In a study that rated cities by how well they cater to college graduates, Livability.com offered a top 10 list of cities that offer jobs, recreational activities and a lively nightlife for its young residents.
The following cities were rated on factors such as the number of 25- to 34-year-old residents, the availability of rental properties, unemployment rates, educational attainment levels and public transportation. The ratings also considered whether a city has a thriving, top-hiring industry sector, such as science and technology, educational services, health care and social and government services.
“These 10 cities are great places for recent grads, which should put them on the radar of employers looking to expand,” says Livability.com editor Matt Carmichael.
No. 10
Mountain View, Calif.
25- to 34-year-olds: 14,306
Available jobs: 45,405
Hot industries: Technology, software, Internet and life sciences.
Top employers: Google, Symantec and LinkedIn.
No. 9
Naperville, Ill.
25- to 34-year-olds: 13,688
Available jobs: 39,502
Hot industries: Technology, energy and distribution.
Top employers: Alcatel-Lucent, Nicor Gas and BP.
No. 8
Fargo, N.D.
25- to 34-year-olds: 19,581
Available jobs: 2,579
Hot industries: Health care, software and farm/construction equipment.
Top employers: Sanford Health, Essentia Health, CNH America and Microsoft.
No. 7
Ann Arbor, Mich.
25- to 34-year-olds: 21,145
Available jobs: 12,097
Hot industries: Automotive research, software and life sciences.
Top employers: University of Michigan, Trinity Health, Toyota Technical Center and Thomson Reuters.
No. 6
Hoboken, N.J.
25- to 34-year-olds: 19,784
Available jobs: 121,908
Hot industries: Publishing, insurance and health care.
Top employers: John Wiley & Sons, Marsh USA and Hoboken University Medical Center.
No. 5
Minneapolis, Minn.
25- to 34-year-olds: 82,129
Available jobs: 37,906
Hot industries: Retail, marketing and banking.
Top employers: Target, Wells Fargo and U.S. Bancorp.
No. 4
Bethesda, Md.
25- to 34-year-olds: 6,987
Available jobs: 83,201
Hot industries: Information technology, hospitality, research and development and life sciences.
Top employers: National Institutes of Health, Lockheed Martin and Marriott International.
No. 3
Austin, Texas
25- to 34-year-olds: 171,526
Available jobs: 20,025
Hot industries: Computer technology, research and development and engineering.
Top employers: IBM, Apple and Advanced Micro Devices.
No. 2
Bellevue, Wash.
25- to 34-year-olds: 21,344
Available jobs: 33,054
Hot industries: Software, Internet and environmental management and engineering.
Top employers: Boeing Shared Services Group, Expedia and T-Mobile.
No. 1
Cambridge, Mass.
25- to 34-year-olds: 29,238
Available Jobs: 57,756
Hot industries: Biotechnology, research and development, health care.
Top employers: Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Sanofi-Genzyme BioVentures and Biogen Idec.