The Brief
- Birmingham and Tampa topped the rankings for best cities for college grads thanks to fast hiring growth and rising wages.
- San Jose and Columbus also performed well despite trade-offs in cost of living or pay.
- Some metros—including Salt Lake City, Riverside, San Diego, and Portland lagged due to weak hiring, lower wages, or high living costs.
As the class of 2026 prepares to enter the workforce, many graduates are facing a more complicated question than usual: what comes next? A cooling labor market for entry-level roles is making it harder for young job seekers to find their footing, increasing the importance of choosing the right place to begin a career.
Researchers at ADP analyzed payroll data from more than 400,000 workers ages 20 to 29 to gain insight into where recent graduates may find the best balance of pay, affordability, and opportunity.
The data, drawn from over 20,000 U.S. employers between January 2025 and January 2026, ranks 53 major metropolitan areas.
Birmingham, Tampa rise to the top
By the numbers:…