Want to know what are the best cities for college grads? Then you had better not miss our tips. Graduating from college marks the end of school life and the initiation of confronting life pressure. Finding the best cities to live in your 20s means a lot to college grads. Whether to pursue your dream in a hustle-bustle metropolitan city or slow down to enjoy life, it all depends on yourself. We have compiled a list of the top 10 best cities for college grads and the crucial information about each city for your convenience.
Best Cities for College Grads: Important Factors to Consider
As a new grad, you can never be too cautious about choosing your first post-grad destination with a variety of factors occupying your mind and swerving your decision. Here are some prominent factors that you should not overlook.
- Cost of living
- Job openings
- Housing availability
- Percentage of young population
- Industrial structure
Best Places to Live After College: Top 10 Ranking
There have been many ranking systems to assist young graduates in choosing the best cities to move to after college as they embark on the post-grad journey. In June 2024, The ADP Research Institute compared 55 US metro areas and published a ranking based on 3 characteristics:
- Annual wages: The estimated median annualized wages for workers 20 to 29
- Hiring rates: The ratio between the number of people aged 20 to 29 who were hired in the previous 12 months and the number of people who were employed in those jobs in the same period. It is represented as a percentage of hires divided by employment.
- Affordability: It is calculated by dividing the metro area’s wages by MARPP. MARPP is the acronym for metro area regional price parity, an index issued by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis to measure the regional consumer price.
Our ranking will be based on the ADPRI ranking with the supplement of each city’s crucial data related to young college students looking for the best places to live after college.
1. Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina. It is known as the “City of Oaks” because of the oak trees lining the city streets. It is the second most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte. Raleigh is home to North Carolina State University and is one constituent of the famous Research Triangle, which includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. The famous universities in this region function as drivers of regional opportunity, making it the top of best cities to live post grad.
- Annual wage estimate: $52,000
- Hiring rate: 5%
- Young adults with at least a bachelor’s degree: 38.1%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 1.02
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $1,010
2. Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore is the most populous city in the state of Maryland and the 30th most populous across the State. The land has enjoyed a long history since the 1600s. It has played an important part in American history by witnessing the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War. Baltimore used to be an industrial town focused on shipping, steel manufacturing, transportation, and auto manufacturing. However, after de-industrialization, the city now shifts toward service-economy. Housing in Baltimore is not so expensive for large coastal cities of the same size. The median sale price for homes in Baltimore as of 2022 was $209,000. The relatively lower cost of living in Baltimore makes it one of the best cities for recent grads.
- Annual wage estimate: $52,000
- Hiring rate: 3.4%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 0.98
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $1,500
3. Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital of the state of Texas. It is the 11th most populous city in America and has been one of the fastest-growing large cities in the States since 2010. The mainstay industries of Austin include computers, semiconductors, software, telecommunication, and biotechnology. It has become a newly-sprung tech hub as the new headquarters of Tesla. Besides, Apple announced in 2018 that a major expansion of its operations will be established in Austin. The outstanding position of Austin as a tech hub makes it one of the best cities for new grads with a technical background.
- Annual wage estimate: $56,846
- Hiring rate: 2.7%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 1.01
- Young adults with at least a bachelor’s degree: 34.5%
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $1,446
4. Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital as well as the most populous city in Georgia State. The much larger Atlanta metropolitan area is the 6th largest US metropolitan area. In terms of education, Atlanta is commonly considered one of the national hubs for higher education with more than 15 colleges and universities. According to U.S. News, the Georgia Institute of Technology ranks 4th out of 199 in Best Engineering Schools. Atlanta also hosts the global headquarters of many corporations such as The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, Mercedes-Benz USA, and Delta Air Lines. The wide breadth of restaurants in Atlanta earns it the title of a top foodie city in America as well as a position in the best places to move after college.
- Annual wage estimate: $50,000
- Hiring rate: 2.9%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 1.01
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $1,586
5. Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is also known as the “Queen City”. It is the most populous city in North Carolina State and the 15th most populous city in America. The city is the center of the Charlotte metropolitan area, which is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. Charlotte may be one of the best cities for college grads 2024. As the 2nd-largest banking center in America, Charlotte is home to Bank of America and Truist Financial. Apart from financial institutions, other large companies, for example, Microsoft and Centene Corporation set their East Coast headquarters in Charlotte.
- Annual wage estimate: $50,000
- Hiring rate: 2.8%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 1.03
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $1,458
6. New York City, New York
Welcome to New York! A city you cannot skip when choosing the best cities to live in after college. New York is the most populous city in America and one of the most famous international cities. The city is undeniably a global center of finance and commerce, culture, media and entertainment, science and technology, and home to the headquarters of the United Nations.
