Charleston Ranked As One of The Best Cities in America to Start a Career

With graduation season upon us and employers planning to hire 7.3% more graduates from the Class of 2025 than they did from the Class of 2024, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst Places to Start a Career, as well as expert commentary.

To help recent graduates launch their careers in the right place, the site compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 25 key indicators of career-friendliness. The data set ranges from the availability of entry-level jobs to monthly average starting salary to housing affordability.

Charleston came in as the 6th best city in America when it comes to starting a career, with an opportunities ranking of 10th and a quality of link ranking of 15th overall.

Best Cities to Start a Career

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Professional Opportunities Rank	Quality of Life Rank
1	Atlanta, GA	69.33	1	5
2	Orlando, FL	68.50	2	9
3	Tampa, FL	65.26	3	19
4	Austin, TX	63.38	16	1
5	Miami, FL	61.69	4	71
6	Charleston, SC	60.82	10	15
7	Richmond, VA	59.96	6	49
8	Salt Lake City, UT	58.90	20	6
9	Columbia, SC	58.72	11	23
10	Pittsburgh, PA	58.71	18	12
11	Minneapolis, MN	58.11	28	4
12	Charleston, WV	57.69	5	92
13	Wilmington, DE	57.27	7	65
14	St. Louis, MO	57.22	13	52
15	Boise, ID	56.61	22	18
16	Scottsdale, AZ	55.98	27	16
17	Raleigh, NC	55.78	30	14
18	Tempe, AZ	55.42	56	7
19	Knoxville, TN	55.00	12	88
20	Boston, MA	54.99	23	24
21	Rochester, NY	54.98	15	79
22	Birmingham, AL	54.89	8	124
23	Washington, DC	54.74	47	11
24	Chattanooga, TN	54.73	14	90
25	Denver, CO	54.53	69	3
26	Seattle, WA	54.52	89	2
27	Cincinnati, OH	54.04	26	34
28	South Burlington, VT	53.99	19	57
29	Fort Lauderdale, FL	53.97	17	73
30	Portland, ME	53.61	51	17
31	Chandler, AZ	53.43	40	21
32	Charlotte, NC	52.77	35	37
33	Huntsville, AL	52.73	32	45
34	Overland Park, KS	52.61	53	20
35	Durham, NC	52.44	31	51
36	Dallas, TX	52.39	24	68
37	Grand Rapids, MI	52.31	36	42
38	Las Vegas, NV	52.18	39	39
39	Nashville, TN	51.63	44	41
40	Madison, WI	51.61	93	13
41	Sioux Falls, SD	51.44	57	30
42	St. Petersburg, FL	51.38	37	56
43	Dover, DE	51.26	9	172
44	Phoenix, AZ	51.15	48	43
45	Sacramento, CA	51.14	46	50
46	Reno, NV	50.97	59	35
47	Providence, RI	50.95	25	97
48	Colorado Springs, CO	50.89	62	32
49	Fort Worth, TX	50.82	34	72
50	Springfield, MO	50.75	29	89
51	San Francisco, CA	50.68	111	10
52	Worcester, MA	50.48	21	113
53	San Diego, CA	50.24	73	27
54	Bismarck, ND	50.20	54	53
55	Plano, TX	50.12	74	26
56	Gilbert, AZ	49.99	49	61
57	Omaha, NE	49.88	76	29
58	Jacksonville, FL	49.81	38	85
59	Nampa, ID	49.76	33	95
60	St. Paul, MN	49.54	96	22
61	Des Moines, IA	49.46	61	58
62	Irvine, CA	49.37	78	38
63	Spokane, WA	49.23	55	67
64	Tulsa, OK	48.93	60	69
65	Indianapolis, IN	48.92	41	103
66	Houston, TX	48.91	75	47
67	Mesa, AZ	48.72	51	84
68	Portland, OR	48.45	152	8
69	Manchester, NH	48.33	45	104
70	Cedar Rapids, IA	48.16	66	74
71	Tallahassee, FL	47.95	81	60
72	Oklahoma City, OK	47.94	87	54
73	Irving, TX	47.92	65	80
74	Rapid City, SD	47.76	90	55
75	Columbus, OH	47.52	118	33
76	Kansas City, MO	47.41	85	66
77	Tucson, AZ	47.17	77	77
78	Virginia Beach, VA	46.99	113	48
78	Burlington, VT	46.99	121	44
80	San Antonio, TX	46.80	91	70
81	Albuquerque, NM	46.80	80	83
82	Cheyenne, WY	46.77	86	76
