Commute times, income levels and employment opportunities can all play a role in the decision-making process when someone decides to move. A city that boasts positive scores and opportunities in all these categories can definitely help a jobseeker make a decision. But what cities are the best to work in? We took a look at commute times, income levels and employment growth to get the big picture. Here’s what we found.
If commuting is your hang-up, you might be interested in finding employment in one of these cities. They boast the fastest commute times in the U.S.:
- McPherson, Kansas has a population of 13,663 and a median commute time of 8.2 minutes.
- Marshall, Minnesota has a population of 14,087 and a median commute time of 8.4 minutes.
- Pella, Iowa and Vermillion, South Dakota tied for third place. With respective populations of 10,245 and 11,205, both cities boast a median commute time of 8.5 minutes.
- Kirksville, Missouri has a population of 17,807 and a median commute time of 8.9 minutes.
- Pierre, South Dakota has a population of 13,487 and boasts a median commute time of 9.0 minutes.
Looking for a boost in income? You might make a move to one of these cities. They are the top five highest-income places (with at least 1,000 households) in the U.S.
- Woodside, California has a per capita income of $120,336.
- Rancho Santa Fe, California has a per capita income of $113,132.
- Bloomfield Hills, Michigan has a per capita income of $104,920.
- Belle Meade, Tennessee has a per capita income of $104,908.
- Indian River Shores, Florida has a per capita income of $102,511.
Some states offer employees more than one opportunity to live in a high-income city. California has 23 of the top 100 highest-income cities in the U.S., while New York has 11, Illinois has nine, Florida has nine, Connecticut has six, New Jersey has six and Texas has six.
If you’re looking for cities with the best job opportunities (in terms of employment growth), you don’t have to give up your love of big (or small) cities to compromise. For big cities, San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division topped the list and boasted a 4.1 percent employment growth rate from 2012 – 2013. Boulder, Colorado topped the list of mid-sized cities with a 3.2 percent growth rate form 2012 – 2013. Midland, Texas, meanwhile, took the prize for small cities with an impressive 8.8 percent growth rate from 2012 – 2013.
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