Best & Worst Places to Start a Career in 2026

May 11, 2026

John S Kiernan, WalletHub Managing Editor

May 11, 2026WalletHub Managing Editor

Best & Worst Places to Start a Career

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Deciding where to lay the foundation for a long and prosperous career can be a tall order, especially for recent graduates entering the job market for the first time. After all, there are many factors — job-market saturation, housing affordability and commuter-friendliness, for instance — to consider about each prospective area. Fortunately, 69% of employers in the U.S. report difficulty finding qualified talent, indicating persistent labor shortages in 2026, which could benefit new graduates with in‑demand skills.

To help recent college graduates find the best cradles for their budding careers, WalletHub compared the relative market strength and overall livability of more than 180 U.S. cities. We examined each city based on 25 key metrics that range from the availability of entry-level jobs to the average monthly starting salary to housing affordability.

“Transitioning out of school and into the workforce can be a difficult and stressful process, but certain cities make things a lot easier than others. The best cities for starting a career not only have a lot of job opportunities but also provide substantial income growth potential and satisfying work conditions. It’s also important to consider factors such as how fun a city is to live in or how good of a place it is for raising a family, to ensure life satisfaction outside of your career.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Cities to Start a Career

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Professional Opportunities Rank	Quality of Life Rank
1	Atlanta, GA	71.33	2	3
2	Orlando, FL	70.28	3	8
3	Austin, TX	67.37	10	1
4	Tampa, FL	67.10	4	17
5	Miami, FL	65.92	1	74
6	Charleston, SC	64.12	7	19
7	Pittsburgh, PA	62.73	14	10
8	Knoxville, TN	61.82	5	75
9	Salt Lake City, UT	61.66	22	7
10	Columbia, SC	61.16	12	21
11	South Burlington, VT	59.30	18	27
12	Dallas, TX	59.06	11	69
13	Richmond, VA	58.82	15	50
14	St. Louis, MO	58.58	16	56
15	Wilmington, DE	58.47	13	66
16	Grand Rapids, MI	58.38	17	44
17	Chattanooga, TN	58.17	9	89
18	Raleigh, NC	57.91	34	15
19	Las Vegas, NV	57.90	20	36
20	Birmingham, AL	57.62	8	121
21	Denver, CO	57.62	52	6
22	Minneapolis, MN	57.58	53	5
23	Scottsdale, AZ	57.31	37	16
24	Portland, ME	56.75	38	18
25	Nashville, TN	56.68	26	45
26	Tempe, AZ	56.64	69	4
27	Washington, DC	56.47	47	13
28	Huntsville, AL	56.33	28	42
29	Charlotte, NC	55.59	31	51
30	Dover, DE	55.57	6	177
31	Phoenix, AZ	55.51	35	40
32	Plano, TX	55.48	40	25
33	Bismarck, ND	55.46	32	47
34	Fort Lauderdale, FL	55.35	21	77
35	Boston, MA	55.13	41	26
36	Rochester, NY	54.71	27	76
37	Cincinnati, OH	54.52	42	38
38	Burlington, VT	54.50	48	31
39	Chandler, AZ	54.27	59	23
40	Cleveland, OH	54.00	23	113
41	Charleston, WV	53.81	29	83
42	Irving, TX	53.60	30	91
43	Seattle, WA	53.59	129	2
44	Sacramento, CA	53.56	49	43
44	Rapid City, SD	53.56	44	52
46	Reno, NV	53.54	60	32
47	Springfield, MO	53.17	33	90
48	Manchester, NH	53.14	25	112
49	Kansas City, MO	53.14	45	62
50	Irvine, CA	53.09	58	39
51	Houston, TX	53.08	51	48
52	Columbus, OH	52.73	62	37
53	Indianapolis, IN	52.45	36	100
54	Durham, NC	52.36	57	58
55	Overland Park, KS	52.28	93	20
56	Jacksonville, FL	52.06	39	94
57	San Francisco, CA	51.95	117	11
58	Omaha, NE	51.89	80	34
59	Lewiston, ME	51.80	19	161
60	San Diego, CA	51.75	85	28
61	Boise, ID	51.60	123	14
62	Huntington, WV	51.51	24	139
63	St. Petersburg, FL	51.48	65	59
64	Fort Worth, TX	51.21	54	80
65	Spokane, WA	51.16	67	65
66	Des Moines, IA	50.92	74	60
