10 Best Cities To Move To After You Graduate From College
Deciding where to live after graduating college is a huge decision. After graduating college, is the perfect time to check out other options of potential places to live. The decision of where to live can be very impactful. This decision helps decide the future of your career, and the potential success. There are so many important factors to pay attention to when choosing somewhere new to live. Being a college graduate in today’s unfortunate circumstances would be tough, so here is a list of some of the best cities in the United States for recent college graduates to move to.
1. Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin is a city with lots of culture, which pulls in college graduates like a magnet. The University of Wisconsin- Madison is in the city. Many college students end up staying in Madison once they graduate. The cost of living in the city is low! The downtown area is developing rapidly which is a great spot for recent college graduates to live to be close to everything happening in the city. The city was voted one of the greenest cities in the United States. This is a very important factor to several young adults.
2. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota is part of the famous twin cities! The twin cities are in the Midwestern business world. There are several younger adults with college degrees who live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More than 1/3 of the population has a bachelor’s degree.  Around 20% of the population is made up of young adults. The average annual income for recent college graduates is around 30,000. The average income may be a bit lower than other cities on the list, but the cost of living is very low in the Midwest. The unemployment rate for the younger population is below 5%.
3. Arlington, Virginia
Arlington, Virginia was voted one of the best places to live for recent college graduates because of the surplus of well-paying jobs. There are several college graduates that reside in the city and surrounding area. Arlington, Virginia is right across the river from Washington, D.C., which opens a whole other potential for jobs. Several large employers are in Arlington.
4. Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. With it has the most opportunities for jobs in the Pacific Northwest as well. A large percent of residents has at least a bachelor’s degree. About one out of five residents are between the age of 20 to 30 years of age. The average salary for those who have a college degree is higher than most, but keep in mind cost of living is more expensive in Seattle. There are several large employers that are in Seattle, Washington. Some big names are Microsoft, Amazon, Walmart, and the University of Washington.
5. San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California has a very low unemployment rate for college graduates with a bachelor’s degree. Almost one third of residents have at least a bachelor’s degree. Most of the housing located in the city are apartments, which is awesome for recent graduates. The average salary for a college graduate is around $90,000, which is higher than other cities. San Francisco, has several large employers located within its limits. The larger employers include Amazon, Gap, Uber, and Wells Fargo, and these are just a few.
6. Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the bustling capital of North Carolina. Around 20% of the population is considered a young adult. Almost 40% of the population has at least a bachelor’s degree. The average cost of living in Raleigh, North Carolina is lower than the national average. The annual salary for college graduates living in Raleigh is around $35,000. Keep in mind just because the annual salary is lower, it is important to pay attention to the cost of living in a city. North Carolina State University, Advance Auto Parts, and Total are all large employers based out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Many of the workers who are employed by the state work in Raleigh as well, since it is the capital.Â
7. Austin, Texas
Austin Texas has a large population of young people. Most of the city has some sort of college degree. The average income for Austin residents with a college degree is around $55,000. Austin Texas has several large employers such as the two universities located there and Dell Technologies, Apple, and Samsung. Austin, Texas is a technology hub. Several large electronics companies are based here, or have roots here.
8. Cincinnati, Ohio
This city is known as the Queen City for several reasons. Cincinnati is one of the best cities for freshly graduated college students. Cincinnati has several businesses in technology and health. These are two areas that are growing rapidly. Cincinnati has large companies such as the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Children’s Hospital, Procter and Gamble, Duke Energy, Kroger, and General Electric. Startup companies thrive in this city. The cost of living is relatively low compared to other cities on the list.  The cost of living in Cincinnati is 3.5% lower than the nation’s average. A large percent of the population in Cincinnati, Ohio are young adults. There is a low unemployment rate for college graduates in Cincinnati.
9. Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is awesome for college graduates because a large percent of the population is between the ages of 20 to 30 years of age. The Ohio State University is based in Columbus, Ohio, so there are several young people. There is an exceptionally low unemployment rate for college graduates. The average annual salary for a resident of Columbus with a college degree is above $50,000 a year. The Ohio State University acts as one of Columbus’ largest employers, along with several other large employers.
10. Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the biggest city in the state of Georgia, and one of the biggest in the Southeastern United States. The unemployment rate is Atlanta is higher than the national average, however the college degree will help in getting a job. A large percent of Fortune 100 companies operates in Atlanta. For being a big city, the cost of living in Atlanta is relatively low.
Find the right place to live after working hard to earn your degree. Do not go to the wrong city that lack opportunities for professional growth! Take time to research and learn about all options before deciding!
