After the diplomas are framed and graduation parties wrapped, the class of 2025 will be setting their sights on the next big step: where to start life after college. Finding the right city can shape both career paths and quality of life, and today’s grads are considering more than just job titles. They’re looking at cost of living, housing affordability, social opportunities, and long-term career growth.
To help make that decision easier, we at Zumper analyzed 100 of the most populous U.S. cities across a range of data points, including rent prices, median income, unemployment rates, proportion of young people, and more, to rank the best cities for 2025 college graduates.
Key Takeaways
- Minneapolis, MN is the best overall city for 2025 grads, thanks to its well-rounded performance across every category.
- San Francisco, CA offers the highest income potential for young adults.
- Detroit, MI tops the list for the highest percentage of singles.
- Asheville, NC boasts the lowest unemployment rate in the country.
Top 10 Best Cities for 2025 College Grads
1. Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis earns the top spot in this year’s rankings, scoring consistently well across affordability, job opportunity, and population of singles. With strong marks for relatively inexpensive cost of living and a vibrant cultural scene, it’s an ideal city for grads looking for balance.
2. Knoxville, TN
Knoxville combines a low cost of living with growing career opportunities in healthcare, education, and tech. Its affordability makes it especially appealing for young professionals looking to build savings while enjoying a thriving college-town vibe.
3. Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City continues to climb in desirability. A burgeoning tech scene, proximity to outdoor recreation, and relatively affordable rents make it a solid choice for career starters.
4. Madison, WI
With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation at 2.6%, a strong concentration of degree holders, and a reputation for livability, Madison is a Midwestern gem for recent grads.
5. Raleigh, NC
Raleigh is a growing tech and research hub that offers strong income potential, reasonable rent prices, and an educated population. This city’s blend of opportunity and Southern charm lands it solidly in the top five.
6. Atlanta, GA
Atlanta excels in lifestyle categories, ranking high for both restaurants per capita and population of singles. Though rents are on the higher side of other top 10 cities, Atlanta’s diverse economy and social scene make it a hot spot for young professionals.
7. Denver, CO
Denver boasts a healthy job market, especially in tech and green energy, and has high income potential for young adults. While rent is more expensive, record new supply coming online in this city is helping push prices down and the city’s social and recreational perks help balance the scale as well.
8. Charlotte, NC
Charlotte has emerged as a financial services and fintech hub with a lower cost of living than comparable metros and boasts a low unemployment rate and a high concentration of its population with bachelors degrees. Charlotte’s also one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, making it a smart long-term bet.
9. Des Moines, IA
Des Moines offers one of the most affordable lifestyles on this list. It combines low rent, a stable job market, and a low unemployment rate with a growing food and cultural scene that’s drawing more young talent each year.
10. Gilbert, AZ
A surprise entry this year, Gilbert scores points for its low unemployment rate at 2.6%, high median income for young adults, and rapid growth. While more suburban in character, it’s ideal for grads looking for economic stability and warm weather.
Highest Percentage of Singles
Looking to meet new people? These cities have the largest proportion of unmarried residents:
Lowest Unemployment Rates
These cities offer the most stable job markets for young professionals:
Highest Median Income (Ages under 25)
Top markets for early career earning potential:
Cities that need to retake their final
Not every city made the honor roll. While some places offer affordable rent or cost of living, they fall short in the areas that matter most to recent grads, like job prospects and social life. Here are the cities that scored the lowest in our 2025 rankings:
Louisville, KY
Louisville offers a relatively low cost of living and affordable rents, but that’s where the good news ends for new grads. The city ranked poorly in multiple key areas including median income for young people, population of singles, restaurants per capita, and the proportion of residents with a bachelor’s degree. Grads may find the city limiting in terms of both career opportunities and social engagement.
Augusta, GA
Despite being an affordable place to live, Augusta scored among the lowest for its percentage of college-educated residents, restaurant scene, and young adult income. A higher unemployment rate also makes it a more difficult market for new grads to gain a foothold.
Detroit, MI
Interestingly, Detroit ranks #1 for its percentage of singles, but don’t let that stat fool you. The city falls short in critical categories like unemployment and income levels for young adults. While the cost of living is low, the lack of upward mobility may be a concern for those just entering the job market.
Henderson, NV
A suburb of Las Vegas, Henderson ranks well for unemployment and median income for younger workers, but falls flat on several lifestyle metrics. It scored low in the population of young people, singles, and restaurants per capita, making it less ideal for grads looking for community and culture.
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque lands in the bottom tier for a combination of weak job market indicators and limited social infrastructure. Low rankings in median income for young people and restaurant density hold it back from being a top contender for recent grads, even though affordability is a plus.
