As young people start their careers, many want to know where they should live to make good money and, just as important, what areas will allow them to keep the largest share of what they earn.
Money Under 30, a resource on financial matters for young people, has named the best places in the United States that provide a combination of decent salaries and modest expenses to find out where people age 18 to 34 can earn and save at the same time.
Metropolitan areas were graded on the availability of jobs, on income level for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and on how much young people 18 to 34 years of age are earning. Small metropolitan areas and the Midwest come out on top in this comparison. Following are the best places for young people to make and keep their money, listed in reverse order.
No. 10 Kansas City, Mo./Kansas City, Kan.
The metropolitan area has a median age of 32 and a cost of living that is 15 percent lower than the U.S. average. It also has the third-best job market with opportunities in health care, banking and software development. Median rent is $851 a month.