With 2019 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to think about fresh starts. For many people, finding a new or better job will be a top resolution. If that’s your mission for the new year, it’s a good time to be on the job market.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent jobs report, the national unemployment rate is 3.6 percent, just a bit higher than the 50-year low of 3.5% seen in September 2019.
As noted by Wallethub, however, your luck of finding work depends largely on location.
To help you with the job hunt, the publication compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 31 key indicators of job-market strength. They range from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary.
Check out their findings in the chart below:
Overall Rank (1 = Best) |
City | Total Score | ‘Job Market’ Rank | ‘Socio-economics’ Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Scottsdale, AZ | 65.50 | 2 | 4 |
2 | South Burlington, VT | 65.47 | 1 | 10 |
3 | San Francisco, CA | 63.17 | 3 | 30 |
4 | Austin, TX | 61.82 | 6 | 21 |
5 | Fremont, CA | 61.53 | 4 | 67 |
6 | Chandler, AZ | 60.99 | 8 | 13 |
7 | Boston, MA | 60.44 | 5 | 64 |
8 | Tempe, AZ | 60.07 | 14 | 11 |
9 | Portland, ME | 60.04 | 10 | 26 |
10 | Boise, ID | 59.29 | 19 | 8 |
11 | Overland Park, KS | 58.65 | 21 | 15 |
12 | Plano, TX | 58.59 | 17 | 28 |
13 | Pittsburgh, PA | 58.54 | 36 | 7 |
14 | Pearl City, HI | 58.46 | 7 | 85 |
15 | San Jose, CA | 58.44 | 9 | 73 |
16 | Charleston, SC | 58.42 | 18 | 34 |
17 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 58.38 | 30 | 9 |
18 | Orlando, FL | 58.35 | 15 | 47 |
19 | Nashua, NH | 58.32 | 27 | 16 |
20 | Gilbert, AZ | 57.93 | 16 | 48 |
21 | Seattle, WA | 57.62 | 37 | 19 |
22 | Huntington Beach, CA | 57.50 | 24 | 43 |
23 | Columbia, MD | 57.44 | 52 | 6 |
24 | Reno, NV | 57.36 | 20 | 51 |
25 | Salt Lake City, UT | 57.22 | 35 | 35 |
26 | Atlanta, GA | 57.19 | 34 | 36 |
27 | Colorado Springs, CO | 57.17 | 29 | 44 |
28 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 57.16 | 23 | 57 |
29 | San Diego, CA | 57.09 | 39 | 25 |
30 | Huntsville, AL | 56.96 | 11 | 112 |
31 | Glendale, AZ | 56.69 | 12 | 113 |
32 | Irvine, CA | 56.57 | 47 | 22 |
33 | Irving, TX | 56.54 | 13 | 115 |
34 | Denver, CO | 56.44 | 41 | 33 |
35 | Peoria, AZ | 56.44 | 28 | 69 |
36 | Sacramento, CA | 56.17 | 38 | 58 |
37 | Virginia Beach, VA | 56.17 | 57 | 14 |
38 | Lincoln, NE | 56.11 | 61 | 12 |
39 | Garden Grove, CA | 56.08 | 40 | 50 |
40 | Madison, WI | 56.06 | 72 | 3 |
41 | Grand Prairie, TX | 55.99 | 31 | 82 |
42 | Amarillo, TX | 55.96 | 25 | 86 |
43 | Tampa, FL | 55.95 | 58 | 20 |
44 | Minneapolis, MN | 55.79 | 80 | 2 |
45 | Des Moines, IA | 55.77 | 43 | 49 |
46 | Wilmington, DE | 55.47 | 26 | 100 |
47 | Manchester, NH | 55.33 | 48 | 59 |
48 | Raleigh, NC | 55.16 | 56 | 42 |