67	Sioux Falls, SD	50.85	103	30
68	Columbia, MD	50.66	113	29
69	Providence, RI	50.66	64	71
70	Tulsa, OK	50.63	66	70
71	Nashua, NH	50.51	50	101
72	Cedar Rapids, IA	50.46	55	92
73	Amarillo, TX	50.44	43	118
74	Billings, MT	50.41	84	57
75	Madison, WI	50.22	138	12
76	Oklahoma City, OK	50.05	88	49
77	Colorado Springs, CO	50.04	114	33
78	Missoula, MT	49.64	97	54
79	Mesa, AZ	49.50	76	78
80	Gilbert, AZ	49.43	87	67
81	Portland, OR	49.27	152	9
82	Chicago, IL	49.27	105	53
83	Nampa, ID	49.20	73	88
84	Fayetteville, NC	48.62	72	105
85	San Antonio, TX	48.57	94	72
86	Cheyenne, WY	48.28	83	96
87	Henderson, NV	48.15	122	63
88	Augusta, GA	48.08	46	147
89	Juneau, AK	48.08	80	102
90	Warwick, RI	48.07	71	117
91	Casper, WY	48.02	92	86
92	Albuquerque, NM	47.97	101	81
93	Worcester, MA	47.68	79	114
94	Wichita, KS	47.54	90	103
95	Vancouver, WA	47.54	94	93
96	Glendale, AZ	47.49	70	125
97	Norfolk, VA	47.47	108	85
98	Greensboro, NC	47.46	75	124
99	West Valley City, UT	47.28	115	82
100	Baltimore, MD	47.19	68	141
101	Tucson, AZ	47.17	125	73
102	Lubbock, TX	46.90	102	108
103	Louisville, KY	46.84	106	104
104	Arlington, TX	46.77	99	111
105	Mobile, AL	46.70	56	159
106	Tallahassee, FL	46.56	143	55
107	Fargo, ND	46.36	171	24
108	Jersey City, NJ	46.07	154	41
109	Buffalo, NY	46.01	130	87
110	Gulfport, MS	45.94	61	165
111	Corpus Christi, TX	45.77	118	116
112	Fort Smith, AR	45.72	77	144
113	Virginia Beach, VA	45.69	146	61
114	Milwaukee, WI	45.67	121	115
115	Fort Wayne, IN	45.54	91	134
116	North Las Vegas, NV	45.51	126	109
117	St. Paul, MN	45.47	177	22
118	Anchorage, AK	45.41	160	46
119	Lincoln, NE	45.37	172	35
120	Honolulu, HI	45.24	149	68
121	Aurora, CO	45.18	131	106
122	San Jose, CA	45.07	132	99
123	Los Angeles, CA	44.90	127	120
124	Huntington Beach, CA	44.88	133	98
125	Baton Rouge, LA	44.75	111	137
126	Lexington-Fayette, KY	44.68	161	64
127	Columbus, GA	44.67	86	152
128	Oceanside, CA	44.63	100	143
129	Grand Prairie, TX	44.62	110	136
130	Fontana, CA	44.38	98	146
131	Newport News, VA	44.28	96	151
132	Aurora, IL	44.15	119	131
133	Modesto, CA	44.07	112	145
134	Winston-Salem, NC	43.98	124	132
135	Moreno Valley, CA	43.97	78	174
136	Stockton, CA	43.87	89	168
137	Pembroke Pines, FL	43.54	116	150
138	Little Rock, AR	43.52	109	157
139	Fremont, CA	43.51	159	84
140	San Bernardino, CA	43.49	104	166
141	Hialeah, FL	43.35	63	182
142	Akron, OH	43.31	128	135
143	New Orleans, LA	43.19	134	126
144	Peoria, AZ	42.97	141	122
145	Chesapeake, VA	42.89	155	107
146	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	42.84	135	129
147	Salem, OR	42.82	151	119
148	Philadelphia, PA	42.79	140	128
149	Ontario, CA	42.73	107	170
150	Brownsville, TX	42.64	120	164
151	Newark, NJ	42.48	82	180
152	Oakland, CA	42.41	175	79
153	Garden Grove, CA	42.41	142	127
154	Glendale, CA	42.27	139	138
155	El Paso, TX	42.18	164	110
156	Tacoma, WA	42.17	174	97
157	Riverside, CA	42.13	136	148
158	Las Cruces, NM	41.72	176	95
159	Santa Ana, CA	41.57	137	155
160	Cape Coral, FL	40.78	170	123
161	Montgomery, AL	40.64	144	156
162	Fresno, CA	40.59	145	160
163	Memphis, TN	40.51	148	163
164	Garland, TX	40.42	156	149
165	Toledo, OH	40.30	150	162
166	Laredo, TX	40.15	169	133
167	New Haven, CT	40.10	167	142
168	Long Beach, CA	40.06	157	153
169	Santa Rosa, CA	39.42	165	154
170	Santa Clarita, CA	39.36	153	167
171	Bakersfield, CA	38.94	180	130
172	Yonkers, NY	38.78	158	171
173	Anaheim, CA	38.66	166	169
174	Jackson, MS	38.12	163	175
175	Shreveport, LA	38.05	162	176
176	Pearl City, HI	38.02	181	140
177	Oxnard, CA	37.88	147	179
178	Chula Vista, CA	37.86	178	158
179	Port St. Lucie, FL	37.23	168	178
180	Detroit, MI	37.17	179	172
181	Bridgeport, CT	35.79	173	181
182	New York, NY	34.67	182	173

