56.66 | 46 | 94 |
50 | Cheyenne, WY | 56.57 | 71 | 42 |
51 | Juneau, AK | 56.52 | 76 | 39 |
52 | Peoria, AZ | 56.52 | 53 | 91 |
53 | Durham, NC | 56.47 | 47 | 96 |
54 | Knoxville, TN | 56.43 | 44 | 111 |
55 | St. Petersburg, FL | 56.43 | 63 | 62 |
56 | Irvine, CA | 56.35 | 86 | 21 |
57 | Dallas, TX | 56.26 | 33 | 135 |
58 | Lincoln, NE | 56.16 | 95 | 12 |
59 | Jacksonville, FL | 56.14 | 50 | 114 |
60 | Providence, RI | 56.13 | 67 | 68 |
61 | Mesa, AZ | 55.80 | 57 | 110 |
62 | Omaha, NE | 55.77 | 89 | 26 |
63 | Lewiston, ME | 55.76 | 75 | 65 |
64 | Sacramento, CA | 55.66 | 74 | 69 |
65 | Baltimore, MD | 55.63 | 29 | 162 |
66 | Chesapeake, VA | 55.43 | 61 | 105 |
67 | Garland, TX | 55.39 | 43 | 143 |
68 | Cincinnati, OH | 55.33 | 88 | 47 |
69 | San Diego, CA | 55.31 | 90 | 40 |
70 | Newport News, VA | 55.30 | 37 | 157 |
71 | Nashville, TN | 55.29 | 56 | 130 |
72 | Bismarck, ND | 55.21 | 92 | 35 |
73 | Wilmington, DE | 55.18 | 79 | 80 |
74 | San Antonio, TX | 55.14 | 73 | 90 |
75 | Phoenix, AZ | 55.04 | 68 | 104 |
76 | Huntington Beach, CA | 55.00 | 91 | 38 |
77 | Honolulu, HI | 54.92 | 100 | 25 |
78 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 54.90 | 81 | 86 |
79 | Arlington, TX | 54.86 | 49 | 148 |
80 | Fargo, ND | 54.82 | 97 | 34 |
81 | Chattanooga, TN | 54.81 | 36 | 168 |
82 | Santa Rosa, CA | 54.58 | 85 | 81 |
83 | Sioux Falls, SD | 54.52 | 103 | 29 |
84 | Tulsa, OK | 54.47 | 60 | 140 |
85 | Kansas City, MO | 54.42 | 66 | 127 |
86 | Little Rock, AR | 54.26 | 54 | 161 |
87 | Richmond, VA | 53.90 | 80 | 134 |
88 | Tucson, AZ | 53.88 | 96 | 64 |
89 | Amarillo, TX | 53.86 | 70 | 136 |
90 | Aurora, CO | 53.82 | 77 | 128 |
91 | Charleston, WV | 53.81 | 39 | 173 |
92 | Grand Rapids, MI | 53.78 | 105 | 48 |
93 | Las Vegas, NV | 53.55 | 106 | 56 |
94 | Fort Worth, TX | 53.52 | 87 | 116 |
95 | St. Paul, MN | 53.46 | 118 | 31 |
96 | Billings, MT | 53.43 | 98 | 78 |
97 | Tallahassee, FL | 53.39 | 94 | 82 |
98 | Colorado Springs, CO | 53.28 | 102 | 70 |
99 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 53.10 | 101 | 85 |
100 | Jersey City, NJ | 52.98 | 127 | 27 |
101 | Burlington, VT | 52.93 | 154 | 3 |
102 | Mobile, AL | 52.74 | 62 | 172 |
103 | Norfolk, VA | 52.69 | 82 | 149 |
104 | Casper, WY | 52.69 | 93 | 113 |
105 | Henderson, NV | 52.59 | 111 | 66 |
106 | Columbus, OH | 52.54 | 126 | 43 |
107 | Birmingham, AL | 52.30 | 59 | 180 |
108 | Worcester, MA | 52.15 | 114 | 79 |
109 | Springfield, MO | 52.13 | 82 | 166 |
110 | Salem, OR | 52.06 | 121 | 75 |
111 | Santa Ana, CA | 52.04 | 108 | 100 |
112 | Louisville, KY | 51.94 | 104 | 118 |
113 | Wichita, KS | 51.86 | 84 | 163 |
114 | Aurora, IL | 51.83 | 130 | 57 |
115 | Garden Grove, CA | 51.76 | 137 | 44 |
116 | New Haven, CT | 51.51 | 128 | 74 |
117 | Rochester, NY | 51.48 | 133 | 61 |
118 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 51.39 | 107 | 124 |
