Best US Cities for Job Seekers

Given the recent turmoil across the world, finding a decent job is even more important than before. The fact of the matter is that some cities in the US are simply better suited to offer great job opportunities, allowing you to have an easier time landing the job of your dreams. Even if you are planning to go through a commercial moving process, you will do well to set your sights on one of the most popular cities. In this article, we are going to present you with the top 10 best US Cities for job seekers and businesses. We will go through what makes each place unique, and what kind of opportunities you can expect.

Top 10 Best US Cities for Job Seekers

To start things off with a simple list, here are the cities that are in contention:

  • Birmingham
  • Salt Lake City
  • Jacksonville
  • Indianapolis
  • Nashville
  • Tampa
  • Charlotte
  • Seattle
  • Denver
  • Orlando
a zoomed in map of the US
There are many great places for job seekers. But some are better than others.

Depending on your chosen profession, there may be more cities that need to be added to this list. However, if we are talking in general terms, these are the “cream of the crop”. The team at Best Cross Country Movers explored each of these cities and found them worthy of the top-10 rankings. Relocating to any of these places will provide you with numerous job opportunities and a way to greater financial success. With that in mind, let’s take a more in-depth look into our top-10, starting with:

Birmingham

This might sound like a surprising pick, but Birmingham has some of the most affordable housing options in the country, as well as some of the lowest unemployment rates all-around. The employment growth rate in the city is extremely healthy, standing at around 7.7% over the last four years. This rate is heavily influenced by the inclusion of new startup companies that have chosen Birmingham as their place of business.

The average expense that you will have to deduct to pay the rent is as low as 25%. This means that you can “bank” most of your income and work your way towards purchasing a permanent home. Birmingham offers a multitude of work environments, the tech industry holding a prominent position among them. There’s even an innovation district called The Switch.

The Switch is a vibrant, exciting, area where all sorts of creative thinkers, students, entrepreneurs, and innovators gather to conceive, build, and launch new ideas and projects. This area is one of the main reasons why all the best cross country movers Birmingham has to offer are working day and night. More and more people are realizing that this is one of the best US cities for job seekers.

Aside from work, the city also offers a plethora of amenities for its residents. There are numerous new restaurants, a host of leisure activities to explore, as well as many miles of trails, greenways, creeks, rivers, and sidewalks. It is an amazing place for all sorts of activities such as walking, cycling, kayaking, and more.

Salt Lake City

Most of the time, Salt Lake City’s economy is synonymous with the word “Booming”. City’s workers that number almost 700,000 enjoy a low unemployment rate of only 1.9%, attractive corporate tax rates, as well as a business-friendly environment. This situation is further exacerbated by the absolutely massive airport expansion, making the city even more appealing to companies.

The most prevalent sectors are commercial real estate (no wonder), and tech companies. There are around one hundred tech companies in Salt Lake City, working and innovating as they go. The best interstate movers Salk Lake City has on offer certainly are not suffering from lack of work, as more and more people choose to make SLC their new home.

Salt Lake City, one of the Best US Cities for Job Seekers
Salt Lake City offers great employment opportunities and amazing views.

As for the city’s infrastructure, there’s the new performing arts center, more than two thousand restaurants, 13 breweries, and a public transit system that connects them all.

One of the best US Cities for job seekers – Jacksonville

Another great place to seek work opportunities, Jacksonville has seen its job market increase by almost 3% annually in recent years. The future job growth is predicted to be even higher, and experts say that it is slated to increase by as much as 45% in the next 10 years. To put it into comparison, the US average is around 33%. 

Everything about Jacksonville is favorable to high-income jobs. The income tax rate is nonexistent and the sales tax rate is only 7%. However, the median household income in the city is somewhat low, standing at around $25,500. While this is lower than the national average, none of it will go towards an income tax. This is the main reason why some of the best cross country moving companies Jacksonville has on offer have been experiencing a larger volume of relocations. But, to tell you the truth, to get the most out of the city, you will want to land a job in one of the higher-income positions. Otherwise, you may want to look into some of the other best US Cities for job seekers on our list.

Indianapolis

Another unassuming city, one that you might not hear mentioned in higher rankings when it comes to job seeking. However, Indianapolis has plenty to offer, from a steadily increasing job market, to lower living costs. While you will have to contend with both the sales tax rate and the income tax rate, which are 7% and 4.6% respectively, the lower living costs will usually make up for it.

The average income of Indianapolis residents may be lower than the national average, standing at around $24,100, but that does not factor in the money you will need to spend on running costs. The gas and water are run by the city itself, which considerably lowers the cost of these utilities. But the most important thing about the city, and the main reason why people are looking to hire one of the interstate moving companies Indianapolis has, is the fact that jobs are in high supply. In other words, landing a job in Indianapolis is only a matter of willingness to work.

One of the Best US Cities for Job Seekers - Indianapolis
Low living costs and amazing infrastructure are why Indianapolis is so popular.

