2024 Best US Cities for New Grads

[iheartthed]

According to Zumper, an online apartment rental search platform, these are the 20 best cities for new grads in 2024:

1. Minneapolis, MN
2. Denver, CO
3. Seattle, WA
4. Columbus, OH
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Phoenix, AZ
7. Raleigh, NC
8. Washington, DC
9. Atlanta, GA
10. Oklahoma City, OK
11. Kansas City, MO
12. Dallas, TX
13. Oakland, CA
14. Indianapolis, IN
15. Colorado Springs, CO
16. Omaha, NE
17. Charlotte, NC
18. San Jose, CA
19. St Louis, MO
20. New York, NY

There was a pretty big geographical variation to the top of the list. Full ranking of the 100 largest cities here, along with explanation of methodology: https://www.zumper.com/blog/best-cit...college-grads/

[homebucket]

Not too controversial of a ranking, but I did see some notable omissions from the top of the list.

Thought these would've ranked a little higher:
24. Austin, TX
27. Los Angeles, CA
28. Chicago, IL
30. Boston, MA
36. Philadelphia, PA

Also surprised to see NYC got a C for restaurants per capita.

[Crawford]

In my early 2000's post-college bubble, it seemed everyone who didn't go back to their home town ended up in NYC or DC. But this was a Northeastern school. I know B10 schools are heavy Chicago, SEC schools are heavy Atlanta or Dallas, etc.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Not too controversial of a ranking, but I did see some notable omissions from the top of the list.

Thought these would've ranked a little higher:
24. Austin, TX
27. Los Angeles, CA
28. Chicago, IL
30. Boston, MA
36. Philadelphia, PA

Also surprised to see NYC got a C for restaurants per capita.

I'm very surprised Austin isn't higher. I also saw thought that giving NYC a C for restaurants per capita was odd. Restaurant availability seems like the one category in this study where NYC would be lightyears ahead of everyone else.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I know B10 schools are heavy Chicago

I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Michigan bars in Chicago than there are in Detroit.

[Crawford]

Then there are areas that really attract a targeted demo. Denver is huge, but among outdoorsy white people. Bay Area is even bigger, but almost entirely tech. Atlanta outside the SEC it tends to attract African American professionals. LA attracts from everywhere, but often physically attractive people only.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Michigan bars in Chicago than there are in Detroit.

Lincoln Park-Lakeview, at least in my post-college years (so first decade or so of 2000's) seemed to be the biggest landing spot for U-M and MSU grads. I knew a ton of people living around Belmont stop, including my own sister.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Lincoln Park-Lakeview, at least in my post-college years (so first decade or so of 2000's) seemed to be the biggest landing spot for U-M and MSU grads. I knew a ton of people living around Belmont stop, including my own sister.

And some of them even stick around and plant roots here.

Several neighbor dads & moms on my block are Wolverines/Spartans.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Michigan bars in Chicago than there are in Detroit.

Duffy's has been the U-M Alumni association's most important sponsor bar for decades. But also, I don't think the concept of a college alum bar really exists in Detroit, so there are certainly more Michigan bars in Chicago.

[bilbao58]

As I always say, if Zumper says it, it must be true.

[mhays]

Oh my god, this article is a moron fest.

The data is from 2019 and 2020. It's currently 2024.

The criteria are vaguely interesting but entirely blunt objects, each far worse when you think about them. For example average wages...doesn't it matter if one is heavily weighted by tech or finance, and another isn't? Wouldn't it be nice to know the average was for a parallel titles maybe?

They say "Pikes Place Market," apparently going off of memory vs. actual names. (It's Pike Place.)

[Steely Dan]

^ wait, they're using pre-covid data here???

oof!

Swing and a miss.

[iheartthed]

Weird of them to use ACS data from 2019 and 2020 when there should be newer data available. The old unemployment data in particular would be much different for tech cities today than in 2019, so the decision to use old data kind of seems deliberate.

[liat91]

This is an interesting list that is more inclusive by regional interest.

https://joinhandshake.com/blog/emplo...they-graduate/

Didn’t realize Westerners liked NYC soo much. Love in the other direction, not as much.

[Crawford]

I mean, NY is the largest metro, so would likely receive the most interest.

The West Coast job markets are popular among Easterners. Hollywood was largely started by (heavily Jewish, usually New York) Easterners, and there remains a huge bidirectional talent pipeline. Obviously Silicon Valley has global appeal. Lots of engineers from colleges like Cornell, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, end up in SV.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by liat91

Didn’t realize Westerners liked NYC soo much.

NYC is also #1 for the south according to that study, and obviously #1 for the northeast as well.

The only maco-region where NYC isn't #1 is the Midwest, where it places second, behind Chicago, likely due in large part to the "big 10 funnel effect" Chicago has upon the Midwest.

[mhays]

Originally Posted by liat91

This is an interesting list that is more inclusive by regional interest.

https://joinhandshake.com/blog/emplo...they-graduate/

Didn’t realize Westerners liked NYC soo much. Love in the other direction, not as much.

Why is there a big blue dot in the center of Washington state, where there's no major city? Which doesn't appear on the list below it? QC problem?

[Buckeye Native 001]

...Yakima? /s

[mhays]

Yakima has its charms, but the biggest job sector is migrant workers picking apples or whatever they do with grapes, hops, etc. (The nation owes much to Yakima for its adult beverages!)

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by mhays

Why is there a big blue dot in the center of Washington state, where there's no major city? Which doesn't appear on the list below it? QC problem?

They probably looked up the coordinates for Washington (DC) but got Washington state :-p