49 | St. Petersburg, FL | 54.98 | 45 | 66 |
50 | Washington, DC | 54.90 | 62 | 37 |
51 | Warwick, RI | 54.82 | 65 | 31 |
52 | Nashville, TN | 54.47 | 32 | 123 |
53 | Phoenix, AZ | 54.32 | 49 | 76 |
54 | Honolulu, HI | 54.30 | 78 | 27 |
55 | Mesa, AZ | 54.19 | 44 | 94 |
56 | Burlington, VT | 54.19 | 124 | 1 |
57 | West Valley City, UT | 54.15 | 64 | 52 |
58 | Portland, OR | 54.14 | 82 | 24 |
59 | Grand Rapids, MI | 54.10 | 74 | 39 |
60 | Las Vegas, NV | 54.01 | 81 | 31 |
61 | Aurora, CO | 53.80 | 33 | 144 |
62 | Durham, NC | 53.58 | 46 | 102 |
63 | Chesapeake, VA | 53.57 | 77 | 54 |
64 | Oakland, CA | 53.52 | 22 | 165 |
65 | St. Paul, MN | 53.32 | 106 | 23 |
66 | Bismarck, ND | 53.21 | 131 | 5 |
67 | Omaha, NE | 53.16 | 112 | 17 |
68 | San Antonio, TX | 53.11 | 68 | 79 |
69 | Richmond, VA | 52.99 | 66 | 90 |
70 | Sioux Falls, SD | 52.85 | 108 | 38 |
71 | Henderson, NV | 52.81 | 94 | 46 |
72 | Columbus, OH | 52.75 | 107 | 40 |
73 | Santa Rosa, CA | 52.57 | 60 | 104 |
74 | Oceanside, CA | 52.45 | 51 | 147 |
75 | Jacksonville, FL | 52.28 | 73 | 93 |
75 | Anaheim, CA | 52.28 | 67 | 99 |
77 | Billings, MT | 52.21 | 102 | 61 |
78 | Chula Vista, CA | 52.12 | 53 | 143 |
79 | Casper, WY | 52.09 | 109 | 56 |
80 | Worcester, MA | 52.07 | 85 | 84 |
81 | Ontario, CA | 52.06 | 55 | 151 |
82 | Tacoma, WA | 52.03 | 83 | 91 |
83 | Rapid City, SD | 51.97 | 119 | 41 |
84 | Chattanooga, TN | 51.97 | 42 | 171 |
85 | Yonkers, NY | 51.97 | 98 | 65 |
86 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 51.90 | 79 | 98 |
87 | Juneau, AK | 51.85 | 90 | 77 |
88 | Arlington, TX | 51.83 | 59 | 140 |
89 | Santa Ana, CA | 51.68 | 69 | 122 |
90 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 51.67 | 75 | 118 |
91 | Fort Worth, TX | 51.47 | 89 | 92 |
92 | Wichita, KS | 51.45 | 50 | 162 |
93 | Glendale, CA | 51.41 | 96 | 87 |
94 | Vancouver, WA | 51.36 | 86 | 106 |
95 | Garland, TX | 51.31 | 63 | 148 |
96 | Newport News, VA | 51.22 | 76 | 136 |
97 | Tucson, AZ | 51.18 | 110 | 81 |
98 | Fontana, CA | 51.15 | 87 | 107 |
99 | Cheyenne, WY | 51.15 | 135 | 29 |
100 | Tallahassee, FL | 51.12 | 113 | 74 |
101 | Spokane, WA | 51.08 | 91 | 101 |
102 | Houston, TX | 51.00 | 84 | 120 |
103 | Aurora, IL | 50.83 | 120 | 71 |
104 | Charlotte, NC | 50.78 | 105 | 97 |
105 | Tulsa, OK | 50.78 | 71 | 152 |
106 | Oklahoma City, OK | 50.76 | 114 | 83 |
107 | Cincinnati, OH | 50.70 | 134 | 45 |
108 | Nampa, ID | 50.68 | 99 | 116 |
109 | Riverside, CA | 50.59 | 88 | 128 |
110 | Fargo, ND | 50.40 | 149 | 18 |
111 | Dallas, TX | 50.36 | 93 | 125 |
112 | Little Rock, AR | 50.36 | 70 | 169 |
113 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 50.32 | 104 | 121 |
114 | Birmingham, AL | 50.31 | 54 | 175 |
115 | Cape Coral, FL | 50.18 | 117 | 103 |
116 | Lewiston, ME | 50.16 | 123 | 88 |
117 | Greensboro, NC | 50.00 | 116 | 109 |
