Looking for a new work-related adventure? These cities have the strongest job markets.
Looking for a new work-related adventure?
When you’re considering moving to a new place, how you plan to make money matters a lot. A flourishing job market can easily mean the difference between making it and burning out in a new town. This is why in the overall ranking of the Best Places to Live, each metro area’s job market — comprised of its unemployment rate and median salary — accounted for 20 percent of the final score. Read on for the 25 strongest job markets in our ranking of the 125 most populous places in the U.S.
25. Dallas-Fort WorthBest Places 2018 Rank: 18
Metro Population: 6,957,123
Median Home Price: $210,181
Median Annual Salary: $50,350
Unemployment Rate: 3.7 percent
The Dallas-Fort Worth area’s top employers come from a wide range of industries — from technology and finance to oil and manufacturing. A big contributor to its success is the number of major corporations that call the area home, including AT&T, Southwest Airlines, Comerica and Texas Health Resources.
Learn more about Dallas-Fort Worth.
(AP Photo/LM Otero)
AP Photo/LM Otero
24. Omaha, NebraskaBest Places 2018 Rank: 28
Metro Population: 904,834
Median Home Price: $165,667
Median Annual Salary: $46,490
Unemployment Rate: 3 percent
Nebraska’s largest city is home to a wide range of industries, including financial institution Berkshire Hathaway and Union Pacific Railroad. Omaha also hosts a developing tech industry, an example of startups seeking less-populated cities to base operations and reduce expenses.
Learn more about Omaha.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
23. Worcester, MassachusettsBest Places 2018 Rank: 62
Metro Population: 930,667
Median Home Price: $232,633
Median Annual Salary: $52,170
Unemployment Rate: 4.1 percent
Located in central Massachusetts, Worcester residents benefit from a low unemployment rate of just 4.1 percent compared to the national average of 4.4 percent.
Learn more about Worcester.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
22. Fayetteville, ArkansasBest Places 2018 Rank: 5
Metro Population: 503,642
Median Home Price: $182,508
Median Annual Salary: $44,980
Unemployment Rate: 2.7 percent
The Fayetteville area maintains a low unemployment rate — just 2.7 percent — with diverse employers that include the University of Arkansas, Tyson Foods Inc. and Walmart.
Learn more about Fayetteville.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
21. Huntsville, AlabamaBest Places 2018 Rank: 7
Metro Population: 440,230
Median Home Price: $161,600
Median Annual Salary: $52,960
Unemployment Rate: 4 percent
Home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville attracts aerospace engineers not just for the NASA job opportunities, but also for the aerospace jobs from companies that are based in the area as a result of the government entity’s location.
Learn more about Huntsville.
(*Median home price for Huntsville was not available, so median home value is listed.)
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
20. BaltimoreBest Places 2018 Rank: 83
Metro Population: 2,780,873
Median Home Price: $243,633
Median Annual Salary: $54,920
Unemployment Rate: 4.2 percent
Many of Baltimore’s biggest employers are in the health care industry, from Johns Hopkins University and the associated Johns Hopkins Health System to MedStar Health and the University of Maryland Medical System.
Learn more about Baltimore.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
19. Colorado Springs, ColoradoBest Places 2018 Rank: 2
Metro Population: 688,643
Median Home Price: $255,233
Median Annual Salary: $49,450
Unemployment Rate: 3.1 percent
Home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, the North American Air Defense Command, a U.S. Army base and an additional Air Force base, Colorado Springs’ job market is heavily defense- and aerospace-based. Still, the Rocky Mountain locale keeps the area’s tourism industry strong as well.
Learn more about Colorado Springs.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
18. Hartford, ConnecticutBest Places 2018 Rank: 46
Metro Population: 1,211,826
Median Home Price: $206,383
Median Annual Salary: $58,400
Unemployment Rate: 4.8 percent
The Hartford metro area may have an above-average unemployment rate, but as a hub for the insurance industry and other businesses, residents earn a median annual salary of $58,400, nearly $10,000 above the national average.
Learn more about Hartford.
Victor Perpetua plays his French horn seated under a statue of the Spirit of Victory in Bushnell Park in Hartford, Conn., Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. Perpetua is an attorney in the city and often comes out to the park to play his horn on his lunch break.