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.

Monthly Avg. Starting Salaries (Adjusted for Cost of Living)

Highest

Highest
1. Austin, TX
2. Washington, DC
3. Oakland, CA
4. Houston, TX
T-5. Baltimore, MD
T-5. Columbia, MD

Lowest

Lowest
178. Rancho Cucamonga, CA
179. Anchorage, AK
T-180. Honolulu, HI
T-180. Pearl City, HI
T-180. Juneau, AK

Entry-Level Jobs (per 100,000 Working-Age Population)

Most

Most
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. Atlanta, GA
T-1. St. Louis, MO
T-1. Richmond, VA
T-1. Columbia, SC

Fewest

Fewest
178. Moreno Valley, CA
179. Garden Grove, CA
180. North Las Vegas, NV
181. Jersey City, NJ
182. Santa Clarita, CA

Job Growth (Adjusted for Population Growth)

Fastest

Fastest
1. Moreno Valley, CA
2. Dover, DE
3. Lewiston, ME
4. Springfield, MO
5. Knoxville, TN

Slowest

Slowest
178. Fort Lauderdale, FL
179. Boise, ID
180. Baton Rouge, LA
181. Charleston, WV
182. Pearl City, HI

Affordable Housing

Most

Most
1. Cedar Rapids, IA
2. Wichita, KS
3. Des Moines, IA
4. Bismarck, ND
5. Akron, OH

Least

Least
178. Long Beach, CA
179. Miami, FL
T-180. Los Angeles, CA
T-180. Glendale, CA
182. New York, NY

% of Population Aged 25 to 34

Highest

Highest
1. Seattle, WA
2. Jersey City, NJ
3. Denver, CO
4. Boston, MA
5. Austin, TX

Lowest

Lowest
T-177. Santa Clarita, CA
T-177. Pearl City, HI
179. Peoria, AZ
180. Pembroke Pines, FL
181. Cape Coral, FL
182. Port St. Lucie, FL

In-Depth Look at the Best Places to Start a Career

Atlanta, GA

Atlanta is the best place to start a career, with strong job growth of nearly 2.1% annually, ranking 10th in the nation. The median annual household income in Atlanta is pretty high as well, at over $90,400.

In addition, Atlanta has a lot of job opportunities at companies that are rated at least 4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, along with plentiful entry-level jobs, and people have a high rate of satisfaction with their jobs.

For people who want to not only start a career but also start their own business, Atlanta ranks as the 12th-best large city. It also ranks fourth among the most fun cities and it's the best city for singles, allowing people who move for their career to also find happiness outside of work.