119 | Greensboro, NC | 51.34 | 99 | 151 |
120 | Anaheim, CA | 51.07 | 123 | 108 |
121 | Santa Clarita, CA | 50.99 | 142 | 54 |
122 | Milwaukee, WI | 50.81 | 124 | 117 |
123 | Nampa, ID | 50.79 | 113 | 131 |
124 | Houston, TX | 50.77 | 119 | 120 |
125 | Albuquerque, NM | 50.66 | 141 | 72 |
126 | Oklahoma City, OK | 50.59 | 135 | 88 |
127 | Rapid City, SD | 50.58 | 147 | 53 |
128 | Oceanside, CA | 50.45 | 122 | 132 |
129 | Cleveland, OH | 50.45 | 109 | 152 |
130 | Yonkers, NY | 50.20 | 159 | 36 |
131 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 50.20 | 151 | 58 |
132 | Oakland, CA | 50.08 | 120 | 141 |
133 | Riverside, CA | 50.07 | 125 | 133 |
134 | Los Angeles, CA | 49.99 | 140 | 99 |
135 | Fontana, CA | 49.99 | 129 | 126 |
136 | Ontario, CA | 49.95 | 117 | 154 |
137 | Glendale, CA | 49.68 | 150 | 71 |
138 | Missoula, MT | 49.66 | 164 | 52 |
139 | Fort Wayne, IN | 49.65 | 116 | 150 |
140 | El Paso, TX | 49.44 | 162 | 59 |
141 | Modesto, CA | 49.27 | 138 | 129 |
142 | Dover, DE | 49.26 | 115 | 160 |
143 | Hialeah, FL | 49.01 | 112 | 167 |
144 | Fort Smith, AR | 49.00 | 110 | 169 |
145 | Corpus Christi, TX | 48.83 | 136 | 138 |
146 | Lubbock, TX | 48.74 | 132 | 145 |
147 | Cape Coral, FL | 48.67 | 156 | 93 |
148 | Bridgeport, CT | 48.59 | 158 | 95 |
149 | Chicago, IL | 48.43 | 167 | 73 |
150 | Long Beach, CA | 48.33 | 149 | 121 |
151 | Anchorage, AK | 48.13 | 161 | 107 |
152 | Fresno, CA | 48.00 | 143 | 153 |
153 | Winston-Salem, NC | 47.90 | 144 | 155 |
154 | Bakersfield, CA | 47.78 | 148 | 139 |
155 | Indianapolis, IN | 47.69 | 139 | 164 |
156 | Philadelphia, PA | 47.58 | 160 | 125 |
157 | Buffalo, NY | 47.57 | 168 | 77 |
158 | Akron, OH | 47.44 | 155 | 142 |
159 | Montgomery, AL | 47.35 | 134 | 170 |
160 | New Orleans, LA | 47.28 | 153 | 146 |
161 | Huntington, WV | 47.09 | 131 | 175 |
162 | Laredo, TX | 46.98 | 172 | 83 |
163 | Fayetteville, NC | 46.63 | 165 | 147 |
164 | New York, NY | 46.57 | 170 | 106 |
165 | Augusta, GA | 46.36 | 145 | 179 |
166 | North Las Vegas, NV | 46.35 | 163 | 156 |
167 | Toledo, OH | 46.09 | 166 | 159 |
168 | Columbus, GA | 45.82 | 146 | 177 |
168 | Jackson, MS | 45.82 | 152 | 174 |
170 | Chula Vista, CA | 45.81 | 171 | 123 |
171 | Memphis, TN | 45.03 | 157 | 181 |
172 | Moreno Valley, CA | 44.97 | 169 | 158 |
173 | Baton Rouge, LA | 44.83 | 174 | 144 |
174 | Oxnard, CA | 44.72 | 178 | 115 |
175 | Las Cruces, NM | 44.07 | 182 | 89 |
176 | Brownsville, TX | 43.60 | 181 | 112 |
177 | Stockton, CA | 43.53 | 175 | 165 |
178 | Newark, NJ | 43.47 | 179 | 137 |
179 | Detroit, MI | 42.35 | 173 | 182 |
180 | Shreveport, LA | 42.20 | 176 | 178 |
181 | San Bernardino, CA | 42.06 | 177 | 176 |
182 | Gulfport, MS | 41.19 | 180 | 171 |
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
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