With employers planning to hire 14.7% more graduates from the Class of 2023 than they did from the Class of 2022, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst Places to Start a Career.
To help recent graduates launch their careers in the right place, the site compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 26 key indicators of career-friendliness. The data set ranges from the availability of entry-level jobs to monthly average starting salary to housing affordability.
Charleston came in at #6 in the nation, just ahead of Austin and Miami.
Best Cities to Start a Career
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 |
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.