Methodology
To identify the best cities for college graduates, the top 100 most populous U.S. cities were analyzed based on eight key metrics:
- Population of young people (under 25 years old) from American Community Survey, 2023
- Median income of young people (under 25 years old) from American Community Survey, 2023
- Education of the population (people with Bachelor’s degrees or higher) from American Community Survey, 2023
- Restaurants per capita from Snowflake’s US Addresses & POI data product, May 2025
- Non-married population from American Community Survey, 2023
- Unemployment rate from American Community Survey, 2023
- Median 1-bedroom rent from Zumper.com, May 2025.
- Cost of Living Index from The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), 2024
A composite score for each city was calculated, which takes into account all of the 8 metrics. A weightage schedule was applied:
| Metric | Weight |
| Population of young people | 19 |
| Median income of young people | 17.5 |
| Education of the population | 15 |
| Restaurants per capita | 15 |
| Non-married population | 14 |
| Unemployment rate | 12 |
| Median rent | 5 |
| Cost of Living Index | 2.5 |
| Total | 100 |
Each city received a ranking and a weighted score for each metric. All weighted scores were added up to get the total respective composite scores. The overall ranking of cities was based on the composite score.
To report how the cities compare on each individual category, letter grades were assigned to each city based on the quintile that each city falls into:
1-20=A
21-40=B
41-60=C
61-80=D
81-100=F
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Full Data
| Ranking | City | Rent Grade | Young Population Grade | Educated Population Grade | Singles Population Grade | Unemployment Grade | Young Income Grade | Restaurant Grade | Cost of Living Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis, MN | C | C | A | A | B | C | B | B |
| 2 | Knoxville, TN | B | A | D | A | B | F | A | A |
| 3 | Salt Lake City, UT | B | B | B | C | B | C | B | D |
| 4 | Madison, WI | D | A | A | B | A | F | C | D |
| 5 | Raleigh, NC | C | C | A | D | A | B | D | C |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | D | C | A | A | D | C | A | B |
| 7 | Denver, CO | D | F | A | C | A | A | B | D |
| 8 | Charlotte, NC | D | C | A | C | A | B | D | A |
| 9 | Des Moines, IA | A | B | D | B | B | C | C | A |
| 10 | Gilbert, AZ | D | A | A | F | A | A | F | D |
| 11 | Tallahassee, FL | A | A | C | A | F | F | B | B |
| 12 | Tampa, FL | D | D | B | B | B | C | A | B |
| 13 | Providence, RI | D | A | D | A | F | B | B | D |
| 14 | Seattle, WA | F | F | A | C | B | A | A | F |
| 15 | Irving, TX | C | A | C | F | C | B | C | C |
| 16 | Asheville, NC | D | F | A | B | A | D | A | C |
| 17 | Scottsdale, AZ | D | F | A | F | A | A | A | C |
| 18 | Boston, MA | F | D | A | A | B | C | B | F |
| 19 | Plano, TX | D | D | A | F | A | A | B | D |
| 20 | Portland, OR | C | F | A | B | B | C | A | F |
| 21 | Washington, DC | F | D | B | B | D | A | B | F |
| 22 | Lincoln, NE | A | A | B | D | A | D | F | B |
| 23 | Charleston, SC | F | D | A | F | A | D | A | C |
| 24 | Greensboro, NC | A | A | C | B | B | F | C | D |
| 25 | Orlando, FL | D | D | B | C | D | B | A | C |
| 26 | Nashville, TN | D | D | A | D | A | C | B | B |
| 27 | San Francisco, CA | F | F | A | D | C | A | A | F |
| 28 | Richmond, VA | C | D | B | B | B | F | A | B |
| 29 | Pittsburgh, PA | C | C | C | A | C | F | A | C |
| 30 | Norfolk, VA | C | A | D | B | D | C | C | A |
| 31 | Urban Honolulu, HI | F | F | B | F | A | B | A | F |
| 32 | Arlington, VA | F | F | A | F | A | A | C | F |
| 33 | Omaha, NE | A | B | B | D | A | D | D | A |
