The Best And Worst Cities To Start A Career In 2021

As the country slowly climbs out of the pandemic, it’s becoming more obvious by the day that 2021 will be the year people take more risks.

Especially entrepreneurs or anyone looking to start a new career in a brand new city.

There are countless factors to consider for people looking to move and start a new career but the financial website WalletHub is making the decision easier with this comprehensive breakdown of the best and worst cities to start a career in 2021.

In order to help people start a search for a new career, WalletHub compared the relative market strength and overall livability of more than 180 U.S. cities to help recent college graduates find the best cradles for their budding careers.

The website examined each city based on 28 key metrics that range from the availability of entry-level jobs to monthly average starting salary to housing affordability and the data set ranges from the availability of entry-level jobs to monthly average starting salary to housing affordability.

According to WalletHub’s finding, here are the best cities to look for a new job in 2021.

1. Salt Lake City, UT
2. Orlando, FL
3. Atlanta, GA
4. Austin, TX
5. Columbia, SC
6. Charleston, SC
7. Seattle, WA
8. Overland Park, KS
9. Durham, NC
10. Scottsdale, AZ

Here are the worst cities to start a new career in 2021, with number 10 being the worst place to live and pursue a new occupation.

173. Santa Clarita, CA
174. Philadelphia, PA
175. North Las Vegas, NV
176. Columbus, GA
177. Pembroke Pines, FL
178. Detroit, MI
179. Bridgeport, CT
180. New York, NY
181. Hialeah, FL
182. Newark, NJ

Here are some fascinating facts from the WalletHub study:

• Tacoma, Washington, has the highest monthly average starting salary (adjusted for cost of living), $4,596, which is 3.1 times higher than in Honolulu and Pearl City, Hawaii, the cities with the lowest at $1,478.
• Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median annual household income (adjusted for cost of living), $98,861, which is 3.4 times higher than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at $28,757.
• Oxnard, California, has the highest workforce diversity, which is 2.3 times higher than in New Haven, Connecticut, the city with the lowest.
• South Burlington, Vermont, has the lowest unemployment rate, 2.40 percent, which is 5.5 times lower than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the highest at 13.30 percent.

To see the complete study, head over to WalletHub.

To read more interesting studies done by those fine people in 2021, check out the best and worst entry-level jobs, the best and worst states for working moms, and the best large cities to start a business.