Bet You Can't Guess the Number-One City for Recent Coll…

For the second year in a row, Cincinnati takes the cake as the top city for recent grads. Not only are there plenty of career opportunities, but the rent is low and the average cost of living is 3.5 percent below the national average. Since last year, the unemployment rate for people with a bachelor’s degree in Cincinnati has decreased, and the average annual salary has increased to $45,831.

Columbus is another Ohio city to top the list of best places for recent grads, moving up from third place on last year’s SmartAsset list. That’s partly because the unemployment rate for people with bachelor’s degrees has dropped since last year, and the cost of living in Columbus is 2 percent lower than the national average. The average college grad in Columbus makes $45,559.

When it comes to fun, affordability and employment, San Antonio hits all three marks. Compared to last year, there are more entry-level job opportunities there, and the unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders has decreased by 1 percent. This city also has great entertainment, highly-reviewed restaurants and bars on Yelp and a large population of twentysomethings. To take advantage of all of these activities, the average college grad in San Antonio earns $48,709 a year.

Despite falling from second to fifth place on the SmartAsset list this year, Pittsburgh continues to be a popular hub for college grads. However, the job market is not as strong as it was last year — the city saw an increase in unemployment and a decrease in the number of job postings on Indeed. On average, the salary for new grads is slightly lower than that of other large cities, at $41,877. Although, don’t worry — the cost of living in Pittsburgh has fallen in the last year, and it is now 4 percent below the national average. Plus, median rent is fairly low at $735.

Up a spot from last year, Seattle is full of job opportunities and has a low unemployment rate. Recent grads there also make some of the highest salaries in the country, with the average salary being $60,476 — up $3,000 from last year. However, the extra cash is a necessity — the cost of living in this Pacific Northwest city is 28 percent higher than the national average, and the median rent is $1,259.

Another Texas city to make the top-10 list is Austin. Despite a drop in Indeed job listings and a slight uptick in unemployment, Austin remains one of the most popular cities among college grads. With its lively nightlife and restaurant scene, the city is highly populated by twentysomethings, and these young adults are the third-highest paid among those in any city in this ranking. On average, recent grads take home $50,379 annually.

Last year, Boston took 44th place on the best cities for recent grads list; however, in 2017, the city finds itself at number nine. So, what’s changed? Boston experienced a decrease in unemployment, an increase in job postings and an increase in average salary. On average, a college grad makes $56,553 annually in Boston. And while the cost of living dropped slightly over the past year, it still remains high at 29.5 percent above the national average.

Going from 29th to 10th place, St. Louis has seen some major improvements since last year — especially in terms of unemployment. For people with bachelor’s degrees, the unemployment rate decreased from 5.1 to 3.1 percent over the past year. Rent is also low there, with a median of $580, and the average salary for recent grads is $42,940.