If you’re willing to do the work, there is no shortage of jobs in the city. This is prevalent in more or less every industry, with high-income jobs being a bit scarcer, of course. But for starting out with a warehouse job and working your way up, Indianapolis might just be the best place.

Nashville

Moving to a veritable powerhouse of a city, economically speaking, Nashville has produced almost unbelievable growth numbers in recent years. The job growth rate was up by an astounding 11.66% over the last couple of years, while the cost of living has remained as low as it was.

With these sorts of numbers, it is completely believable that you will be spending a hefty chunk of your income on housing. The law of supply and demand works its magic here. The more people want to live and work in the city, the higher the rents go. Expect to deduct as much as 39% of your monthly income to pay for rent alone. However, when you look at the fact that NYC residents need to deduct around 53% of their income, and San Francisco residents almost 77%, things do not look that bad at all.

While the job growth might be slowing down somewhat, due to the problems that the construction industry is facing right now, there is still a healthy number of jobs available. The most prominent sectors are hospitality and leisure, as well as entertainment. Speaking of which, Nashville is one of those cities where you simply can’t be bored. There are numerous museums, parks, bike trails, as well as live venues that offer all genres of music. It is a great place to live, overall. However, if you want one of the best cross country movers Nashville has to offer to conduct your relocation, you will have to book early. The city has become quite popular, after all.

Nashville waterfront
There’s a lot to do in Nashville.

Tampa

The economy in Tampa is largely driven by tourism, health care, finance, as well as technology, construction, and the maritime industry. The city boasts the state’s largest port, which is responsible for over $15 billion of economic impact! The unemployment rate of the city is around 5%, a whole percent lower than the national average. The job market is steadily growing, as well, and has seen an increase of over 2.3% over the course of the last year.

As far as taxes are concerned, Tampa is yet another city that does not collect an income tax. While the tax rate is only slightly lower than the national average, being a more or less “standard” 7%, no income tax will see those big earners breathe a little lighter. The average income that a Tampa resident can expect is almost $30,000 a year, which is again higher than the national average. All of these factors combined entice more and more people to seek moving assistance from one of the best cross country movers Tampa has to offer. Overall, Tampa is a unique city that boasts a diverse population, is welcoming to newcomers, and is a great place to work and live in. In the words of one happy resident “If you’re unhappy here, it’s probably you.”

Charlotte

The main reason why Charlotte is one of the best US cities for job seekers is the fact that the Bank of America has its headquarters there. And they are not alone. Aside from this powerhouse of an institution, numerous others have joined her. You can find the likes of Duke Energy, Sonic Automotive, as well as Brighthouse Financial to have their headquarters in the city.

Another interesting fact that drives Charlotte’s economy is that Lowes is only 40 minutes away in Mooresville. This has attracted numerous companies to Charlotte, such as Jeld-Wen, as they supply Lowes. Then there’s the Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Honeywell. All these companies create amazing opportunities for job seekers and boost the city’s employment growth rate. To put it into numbers, Charlotte’s employment growth rate over the last couple of years was almost 8.5%!

Nashville at dusk
Some of the best companies have their headquarters in Charlotte.

Aside from the economical factors, Charlotte is one beautiful city to live in. Located in one of the most beautiful states in the country, people are drawn to its large forested areas. But before you contact one of the interstate movers Charlotte has on offer, you will also want to know that the average percentage of income spent on rent is around 33%. But, on the bright side, living in Charlotte is much less expensive than living in Boston, for example.

Seattle

We don’t need to say much about Seattle, as it is already quite famous for its tech industry. Home to Amazon and Microsoft, the “Emerald City” is definitely our top contender for one of the best US cities for job seekers. It is no wonder that the unemployment rate is below 3%, as Amazon alone has more than 53,000 employees! And they are looking to increase that number even further!

The city of Seattle offers amazing amenities, coupled with gorgeous landscapes, and world-famous tech talent. And all that at a quite reasonable cost of living when compared to Silicon Valley or San Francisco. Residential moving is in full swing in the city, showing that people do not really want to relocate away from it, just move into another area. And that says a lot.

Another main contender among the best US Cities for job seekers – Denver

Home to some of the big names such as Red Robin, Camp Bow Wow, Coors Brewing Company, and others, Denver is a “force to be reckoned with”. You will be glad to know that the city of Denver has received one of the highest hourly wage increases in recent history, at almost 6.5%! The diverse and robust economy and amazing outdoor recreation options combine together to create a place with unmatched quality of life. It is no wonder that some of the biggest industry names are drawn to the city.

person watching birds bathe
Denver offers great job opportunities and a variety of leisure activities.

Orlando

Finishing our list of best US cities for job seekers, Orlando is a giant when it comes to the tourism industry. With so many theme parks, it’s no wonder! In 2019, the Orlando International Airport broke all the records for people arriving in the city, with more than 50.6 million passengers. While this does present somewhat congealed traffic conditions, there’s no doubt that the entertainment and tourist industry brings in the big bucks. Needless to say, finding a job in Orlando is going to be a lot easier than in most other cities.

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