83	Chicago, IL	46.76	119	46
84	Arlington, TX	46.69	64	112
85	Nashua, NH	46.67	68	106
86	Huntington, WV	46.62	42	135
87	Cleveland, OH	46.50	70	109
88	Jersey City, NJ	46.33	142	25
89	Glendale, AZ	46.18	67	116
90	Greensboro, NC	46.11	58	126
91	Columbia, MD	46.10	141	40
92	Honolulu, HI	46.04	114	64
93	Fargo, ND	46.02	145	31
94	Norfolk, VA	45.85	92	93
95	Lincoln, NE	45.53	154	28
96	Mobile, AL	45.47	43	158
97	Tacoma, WA	45.22	95	101
98	Aurora, CO	45.05	83	117
99	Missoula, MT	44.96	160	36
100	Winston-Salem, NC	44.85	63	141
101	Warwick, RI	44.65	84	120
102	Los Angeles, CA	44.39	103	110
103	Fayetteville, NC	44.38	115	100
104	West Valley City, UT	44.26	108	108
105	Chesapeake, VA	44.21	127	87
106	New Orleans, LA	44.11	102	118
107	Riverside, CA	44.11	71	155
108	Fort Smith, AR	44.08	79	134
109	Lubbock, TX	44.00	117	107
110	Fort Wayne, IN	43.87	82	137
111	Henderson, NV	43.85	137	75
112	Billings, MT	43.81	149	63
113	Vancouver, WA	43.76	101	122
114	Wichita, KS	43.40	130	94
115	Amarillo, TX	43.34	110	121
116	Louisville, KY	43.33	126	111
117	Buffalo, NY	43.20	138	86
118	Baltimore, MD	43.06	98	139
119	Philadelphia, PA	42.90	125	119
120	Huntington Beach, CA	42.80	140	96
121	Akron, OH	42.78	109	131
122	Lexington-Fayette, KY	42.59	165	62
123	Columbus, GA	42.57	97	145
124	San Jose, CA	42.50	146	91
125	San Bernardino, CA	42.47	72	175
126	Anchorage, AK	42.43	170	59
127	Milwaukee, WI	42.35	133	114
128	Salem, OR	42.35	143	102
129	Peoria, AZ	42.27	120	130
130	North Las Vegas, NV	42.20	128	123
131	Pembroke Pines, FL	42.19	105	140
132	Newport News, VA	42.16	94	159
133	Little Rock, AR	42.14	88	163
134	Baton Rouge, LA	42.10	122	136
135	Montgomery, AL	42.10	99	154
136	El Paso, TX	42.00	153	98
137	Corpus Christi, TX	41.99	134	115
138	Santa Ana, CA	41.96	106	152
139	Garland, TX	41.94	107	151
140	Brownsville, TX	41.92	104	149
141	Casper, WY	41.86	164	82
142	Hialeah, FL	41.80	50	182
143	Augusta, GA	41.74	112	148
144	Modesto, CA	41.56	116	146
145	Lewiston, ME	41.54	100	165
146	Oakland, CA	41.47	168	81
147	Fremont, CA	41.38	172	78
148	Las Cruces, NM	41.33	161	99
149	Memphis, TN	41.01	123	162
150	Laredo, TX	40.61	150	125
151	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	40.32	148	128
152	Long Beach, CA	40.31	136	143
153	Fresno, CA	40.27	131	150
154	Stockton, CA	40.26	124	168
155	Fontana, CA	39.82	132	157
156	Oceanside, CA	39.73	134	156
157	Juneau, AK	39.50	176	105
158	Glendale, CA	39.30	162	133
159	Aurora, IL	39.14	157	138
160	Garden Grove, CA	39.07	166	132
161	Cape Coral, FL	38.86	171	127
162	Port St. Lucie, FL	38.85	129	174
163	New Haven, CT	38.58	147	164
164	Grand Prairie, TX	38.56	163	141
165	Santa Rosa, CA	38.51	155	153
166	Gulfport, MS	38.19	156	160
167	Ontario, CA	38.17	144	171
168	Jackson, MS	38.00	139	177
169	Anaheim, CA	37.57	159	169
170	Yonkers, NY	37.27	167	166
171	Bakersfield, CA	37.25	180	129
172	Chula Vista, CA	37.08	173	161
173	Moreno Valley, CA	36.71	158	176
174	Toledo, OH	36.66	177	147
175	Newark, NJ	36.23	151	181
176	Santa Clarita, CA	36.18	174	170
177	Shreveport, LA	35.94	169	178
178	Detroit, MI	35.62	175	173
179	New York, NY	34.13	181	167
180	Oxnard, CA	34.05	178	179
181	Bridgeport, CT	33.49	179	180
182	Pearl City, HI	33.23	182	144

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

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