Washington, D.C. ranks as the best big city in the U.S. for recent college graduates, according to new joint analysis from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket, and Glassdoor, the worldwide leader for worklife conversations and career insights.
A coast-to-coast snapshot of the best U.S. cities for new college grads—highlighting big, midsize, and small markets where early-career opportunities and livability intersect.
The nation’s capital tops the list because recent grads earn big paychecks relative to other large cities, there’s a lot of career opportunities, and the city offers great work-life balance. Early-career professionals in D.C. benefit from a strong job market alongside housing options that, while competitive, remain more attainable than in many other major coastal metros.
“Where you land after college can shape your finances—and your future,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. “Recent grads aren’t just chasing jobs; they’re chasing cities where their paycheck goes further and life feels exciting. The best places offer strong early-career pay, manageable housing costs and plenty to do on and off the clock, so young people can build their careers and enjoy where they live.”
New Orleans comes in first for mid-sized cities, largely because starter homes are affordable and early-career wages are growing at a faster clip than rent. Springfield, IL leads among small cities, with recent college grads attracted to its high starting salaries, strong job-growth potential and transit friendliness.
This is according to a Redfin-Glassdoor ranking of the best U.S. metro areas for recent college graduates, broken into three categories: Big, medium-sized and small. For its report, Redfin and Glassdoor refer to metro areas as “cities” and ranked places based on factors related to housing, jobs and quality of life using several different metrics.
The analysis pairs Redfin housing data with Glassdoor salary insights, employer ratings and community sentiment to reflect how early-career workers evaluate their quality of life and how far an entry-level paycheck can realistically go. The approach reflects what young professionals say matters most early in their careers: in a Glassdoor Community poll, 43% of respondents said career growth opportunities have the biggest impact on their quality of life, followed closely by pay and housing affordability.
“Landing a job is not the only thing early-career workers need to consider when they’re starting their careers,” said Chris Martin, senior economist at Glassdoor. “They’re evaluating which cities offer the right mix of lifestyle, career growth and ability to achieve their long-term financial goals. Nearly nine in ten professionals aged 20 to 29 say they’d relocate for a job if the pay supported their ideal lifestyle, and 43% say growth opportunities matter most to their quality of life early on. Cities that support these priorities give new grads a chance to enjoy a rich social life while starting their careers off on the right foot.”
Big Cities
|
Rank |
City |
Average annual early-career earnings |
Price of typical starter home |
Years to save for down payment |
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income |
Monthly rent as % of income |
|
1 |
Washington, D.C |
$79,857 |
$320,000 |
4 years, 2 months |
31.6% |
34% |
|
2 |
Omaha, NE |
$59,123 |
$195,000 |
3 years, 8 months |
26% |
28% |
|
3 |
Boston, MA |
$80,026 |
$460,000 |
6 years, 8 months |
45.3% |
53% |
|
4 |
Dallas, TX |
$67,451 |
$240,000 |
4 years, 1 month |
28% |
26% |
|
5 |
Chicago, IL |
$72,786 |
$202,000 |
3 years |
21.9% |
28% |
|
6 |
Houston, TX |
$65,369 |
$215,000 |
3 years, 7 months |
25.9% |
18% |
|
7 |
St. Louis, MO |
$61,834 |
$150,000 |
2 years, 7 months |
19.1% |
23% |
|
8 |
San Diego, CA |
$74,053 |
$615,000 |
More than 10 years |
65.4% |
64% |
|
9 |
Miami, FL |
$62,748 |
$210,000 |
3 years, 11 months |
26.4% |
33% |
|
10 |
Austin, TX |
$72,025 |
$276,600 |
4 years, 1 month |
30.3% |
35% |
Mid-Sized Cities
|
Rank |
City |
Average annual early-career earnings |
Price of typical starter home |
Years to save for down payment |
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income |
Monthly rent as % of income |
|
1 |
New Orleans, LA |
$57,414 |
$175,000 |
3 years, 1 month |
24% |
32% |
|
2 |
Palm Bay, FL |
$65,010 |
$210,000 |
3 years, 9 months |
25.4% |
25% |
|
3 |
Wichita, KS |
$55,285 |
$144,535 |
3 years, 1 month |
20.6% |
17% |
|
4 |
Mobile, AL |
$53,030 |
$169,900 |
3 years, 5 months |
25.2% |
23% |
|
5 |
Anchorage, AK |
$65,864 |
$240,000 |
3 years, 11 months |
28.7% |
31% |
|
6 |
Lincoln, NE |
$53,871 |
$212,000 |
4 years, 7 months |
31% |
23% |
|
7 |
Trenton, NJ |
$74,570 |
$220,000 |
4 years, 9 months |
23.2% |
33% |
|
8 |
Bridgeport, CT |
$72,503 |
$330,000 |
5 years, 11 months |
35.9% |
38% |
|
9 |
Waco, TX |
$50,430 |
$180,000 |
4 years, 9 months |
28.1% |
31% |
|
10 |
Lexington, KY |
$52,648 |
$211,000 |
5 years |
31.6% |
34% |
Small Cities
|
Rank |
City |
Average annual early-career earnings |
Price of typical starter home |
Years to save for down payment |
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income |
Monthly rent as % of income |
|
1 |
Springfield, IL |
$59,925 |
$128,000 |
2 years, 3 months |
16.8% |
16% |
|
2 |
Santa FE, NM |
$81,848 |
$359,950 |
5 years, 7 months |
34.6% |
39% |
|
3 |
Panama City, FL |
$61,160 |
$230,000 |
4 years, 8 months |
29.6% |
46% |
|
4 |
Hilton Head Island, SC |
$51,887 |
$317,500 |
More than 10 years |
48.2% |
60% |
|
5 |
Macon, GA |
$55,037 |
$139,000 |
3 years, 1 months |
19.9% |
25% |
|
6 |
Champaign, IL |
$57,356 |
$157,000 |
3 years |
21.6% |
24% |
|
7 |
Greenville, NC |
$52,195 |
$187,000 |
5 years, 3 months |
28.2% |
26% |
|
8 |
Columbia, MO |
$51,379 |
$199,900 |
4 years, 6 months |
30.7% |
28% |
|
9 |
Bend, OR |
$65,866 |
$359,999 |
8 years, 2 months |
43.1% |
56% |
|
10 |
Rochester, MN |
$68,496 |
$215,000 |
3 years, 5 months |
24.7% |
19% |
To view the full report, including a map, more details on each city and a detailed methodology, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/best-cities-recent-grads-2026