118 | Louisville, KY | 49.95 | 115 | 108 |
119 | Columbia, SC | 49.95 | 121 | 95 |
120 | Baton Rouge, LA | 49.94 | 92 | 149 |
121 | St. Louis, MO | 49.91 | 118 | 105 |
122 | Dover, DE | 49.85 | 95 | 137 |
123 | Corpus Christi, TX | 49.80 | 103 | 126 |
124 | Kansas City, MO | 49.75 | 111 | 124 |
125 | Miami, FL | 49.68 | 97 | 145 |
126 | Fort Wayne, IN | 49.50 | 100 | 138 |
127 | Los Angeles, CA | 49.49 | 132 | 89 |
128 | Salem, OR | 49.49 | 139 | 68 |
129 | Santa Clarita, CA | 49.49 | 138 | 70 |
130 | Knoxville, TN | 49.23 | 129 | 111 |
131 | Long Beach, CA | 48.83 | 130 | 117 |
132 | Mobile, AL | 48.78 | 101 | 170 |
133 | Lubbock, TX | 48.51 | 125 | 134 |
134 | Norfolk, VA | 48.48 | 127 | 141 |
135 | Albuquerque, NM | 48.45 | 136 | 110 |
136 | Jersey City, NJ | 48.32 | 161 | 53 |
137 | North Las Vegas, NV | 48.29 | 133 | 129 |
138 | El Paso, TX | 48.05 | 153 | 72 |
139 | Charleston, WV | 48.03 | 137 | 131 |
140 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 48.00 | 162 | 62 |
141 | Winston-Salem, NC | 47.99 | 126 | 166 |
142 | Chicago, IL | 47.91 | 164 | 60 |
143 | New York, NY | 47.90 | 154 | 75 |
144 | Montgomery, AL | 47.81 | 122 | 161 |
145 | Moreno Valley, CA | 47.77 | 128 | 160 |
146 | Modesto, CA | 47.53 | 141 | 133 |
147 | Milwaukee, WI | 47.37 | 146 | 114 |
148 | Providence, RI | 47.02 | 165 | 78 |
149 | Missoula, MT | 47.01 | 172 | 55 |
150 | Bakersfield, CA | 46.85 | 147 | 130 |
151 | Philadelphia, PA | 46.62 | 151 | 127 |
152 | Buffalo, NY | 46.53 | 168 | 80 |
153 | Columbus, GA | 46.26 | 143 | 163 |
154 | Rochester, NY | 46.16 | 174 | 63 |
155 | Fort Smith, AR | 46.03 | 144 | 167 |
156 | Oxnard, CA | 45.98 | 160 | 132 |
157 | Springfield, MO | 45.92 | 152 | 153 |
158 | New Orleans, LA | 45.88 | 157 | 142 |
159 | Augusta, GA | 45.72 | 148 | 173 |
160 | Baltimore, MD | 45.71 | 145 | 168 |
161 | Las Cruces, NM | 45.70 | 167 | 119 |
162 | New Haven, CT | 45.49 | 169 | 96 |
163 | Akron, OH | 45.37 | 166 | 139 |
164 | Memphis, TN | 45.20 | 140 | 180 |
165 | Fresno, CA | 45.17 | 155 | 159 |
166 | Indianapolis, IN | 44.82 | 159 | 164 |
167 | Laredo, TX | 44.67 | 163 | 157 |
168 | Bridgeport, CT | 44.61 | 171 | 135 |
169 | San Bernardino, CA | 44.15 | 150 | 176 |
170 | Jackson, MS | 44.07 | 156 | 177 |
171 | Hialeah, FL | 44.06 | 142 | 181 |
172 | Shreveport, LA | 43.90 | 158 | 178 |
173 | Cleveland, OH | 43.56 | 173 | 158 |
174 | Anchorage, AK | 42.92 | 177 | 150 |
175 | Gulfport, MS | 42.73 | 170 | 174 |
176 | Toledo, OH | 42.35 | 176 | 172 |
177 | Huntington, WV | 41.94 | 178 | 154 |
178 | Brownsville, TX | 41.33 | 179 | 156 |
179 | Stockton, CA | 41.27 | 175 | 179 |
180 | Newark, NJ | 40.43 | 182 | 146 |
181 | Fayetteville, NC | 40.19 | 181 | 155 |
182 | Detroit, MI | 38.40 | 180 | 182 |
Is your city in the top ten places to find a job?