(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
AP Photo/Jessica Hill
17. Portland, OregonBest Places 2018 Rank: 6
Metro Population: 2,351,319
Median Home Price: $349,675
Median Annual Salary: $53,960
Unemployment Rate: 3.8 percent
A flourishing tech industry isn’t the only thing keeping Portland’s median annual salary high and its unemployment rate below the national average. Manufacturing, athletic and outdoor apparel and health care companies all contribute to Portland’s economy.
Learn more about Portland.
People cool off in the Willamette River with the downtown skyline visible in the background in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. Scorching temperatures are predicted for the Northwest Wednesday and Thursday, with forecasters saying Seattle and Portland could top triple digits and break records.
(AP Photo/Don Ryan)
AP Photo/Don Ryan
16. Des Moines, IowaBest Places 2018 Rank: 4
Metro Population: 611,755
Median Home Price: $181,217
Median Annual Salary: $49,420
Unemployment Rate: 2.9 percent
While the Des Moines area’s median salary is slightly below the national average of $49,630, the cost of living is far lower, as the typical resident uses just 23.52 percent of his or her household income on living expenses. The low cost of living is just one factor bringing tech companies and startups to the metro area.
Learn more about Des Moines.
A man walks on the path around Gray’s Lake Park, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Des Moines, Iowa.
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
15. San DiegoBest Places 2018 Rank: 30
Metro Population: 3,253,356
Median Home Price: $521,067
Median Annual Salary: $55,480
Unemployment Rate: 4 percent
San Diego attracts residents with its ideal weather and helps them stay with a number of diverse job opportunities. San Diego is home to the U.S. Pacific Fleet and has a large number of military personnel as a result, not to mention opportunities in technology, tourism and research stemming from the area’s universities.
Learn more about San Diego.
A surfer walks out of the surf as the sun sets behind Ocean Beach pier Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017, in San Diego.
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
AP Photo/Gregory Bull
14. Austin, TexasBest Places 2018 Rank: 1
Metro Population: 1,942,615
Median Home Price: $278,608
Median Annual Salary: $50,830
Unemployment Rate: 3.2 percent
While Austin attracts a wide variety of businesses, with government and education being major employers in the area, it draws a lot of tech companies as well. A less expensive place to set up shop than Silicon Valley, Austin is now considered a major tech hub.
Learn more about Austin.
Stockbyte/Thinkstock
13. Portland, MaineBest Places 2018 Rank: 27
Metro Population: 523,874
Median Home Price: $219,658
Median Annual Salary: $47,770
Unemployment Rate: 2.6 percent
Portland’s job market thrives on small businesses, ranging from retail to manufacturing. But the high success rate of small businesses doesn’t keep larger companies from calling the area home, such as L.L. Bean, which is based in Freeport, Maine.
Learn more about Portland.
In this July 13, 2015 photo, the Nova Star ferry travels past fishermen and tourists near the Spring Point Ledge Light on its way to the Ocean Gateway terminal in Portland, Maine. With the decline of groundfishing and freight shipping, Maine’s largest city increasingly relies on tourists passing through its port.
(Gabe Souza/Portland Press Herald via AP)
Gabe Souza/Portland Press Herald via AP
12. Santa Rosa, CaliforniaBest Places 2018 Rank: 77
Metro Population: 497,776
Median Home Price: $499,513
Median Annual Salary: $52,670
Unemployment Rate: 3.4 percent
In the heart of California wine country, Santa Rosa sees a high number of its residents working on farms and at wineries and brewpubs, with another significant portion holding jobs in tourism.
Learn more about Santa Rosa.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
11. Minneapolis-St. PaulBest Places 2018 Rank: 9
Metro Population: 3,488,436
Median Home Price: $237,367
Median Annual Salary: $55,010
Unemployment Rate: 3.3 percent
Minneapolis boasts strong life science, biotechnology and health-tech industries, as well as familiar corporations headquartered in the area, including Target, Best Buy and General Mills.
Learn more about Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Getty Images/iStockphoto/RudyBalasko)
(Getty Images/iStockphoto/RudyBalasko)
Getty Images/iStockphoto/RudyBalasko
10. Madison, WisconsinBest Places 2018 Rank: 16
Metro Population: 634,269
Median Home Price: $238,375
Median Annual Salary: $50,830
Unemployment Rate: 2.4 percent
Along with its strong health care industry, Madison has a growing biotechnology market and attracts startups for its low cost of living but close proximity to well-connected corporations like health care software company Epic Systems.
