As graduation approaches, many college seniors are choosing where to start their careers and put down roots.
In a report published Tuesday, job platform Glassdoor and real estate website Redfin ranked the best large cities for recent college graduates based on 13 indicators across three categories: housing affordability, career opportunity and quality of life.
Each city “offers a trade-off in terms of what’s available to new grads,” according to Chris Martin, senior economist at Glassdoor. For example, San Diego, which ranked eighth on the list, boasts a robust job market and high quality of living, but saving for a down payment on a home can take upward of a decade.
New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles are notably absent from the list, which Martin largely attributes to their soaring costs of living. On the other hand, cities in the South and Midwest ranked highly because housing “tends to be more affordable and available” in those regions.
Overall, new grads should “cast a wide net” and “think broadly” about the factors that matter the most to them when deciding where to live after college, he says.
Based on an analysis of Glassdoor’s job postings, employer reviews, and salary data for early-career workers and Redfin’s property sales from 2025, these are the top 10 best large cities for new grads.
Also included for each city are: average early-career earnings, the average cost of a starter home, the number of years it takes to save for a down payment on a starter home and the average monthly mortgage payment and monthly rent costs as a percentage of an early-career worker’s income.
1. Washington, D.C.
Average annual early-career earnings: $79,857
Average price of a starter home: $320,000
Years to save for down payment: 4 years, 2 months
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 31.6%
Monthly rent as % of income: 34%
While housing costs are high, Washington, D.C. boasts strong job growth and robust earnings for new graduates. It also offers a high quality of life with “really good walkability,” Martin says.
2. Omaha, Nebraska
Average early-career earnings: $59,123
Average price of a starter home: $195,000
Years to save for down payment: 3 years, 8 months
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 26%
Monthly rent as % of income: 28%
One of Omaha’s main draws is its “really diverse labor market,” Martin says: In addition to being a major health-care hub for new grads, it’s also home to Fortune 500 companies like Berkshire Hathaway and Union Pacific.
Beyond its range of job opportunities, early-career workers enjoy a high quality of life in Omaha, according to Martin.
3. Boston, Massachusetts
Average early-career earnings: $80,026
Average price of a starter home: $460,000
Years to save for down payment: 6 years, 8 months
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 45.3%
Monthly rent as % of income: 53%
Boston is “really strong for jobs and really strong for quality of life,” Martin says — but it’s also “pretty expensive for housing.” At the same time, it offers the highest average early-career earnings of all the cities on the list.
“You’re likely to spend more of your paycheck on rent, but those paychecks tend to be bigger than they are in other cities,” Martin says.
4. Dallas, Texas
Average early-career earnings: $67,451
Average price of a starter home: $240,000
Years to save for down payment: 4 years, 1 month
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 28%
Monthly rent as % of income: 26%
In Martin’s view, Dallas is “the most well-rounded of the cities,” but it’s also not the highest-ranking city for any category. New grads enjoy a good quality of life, ample job opportunities and “somewhat affordable” housing, according to Martin.
5. Chicago, Illinois
Average early-career earnings: $72,786
Average price of a starter home: $202,000
Years to save for down payment: 3 years
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 21.9%
Monthly rent as % of income: 28%
While Chicago’s current labor market is not as robust as some other major cities, it still offers a variety of opportunities for new grads in the technology and finance industries, according to Martin.
The housing market is also strong: Since Chicago has a strong public transit system, early career professionals can buy homes farther from the downtown area without losing access to the city.
6. Houston, Texas
Average early-career earnings: $65,369
Average price of a starter home: $215,000
Years to save for down payment: 3 years, 7 months
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 25.9%
Monthly rent as % of income: 18%
Houston scored low for walkability and public transit availability, but it’s attractive to new grads because of its affordable housing market, according to Martin.
The city also offers a variety of career opportunities within a range of industries, including aerospace engineering, energy and health care.
7. St. Louis, Missouri
Average early-career earnings: $61,834
Average price of a starter home: $150,000
Years to save for down payment: 2 years, 7 months
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 19.1%
Monthly rent as % of income: 23%
Similar to Houston, St. Louis ranks high on housing affordability and availability, and it has a much lower cost of living than coastal cities, according to Martin.
8. San Diego, California
Average early-career earnings: $74,053
Average price of a starter home: $615,000
Years to save for down payment: More than 10 years
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 65.4%
Monthly rent as % of income: 64%
San Diego has “one of the worst” rankings for housing affordability among big cities, Martin says. A 2024 Zillow study found that buyers needed to make almost $340,000 a year to comfortably afford a typical home in San Diego. Still, the city “has so much else to offer” with a strong labor market and high quality of life for new grads.
9. Miami, Florida
Average early-career earnings: $62,748
Average price of a starter home: $210,000
Years to save for down payment: 3 years, 11 months
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 26.4%
Monthly rent as % of income: 33%
Beyond its beaches, Miami is popular among new grads due to its variety of career opportunities in financial services, tourism, health care, retail and construction.
10. Austin, Texas
Average early-career earnings: $72,025
Average price of a starter home: $276,600
Years to save for down payment: 4 years, 1 months
Monthly mortgage payment as % of income: 30.3%
Monthly rent as % of income: 35%
Austin’s labor market ranked highest among all the major cities, Martin says, and wage growth is currently outpacing the price of housing.
Outside of work, new grads can take advantage of the city’s entertainment and cultural offerings like live music and film festivals.
Want to lead with confidence and bring out the best in your team? Take CNBC’s new online course, How To Be A Standout Leader. Expert instructors share practical strategies to help you build trust, communicate clearly and motivate other people to do their best work. Sign up today!