With job openings declining and wage growth slowing down, the US labor market is showing signs of cooling. However, some cities continue to stand out with strong, attractive job markets.
Financial data firm SmartAsset recently ranked 348 US cities based on how appealing their job markets are, using the latest available 2023 Census Bureau data. The study evaluated local unemployment rates, median annual earnings, three-year income growth, the share of the workforce working remotely, and other factors.
For context, here are the median values across all cities in the study:
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Unemployment rate: 4.45%
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Median earnings: $42,140
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Three-year income growth: 25.28%
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Percent working remotely: 11.93%
Below are the top 15 cities in SmartAsset’s ranking, along with their stats:
15. Nashville, Tennessee
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Unemployment rate: 3.13%
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Median earnings: $50,304
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3-year income growth: 38.37%
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Percent working remotely: 17.81%
14. St. Louis, Missouri
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Unemployment rate: 4.69%
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Median earnings: $59,986
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3-year income growth: 34.47%
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Percent working remotely: 13.30%
13. Scottsdale, Arizona
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Unemployment rate: 2.97%
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Median earnings: $57,183
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3-year income growth: 28.38%
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Percent working remotely: 26.52%
12. Wichita Falls, Texas
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Unemployment rate: 2.51%
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Median earnings: $68,390
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3-year income growth: 39.65%
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Percent working remotely: 7.58%
11. Austin, Texas
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Unemployment rate: 3.95%
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Median earnings: $36,585
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3-year income growth: 34.97%
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Percent working remotely: 26.54%
10. Sunnyvale, California
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Unemployment rate: 3.45%
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Median earnings: $111,905
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3-year income growth: 31.12%
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Percent working remotely: 15.33%
9. Westminster, Colorado
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Unemployment rate: 1.69%
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Median earnings: $70,711
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3-year income growth: 37.73%
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Percent working remotely: 19.35%
8. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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Unemployment rate: 2.36%
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Median earnings: $56,858
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3-year income growth: 29.89%
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Percent working remotely: 9.26%
7. Cary, North Carolina
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Unemployment rate: 3.50%
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Median earnings: $47,203
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3-year income growth: 23.13%
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Percent working remotely: 27.96%
6. Santa Clara, California
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Unemployment rate: 4.24%
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Median earnings: $90,384
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3-year income growth: 40.97%
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Percent working remotely: 16.51%
5. Carmel, Indiana
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Unemployment rate: 2.27%
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Median earnings: $101,038
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3-year income growth: 21.49%
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Percent working remotely: 27.75%
4. Bellevue, Washington
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Unemployment rate: 4.29%
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Median earnings: $76,228
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3-year income growth: 32.43%
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Percent working remotely: 24.59%
3. Seattle, Washington
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Unemployment rate: 4.17%
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Median earnings: $46,443
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3-year income growth: 35.99%
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Percent working remotely: 26.87%
2. Richmond, Virginia
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Unemployment rate: 3.80%
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Median earnings: $73,138
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3-year income growth: 49.47%
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Percent working remotely: 15.81%
1. Bend, Oregon
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Unemployment rate: 3.16%
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Median earnings: $51,382
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3-year income growth: 44.22%
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Percent working remotely: 26.89%