Best Cities to Start a Career 2024 — and the Worst
The best cities for starting a career also provide substantial income growth potential and pleasant work conditions.


Finding your first job after graduation is an exciting and daunting process. When you layer on the reality that where you work will impact your life just as much as your new job title and salary — the search takes on heightened importance. While some cities, such as New York, are sought-after, it doesn’t mean they are the best place to start. In fact, New York City was ranked dead last in this survey of the Best and Worst Places to Start a Career by Wallethub.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projects 2,185,000 newly minted bachelor's-degree level graduates in the Class of 2024. Some will go to graduate school, but most will be looking for that first real job. Where a job is located can facilitate or hinder buying a home, the ability to save and prospects for career and salary advancement.
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." The study examined each selected city based on 26 key metrics ranging from the availability of entry-level jobs, the average monthly starting salary to housing affordability.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The best cities to start a career
The majority of the best places on this list are in the south and southwest. This is no surprise as these regions have been hotbeds of job and population growth. States such as Arizona, Texas and Florida have seen a steep increase in population from other states with New Yorkers and Californians leading the way. A healthy number of these newcomers are affluent and are bringing business opportunities to their new states.
Matthew T. Hora, Founding Director, Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions — University of Wisconsin-Madison, was asked by WalletHub about the top 5 indicators when choosing a city to start a career. He sees reasonable cost of living, living proximate to friends and family, "a lively cultural scene, decent access to nature, and limited pollution" as driving motivations for which place a graduate might choose to live. Although he says "most graduates are focused on the next 3-5 years of their lives and not the next 50 years."
The top city according to WalletHub is Atlanta. The survey cites an average household income of $79,000, the highest annual growth in household incomes at 8.9%, and "plentiful entry-level jobs" with an abundance of highly rated companies as solid reasons to plant roots in the Peach State.
Orlando comes in a strong second. Graduates can expect decent wages over time as their household wage growth is an impressive 8.2%. In addition, it has the second-highest number of entry-level job openings per capita, along with lots of openings at companies rated 4 or 5 stars, according to WalletHub.
Overall Rank | Cities | Professional Opportunities Rank | Quality of Life Rank |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Atlanta, GA | 1 | 7 |
2 | Orlando, FL | 2 | 8 |
3 | Salt Lake City, UT | 8 | 6 |
4 | Tampa, FL | 7 | 21 |
5 | Pittsburgh, PA | 9 | 11 |
6 | Portland, ME | 11 | 10 |
7 | Charleston, SC | 12 | 15 |
8 | Austin, TX | 40 | 1 |
9 | Miami, FL | 4 | 85 |
10 | Knoxville, TN | 6 | 65 |
11 | Minneapolis, MN | 37 | 3 |
12 | Tempe, AZ | 39 | 5 |
13 | Seattle, WA | 52 | 2 |
14 | Wilmington, DE | 5 | 86 |
15 | St. Louis, MO | 10 | 46 |
The worst cities
The bottom of the list is populated by Rust Belt cities, such as Detroit and Newark, and a place better known as a retirement community than a spring break destination, Pembroke Pines, FL.
New York City is number one in many categories: cost of living and housing are two of them. It also takes the top prize for being the worst place to start a career according to the WalletHub study, and scores near the bottom for quality of life. It holds little promise for the next Mark Zuckerberg as it ranks 96 out of 100 according to WalletHub's Best Large Cities to Start a Business. Unlike Orlando, which ranks first.
Overall Rank | Cities | Professional Opportunities Rank | Quality of Life Rank |
---|---|---|---|
182 | New York, NY | 182 | 171 |
181 | Bridgeport, CT | 179 | 181 |
180 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 180 | 172 |
179 | Santa Clarita, CA | 178 | 174 |
178 | Yonkers, NY | 176 | 167 |
177 | Cape Coral, FL | 181 | 137 |
176 | Newark, NJ | 162 | 180 |
175 | Detroit, MI | 169 | 178 |
174 | Jackson, MS | 164 | 175 |
173 | Oxnard, CA | 159 | 177 |
Related Content
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.
-
Stock Market Today: Another Quarter, More Mixed Price Action
"Up and to the right" remains the general trend despite persistent uncertainty around critical policy issues.
-
Over 100k Medicare Accounts Breached in Latest Hack: Was Yours One?
Letters are going out to 103,000 Medicare beneficiaries who may have been impacted. Here's how to protect your identity and benefits.
-
A Financial Checklist for Your College-Bound Kids
Is your child heading off to college this fall? If so, make sure they're prepared and protected in these four key areas.
-
Why Homeowners Should Beware of Tangled Titles
If you're planning to pass down property to your heirs, a 'tangled title' can complicate things. The good news is it can be avoided. Here's how.
-
A Cautionary Tale: Why Older Adults Should Think Twice About Being Landlords
Becoming a landlord late in life can be a risky venture because of potential health issues, cognitive challenges and susceptibility to financial exploitation.
-
Home Equity Evolution: A Fresh Approach to Funding Life's Biggest Needs
Homeowners leverage their home equity through various strategies, such as HELOCs or reverse mortgages. A newer option: Shared equity models. How do those work, and what are the pros and cons?
-
Is It Worth Getting a Free iPhone Through T-Mobile?
T-Mobile offers a free iPhone 16 Pro with select plans, including a 55+ option. Is the incentive worth the switch over?
-
What About Those ‘Guaranteed’ Life Insurance Ads?
Guaranteed life insurance policies can sound tempting if you've been declined for insurance elsewhere. Here are four downsides and one alternative.
-
Cord Cutting Could Help You Save Over $10,000 in 10 Years
How cutting the cord can save you money and how those savings can grow over time.
-
Tips for Expat Retirees, From Expat Retirees
You may enjoy a lower cost of living by moving abroad, but it requires careful planning.