New York is not only the financial and economic center but also a high-tech hub of America. The existence of the Silicon Alley in South Manhattan and the Tech Valley in the Hudson Valley make New York outstanding in the fields of artificial intelligence, the Internet, computers, and biotechnology.
- Annual wage estimate: $60,000
- Hiring rate: 2.6%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 0.88
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $3,902
7. San Francisco, California
San Francisco is the 2nd-most densely populated city in the United States following New York City. It is the cultural as well as economic center of the North California. The city has various service economies, including tourism, financial services, and high technology. It is also the banking and finance center of the West Coast with the legacy of the Gold Rush in the early 20th century. Many large financial institutions, multinational banks, and venture capital firms are based in or set regional headquarters in San Francisco, such as Wells Fargo, Salesforce, Uber, Twitter, etc. San Francisco is one of the best places to live after college for recent grads.
- Annual wage estimate: $68,640
- Hiring rate: 2.4%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 0.85
- Young adults with at least a bachelor’s degree: 44.7%
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $2,906
8. Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is the most populous city in the region of Lake Erie, and the 2nd-most populous city in Ohio State. The city functions as an important hub for logistics and transportation in the United States. It used to rely heavily on steel and many other manufacturing industries, which underwent a great crash. Cleveland is adjusting its economic structure toward a diversified mode. Currently, Cleveland is focusing on the advanced manufacturing industry, such as aerospace, auto manufacturing, and medical equipment. In this sense, Cleveland is undeniably one of the best cities for new college grads.
- Annual wage estimate: $45,760
- Hiring rate: 2.8%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 1.07
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $1,257
9. Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is a good choice for young post-grads in South America. Nashville is the capital of Tennessee State. It is known as the “Music City” as the hometown of music superstars, such as Elvis Presley and Taylor Swift. Nashville has been regarded as the “Athens of the South” because of numerous colleges and universities in the region. The regional economic cornerstone is health care. It is the home to more than 300 healthcare companies, including Hospital Corporation of America, the largest private operator of hospitals internationally. Compared with other metro areas, living costs in Nashville are relatively lower and Tennessee State does not levy personal income tax on residents. This policy makes it one of the best cities for college grads.
- Annual wage estimate: $50,000
- Hiring rate: 2.6%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 1.04
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $1,695
10. Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, also called Indy, is the capital as well as the most populous city in Indiana State. Indianapolis is located in the central position of the state. The slogan of the city goes “Crossroads of America”, testifying to its significance as the national transportation hub. Most of the regional industry focus on pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Three of the Fortune 500 companies have based their headquarters in Indianapolis, namely Elevance Health, Eli Lilly, and Corteva. Indianapolis is one of the best choices for students looking for the best places to live in post grad.
- Annual wage estimate: $47,840
- Hiring rate: 2.6%
- Nation-to-metro cost of living ratio: 1.07
- Average rent for 1-BR apartment: $1,088
Contrary to the Best Places to Live after College: Top 10 Worst Cities for New Grads
For the references and entertainment of young college students, we also list the top 10 worst cities for new graduates:
- Rochester, New York
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Fresno, California
- Portland, Oregon
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Seattle, Washington
- Salt Lake City, Utah
Final Thoughts about the Best Cities for College Grads
Choosing the best places to live after college is among the vital life choices for new college grads. When making a decision, important factors such as the cost of living, number of job openings, and local industrial structure should not be ignored. We have listed the top 10 best cities for college grads on the basis of the research data provided by ADPRI and supplemented several related information. Hoping this may illuminate your choice!
FAQ
What is the best city to move to after college?
According to ADPRI, Raleigh in the U.S. State North Carolina is the best city to live after college for grads. The city is attractive because of its development potential, above-average hiring rate, and relatively low cost of living.
Many research institute have compiled a list of the best cities for college grads, such as ADPRI and Zumper, each of which has made comparisons on diversified dimensions.
Where are new college graduates moving to?
There are 10 best cities for college grads :
- Raleigh of North Carolina
- Baltimore of Maryland
- Austin of Texas
- Atlanta of Georgia
- Charlotte of North Carolina
- NYC of New York
- San Francisco of California
- Cleveland of Ohio
- Nashville of Tennessee
- Indianapolis of Indiana
Many new grads are making choices among the list.
How to figure out where to move after college?
Finding out best places to live post grad is not a easy task. You can never be too careful to select your destination. When making decision, you should carefully weigh several important factors:
- cost of living
- number of job openings
- economic structure
- development potential in the target region
Apart from online research, you can also consult to people who live or work there for the first-hand information. Once you have made up your mind to move over, you can find a suitable accommodation in uhomes.com.