| 34 | Austin, TX | D | F | A | C | B | D | B | B |
| 35 | Dallas, TX | C | B | C | C | C | C | C | C |
| 36 | Baton Rouge, LA | A | A | F | A | F | F | B | A |
| 37 | St. Louis, MO | A | F | B | A | C | D | A | A |
| 38 | New Haven, CT | F | A | F | A | F | D | B | D |
| 39 | Cincinnati, OH | B | B | C | A | F | F | B | B |
| 40 | Reno, NV | C | D | C | C | B | B | B | D |
| 41 | Kansas City, MO | B | D | B | C | A | C | D | A |
| 42 | Arlington, TX | B | A | D | D | B | C | F | B |
| 43 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | F | F | C | C | D | A | A | F |
| 44 | Columbus, OH | B | B | C | B | C | D | D | B |
| 45 | San, DIEGO-CA | F | D | B | F | B | B | B | F |
| 46 | Chattanooga, TN | B | C | D | C | D | C | A | A |
| 47 | Santa, ANA-CA | F | C | F | C | A | A | D | F |
| 48 | Indianapolis, IN | B | B | C | D | C | C | F | A |
| 49 | Glendale, AZ | B | A | F | F | A | B | F | C |
| 50 | Jersey, CITY-NJ | F | F | A | D | C | A | C | D |
| 51 | Durham, NC | C | C | A | D | A | D | D | D |
| 52 | Miami, FL | F | F | C | C | C | B | A | F |
| 53 | Lexington, KY | A | B | B | D | B | F | D | A |
| 54 | Syracuse, NY | C | A | F | A | F | F | B | D |
| 55 | Phoenix, AZ | C | B | D | C | C | A | F | D |
| 56 | Rochester, NY | B | C | F | A | F | D | A | C |
| 57 | Fort Worth, TX | C | A | D | F | C | B | F | B |
| 58 | Colorado Springs, CO | B | C | B | F | C | A | D | D |
| 59 | Milwaukee, WI | B | A | F | A | D | F | D | C |
| 60 | Winston Salem, NC | A | A | B | D | C | F | F | B |
| 61 | Spokane, WA | B | D | D | C | B | C | C | C |
| 62 | San Antonio, TX | B | B | D | C | D | D | C | A |
| 63 | Boise, ID | C | F | B | F | A | B | C | C |
| 64 | Newark, NJ | D | B | F | A | F | C | C | D |
| 65 | Houston, TX | C | B | D | D | D | D | A | B |
| 66 | Tulsa, OK | A | B | D | C | D | D | C | A |
| 67 | Oklahoma City, OK | A | B | C | F | C | C | F | A |
| 68 | Oakland, CA | F | F | B | B | F | A | C | F |
| 69 | Virginia Beach VA | D | D | C | F | B | A | D | A |
| 70 | Buffalo, NY | B | C | F | A | D | D | B | B |
| 71 | Chicago, IL | F | F | B | B | F | B | C | D |
| 72 | Anchorage, AK | C | C | C | F | C | B | D | F |
| 73 | St. Petersburg, FL | D | F | B | D | C | B | B | B |
| 74 | Memphis, TN | A | A | F | A | F | F | C | A |
| 75 | San Jose, CA | F | D | B | F | B | A | F | F |
| 76 | Anaheim, CA | F | C | D | F | C | A | C | F |
| 77 | Baltimore, MD | C | D | D | A | D | D | B | C |
| 78 | El Paso, TX | A | B | F | D | B | D | D | A |
| 79 | Philadelphia, PA | D | C | D | B | D | D | C | C |
| 80 | Tucson, AZ | A | B | F | B | D | D | D | C |
| 81 | Wichita, KS | A | B | D | D | B | D | F | A |
| 82 | Mesa, AZ | C | D | D | F | B | A | F | C |
| 83 | Aurora, CO | C | C | D | F | D | A | F | D |
| 84 | New York, NY | F | F | B | D | F | A | C | F |
| 85 | Bakersfield, CA | B | A | F | D | D | B | F | D |
| 86 | Jacksonville, FL | B | C | C | D | C | C | F | B |
| 87 | Shreveport, LA | A | C | F | B | D | F | C | B |
| 88 | New Orleans, LA | D | D | C | B | D | F | A | D |
| 89 | Los Angeles, CA | F | D | C | B | F | B | D | F |
| 90 | Fresno, CA | C | A | F | C | F | C | F | F |
| 91 | Long Beach, CA | F | F | C | C | D | C | D | F |
| 92 | Akron, OH | A | B | F | B | F | F | D | B |
| 93 | Sacramento, CA | D | D | C | D | D | B | D | F |
| 94 | Las Vegas, NV | B | C | F | C | D | B | F | C |
| 95 | Cleveland, OH | B | C | F | A | F | F | B | A |
| 96 | Albuquerque, NM | A | D | D | B | C | F | D | B |
| 97 | Henderson, NV | D | F | C | F | A | B | F | C |
| 98 | Detroit, MI | A | B | F | A | F | F | D | D |
| 99 | Augusta, GA | A | B | F | B | F | F | F | A |
| 100 | Louisville, KY | B | C | D | D | C | D | F | B |
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