Orlando, FL

Orlando, FL, is the second-best city for starting a career, boasting one of the highest levels of entrepreneurial activity among large cities, helping drive job creation and career opportunities. In addition, it has the highest number of entry-level job openings per capita, along with lots of openings at companies rated 4 or 5 stars.

Orlando also attracts a growing number of young professionals, ranking fifth in the country for the percentage of millennials moving to the city, creating a dynamic environment for building a career. In addition, people in Orlando have higher job satisfaction than people in most other cities.

To top things off, Orlando ranks second among the most fun cities in America, so there’s plenty to do when off the clock.

Austin, TX

Austin is the third-best city to start a career, thanks to the highest monthly average starting salaries, giving new professionals a strong financial head start. It also has the 15th-highest number of entry-level jobs per capita.

In addition, Austin’s median annual household income is the 10th-highest in the nation, providing strong earning potential for those starting a career or a business. Austin is also the sixth best city for singles, offering a vibrant social scene alongside strong career opportunities for young professionals.

Ask The Experts

Choosing a career path can be just as challenging as finding a place in which to settle down. To help job seekers with such decisions, we turned to a panel of experts for their thoughts on the following key questions:

What can city policymakers and corporations do to attract and retain recent graduates?
Do you have any tips for turning an entry-level job into a long, successful career?
What is the biggest career mistake that young people make?
In choosing a city to start a career, what are the top 5 indicators?
Is starting a career in 2026 likely to be more challenging than in previous years? Why?

Ask the Experts

Gregory L. Stoller
Master Lecturer, Director of Case Competitions, Boston University Questrom School of Business
Read More

Casey Halliley
Adjunct Professor at CUNY Baruch College and founder of The Orchard Method
Read More

Scott Thorne
Ph.D., Instructor, Department of Marketing - Southeast Missouri State University
Read More

Andrew Burnstine
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, College of Business and Management - Lynn University
Read More

John Link
Ed.D. - Associate Dean of Career Development and Field Work Term - Bennington College
Read More

Matthew Joseph
Ph.D., Associate Professor, Co-Program Director, Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education & School Psychology, School of Education - Duquesne University
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities in which to launch a career, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across two key dimensions, “Professional Opportunities” and “Quality of Life.” Our sample considers only city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

We evaluated the two dimensions using 25 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for job-market entrants.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Professional Opportunities – Total Points: 70

Availability of Entry-Level Jobs: Double Weight (~10.37 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of entry-level jobs per 100,000 residents aged 16 and older.
4+ Star Company Jobs per Total People in Labor Force: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of full time job opportunities at companies with 4+ stars on Glassdoor.com per the total number of people in the labor force.
Monthly Average Starting Salary: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
Annual Job Growth Rate: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for population growth.
Median-Income Growth Rate: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Share of Workers in Poverty: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Workforce Diversity: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Note: This metric is based on The Indeed Job Happiness Index 2016.
Career Counselors per 1,000 Workers: Half Weight (~2.59 Points)
Entrepreneur-Friendliness: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best Large Cities to Start a Business” ranking.
MSA GDP Growth Rate: Full Weight (~5.19 Points)

Quality of Life – Total Points: 30

Median Annual Income: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
Average Length of Work Week (in Hours): Half Weight (~1.36 Points)
Commuter-Friendly Jobs: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of jobs accessible by a 30-minute transit ride per total civilian employed population.
Average Commute Time (in Minutes): Half Weight (~1.36 Points)
Share of Population Aged 25 to 34: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Share of Millennial Newcomers: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Share of Adults Aged 25 & Older with at Least a Bachelor’s Degree: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Projected Population Growth (2046 vs. 2016): Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Fun-Friendliness: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Most Fun Cities in America” ranking.
Family-Friendliness: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Families” ranking.
Singles-Friendliness: Full Weight (~2.73 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Singles” ranking.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of April 13, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Indeed.com, Glassdoor, Council for Community & Economic Research, United States Conference of Mayors, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Center for Neighborhood Technology and WalletHub research.

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why does Minneapolis rank as high as it does?

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