Top 10 Best Cities to Find a Job in
by G.E. Miller on May 27, 200921 Comments
Kiplinger recently highlighted its 2009 list of the top 10 cities. The list had a heavy focus on cities that have steady or growing employment levels. You’ll notice that many of the 10 cities are not huge metropolitan areas and a number of them are capitals of their state (which would help explain the steady employment through government jobs). You’ll also notice that many of them have major universities, which also offer steady employment.
I thought this was a great list of up-and-coming progressive cities for the twenty something crowd, especially at a time when many are graduating and looking for jobs. Here’s the list:
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Washington D.C.
- Charlottesville, Virginia
- Athens, Georgia
- Olympia, Washington
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Austin, Texas
- Flagstaff, Arizona
- Raleigh, North Carolina
Top Cities to Work in Discussion:
- Do you agree or disagree with any of these selections?
- Are any of these cities appealing locations for you to move to and live in?
- Where are you looking to relocate to for a job, and why?
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I am G.E. Miller, & 
Flagstaff is GORGEOUS. Mountainous pine forest with skiing in the winter. Not what most people think when they think Arizona.
Alright, I live in the DC area, pretty cool to be #3. Although always looking to move back to NY. Funny how some of those places I would never consider, but I guess with cost of living it makes sense.
You obviously have not been to Flagstaff!
It IS gorgeous, the people ARE progressive-ish, and it IS a desirable place to live. But finding a good job here is incredibly difficult! It is a small town- 60,000 including the university- with a limited economy. Most young people work in restaurants, bars, and retail, have no insurance, and barely make rent. The cost of living is high and the housing prices are out of reach of 75% of residents. Professional opportunities are few, and with the economic downturn they are shrinking. We have a university here, NAU, and our grads have a hard time finding a career here, so moving here from out of state expecting to find something isn’t a good bet. I know dozens of people with degrees, some graduate degrees, who cannot get a decent job in town within 3 years of graduating.
I have been to Flagstaff a bunch of times, I have to say that I would NEVER live there. Phoenix is a much better bet if you are interested in Arizona and looking for steady work.
Though then you have to deal with the fact that it is over 100 degrees (often SIGNIFICANTLY over) 5-6 months out of the year. I work at ASU and love my job, although we all had to take 12 days unpaid furlough during the first half of 2009 and since they don’t want to do furloughs next year, a bunch of people are going to get laid off and there will be a HUGE glut in the job market.
And, of course, there’s already an obscene glut of foreclosures. Phoenix routinely ranks in the top 5 cities in the nation for that about now – though if you have the money to buy then perhaps this is a great time to move here. My boyfriend and I want to get out asap – probably when the job market recovers nationally, as we both have really great jobs at the moment and relocating would be stupid.
I have been in Huntsville for a year now, so I guess I can chime in.
It is a nice place if you are looking for job security. Though I think a lot of private enterprises have stopped hiring for the time being, I bet the government based jobs are certainly increasing.
Most of the jobs are in high tech, which brings in a large number of professionals, scientists and engineers. Which leads us directly to the next point…
…The singles scene here ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY SUCKS. No date-able single girls whatsoever. So do not move to Huntsville if you are single and “finding someone and settling down” is your main priority or if you are someone who cant stand being single. (unless ofcourse you are a female, in which case you have hit jackpot in this town full of engineers and scientists… well okay maybe not.)
But other than that, it is a fairly good small sized city. The commutes to work are typically small and the rent is quite low. I live 2 miles from work, and within 5 miles of a number of major employers, and yet the rents are quite low for good apartments. (I live in Madison, a suburb, with much nicer apartments.)
Gas costs about the same as it does in Fairfax/Falls Church in DC area. Same goes for groceries, but the major savings are in the rent, and the TIME spent in commuting.
Life is fairly slow paced, and you will find that at most places you will not be required to put in 50-60 Hour work weeks. Couple that with the fact that it takes 20 mins or less to get to most places within the city, you will find that you have time to focus on other important things in life. [I use it to workout, learn salsa and sharpen professional skills.]
There is not a whole lot to do, but there is an outdoor mall and a couple of other malls. And if you are up for it, Nashville is 2 hours away. I have a friend from chicago here who keeps complaining that the choice of restaurants here sucks big time, and another friend from another smaller city, who is fairly impressed with the choices here.
To wind up the rant:
[+]Not a bad place if you have a family and want a non rushed life.
[+]Job security, stress free living, no traffic at most times.
[+]Peace of mind and Time to pursue other goals.
[+]Lots of “hands on” tech jobs. Great learning exp for fresh grads.
[+]If you are a single female with a thing for geeks… Paradise!
[+]Despite recession and salary freezes, pay is great.
[-]If you are a single male, you are out of luck.