Learn more about Madison.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
9. Manchester, New HampshireBest Places 2018 Rank: 37
Metro Population: 404,948
Median Home Price: $236,174
Median Annual Salary: $51,920
Unemployment Rate: 2.7 percent
With an extremely low unemployment rate of just 2.7 percent, Manchester residents work in a variety of industries, from technology and communications to financial services, health care and manufacturing.
Learn more about Manchester.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
8. New York CityBest Places 2018 Rank: 96
Metro Population: 20,973,061
Median Home Price: $374,814
Median Annual Salary: $61,925
Unemployment Rate: 4.4 percent
Naturally, the Big Apple makes the list, with a number of domestic and international businesses calling the area home. New York’s major industries range from finance and fashion to shipping and manufacturing, and the city is considered the financial and publishing capital of the U.S.
Learn more about New York.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
7. HonoluluBest Places 2018 Rank: 35
Metro Population: 986,999
Median Home Price: $581,658
Median Annual Salary: $51,080
Unemployment Rate: 2.4 percent
With active U.S. Army and Air Force bases on Oahu, Honolulu has a sizable percentage of residents in the defense industry, though it’s no surprise tourism is the island’s leading industry. But the individual companies employing the most Honolulu residents are actually in the health care industry. Honolulu has the lowest unemployment rate of the 125 most populous metro areas in the U.S.
Learn more about Honolulu.
The sun sets behind mountains near Kaneohe, Hawaii, Monday, May 4, 2015.
(AP Photo/Caleb Jones)
AP Photo/Caleb Jones
6. SeattleBest Places 2018 Rank: 10
Metro Population: 3,671,095
Median Home Price: $403,650
Median Annual Salary: $61,170
Unemployment Rate: 3.9 percent
Seattle’s job market has an enviable reputation, with the likes of Amazon, Starbucks and Microsoft calling the area home, and major offices for corporations like Google offering highly desired job opportunities as well.
Learn more about Seattle.
Mariel Toledo leaps for a photo taken by her friend Chi Nguyen in view of downtown Seattle on an unusually sunny day Friday, April 21, 2017. Rain is expected to return Saturday and continue for at least several days.
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
5. DenverBest Places 2018 Rank: 3
Metro Population: 2,752,056
Median Home Price: $362,492
Median Annual Salary: $55,910
Unemployment Rate: 2.6 percent
Educational institutions such as the University of Colorado and the University of Denver create a substantial amount of research roles in the area. Strong business in aerospace, defense and tourism also help fuel Denver’s strong job market.
Learn more about Denver.
The Rocky Mountains rise beyond Denver skyline Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016.
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
The sunset illuminates clouds over Boston harbor and the city skyline Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 in Boston.
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
3. Washington, D.C.Best Places 2018 Rank: 8
Metro Population: 6,011,752
Median Home Price: $368,642
Median Annual Salary: $68,000
Unemployment Rate: 3.7 percent
The District of Columbia offers a significant amount of work in the public sector and with government contractors, but it also has a steadily growing number of private-sector companies headquartered in the area, including Marriott International and Mars Inc. in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs, respectively.
Learn more about Washington.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
1. San FranciscoBest Places 2018 Rank: 20
Metro Population: 4,577,530
Median Home Price: $790,233
Median Annual Salary: $69,110
Unemployment Rate: 3.3 percent
Tied at the No. 1 spot is San Francisco, where residents enjoy a strong job market that thrives in tourism, technology, finance and business. San Francisco residents also enjoy a high median annual salary of more than $69,000.
Learn more about San Francisco.
A man stands at China Beach as fog rolls past a span of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017.
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
1. San Jose, CaliforniaBest Places 2018 Rank: 17
Metro Population: 1,943,107
Median Home Price: $932,108
Median Annual Salary: $78,990
Unemployment Rate: 3.3 percent.
The capital of Silicon Valley continues to reign supreme, tied with its neighbor San Francisco for the top spot on the list. San Jose has the highest average salary out of the 125 largest metro areas in the U.S., combined with a below-average unemployment rate.
Learn more about San Jose.
(Thinkstock)