[-]If you are from a big city, you will probably not have fun here.
[-]Alabama.
As for me, I imagine I am in one of those movies where the protagonist is exiled to some “middle of nowhere” place, focusing his energy on training an “Being A Better Person”(tm) so when he goes out to the real world, he can take on “Big Problems”(tm) using all the folksy skills he learned back in the exile.
That and its an Excellent platform for me to build up my financial base. I eat out fairly often, and do things I enjoy, and yet I save up like 1/3 of my paycheck.
To be honest, I don’t think there is any “best” city to find a job — it completely depends on what kind of job you’re looking for and what you’re credentials are.
I was just in Little Rock, and counted 7 “help wanted” signs. Of course, I’m pretty sure they weren’t exactly jobs that will let you buy a private island.
@Mostly Harmless – absolutely hilarious assessment of the dating scene. And completely legit at that.
Texas seems to have taken this recession rather well. Their home values have only dropped about 5%, and the job market is good. Time to move out of California!
I used to live in DC (#3) and I was interviewing with a company in Raleigh.
Wound up staying in the North East, though, and that is ok with me. May not be the “best” place to live but I love it!
MLR
I live in Northern VA and would not recommend it for 20 somethings. Maybe this list is based on entertainment and fun value. But moving here is not a good way to start off your financial life!
1. Rent is expensive; I’m paying more in the suburbs then a comparable place in downtown boston.
2. A “starter home” is a 300k+ townhouse or condo.
3. Everyone around here acts rich (they may or may not be who knows). Eitehr way its easy to fall into the trap of new cars, plasma tvs, very expensive restaurants.
4. Traffic is ridiculous. <10 mile commute takes me a full hour. No matter what time I leave. It is not unexpected for 495 or 66 to be dead-stop traffic in the middle of the day or on the weekend!
Its more of a transient city. No one is ever from DC or the area. Its no ones hometown. Most people only seem to live here for a few years at a time then leave.
I’m surpised Oklahoma City didn’t make the list. It was on Forbes list of Recession Proof Cities earlier this year.
Or you could just skip those all together and move to Australia which so far is one of the few western countries relatively unaffected by the Global Financial Crisis.
Good paying jobs, low cost of living, relatively low crime, nice weather. What more can you want, but then I am bias
Hey, I’m in Athens, GA, and while it really is one of the coolest cities that I’ve lived in or visited, in no way would I consider it to be a good place to get a job. Certainly you could find a retail/service/student job without much trouble, but other than that, it’s slim pickings. The University may offer steady employment, but it also offers *limited* employment, especially considering the number of people around here looking for jobs who also have diplomas. In short: great place to live, tough place to find a (good) job.
Charlottesville is a wonderful place to live, no doubt, but finding a decent job there might be difficult unless you’re looking to be a professor or medical doctor (in both cases the competition is extremely tough). Charlottesville would be a terrific place to operate your own business, though.
Why is there a picture of Jacksonville, FL when it’s not on the list?
I’ve been in Huntsville since kindergarten and it’s very exciting to have witnessed the growth and development my city has underwent.
Housing is great and affordable compared to most places I’ve lived. As mostlyharmless mentioned, single life is almost non-existent, but I plan on changing that when I graduate. It’s awesome seeing all the small businesses that plop up and I hope to start one very soon myself.
You can get a good job in Australia, there are so many austrlian based vacancies.
It seems like every city has its pros and cons with regards to the job market. As a recent graduate with a good resume looking for work in New York, I thought I would have no trouble. But I was totally wrong. It took me 11 months of constant searching to find a job. I can say this though: towards the end of my search, I found a GREAT networking and finance career tool, OneWire.com. It connects companies that are actually looking to hire with potential candidates. And you can put almost any skill, interest, or experience on your profile. It’s a great tool and definitely helpful during times like this, when searching for a job becomes a full time job. Check it out: http://www.onewire.com
Hi,
Just found your blog on Technorati & Digg upcomming news feeds and read a few of your other posts.
ISeems good contents,Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Thanks,
Michael
Washington D.C. – it agree.
Flagstaff, Arizona
By Jessica L. Anderson, Associate Editor
From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, July 2009
Population: 126,087
Income Growth: 9.8%
Cost of Living Index: 116
Median Household Income: $48,171
Percentage of Workforce in Creative Class: 29%
Who will go there?
Angie, you’re wrong. DC is 100% perfect for 20-somethings. Your part of NoVa is NOT. Arlington is great, Silver Spring is great, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Bethesda, U Street–all perfect for 20-somethings. Oh, and by the way. YOU might not be from DC, but 4 million others who were either born and raised here (me) or have lived here for generations would beg to differ. There are plenty of people from DC. Your neighborhood–maybe not so much. Don’t spread ignorance.