Where should professionals set their sights for a prosperous career? The Robert Half Career City Index offers a comprehensive overview of the top 25 cities in the United States, based on 25 diverse indicators that measure and influence career choices. The indicators are separated into the following four categories:
- Career Prospects
- Quality of Life
- Cost of Living
- Cultural Diversity
Which city best fits you? Find out with the city comparison tool
Select the areas of the most importance to you to see the best match for you form the 25 cities compared in the report.
Quiz: Top cities for your career
Do you know what makes the top cities the best places to live and work? Test your knowledge.
Infographic: Top 10 career cities
See how 10 major cities stack up in terms of career prospects, quality of life, costs and culture. Job seekers can discover the city that offers the career opportunities and lifestyle choices they seek. Hiring managers can learn how their city’s appeal compares with that of other cities — an insight that’s valuable when trying to recruit top talent from around the country to their companies.
Rankings
Overall Rankings
| Rank | City | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | 56.7 |
| 2 | Boston | 53.4 |
| 3 | San Francisco Bay Area | 51.6 |
| 4 | Washington, D.C. | 51.2 |
| 5 | Raleigh | 50.9 |
| 6 | Dallas | 50.2 |
| 7 | Salt Lake City | 49.8 |
| 8 | Denver | 49.2 |
| 9 | Houston | 49.0 |
| 10 | Des Moines | 48.1 |
| 11 | San Diego | 46.0 |
| 12 | Phoenix | 45.7 |
| 13 | New York | 45.1 |
| 14 | Minneapolis | 44.4 |
| 15 | Atlanta | 43.8 |
Career Prospects Ranking
| Rank | City | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco Bay Area | 74.7 |
| 2 | Seattle | 72.1 |
| 3 | Washington, D.C. | 63.5 |
| 4 | Boston | 61.1 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 57.4 |
Quality of Life Rankings
| Rank | City | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pheonix | 62.0 |
| 2 | Boston | 54.9 |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 54.2 |
| 4 | New York | 54.1 |
| 5 | Raleigh | 53.1 |
Cost of Living Rankings
| Rank | City | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | 72.4 |
| 2 | Indianapolis | 67.5 |
| 3 | Houston | 67.4 |
| 4 | Dallas | 64.3 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 61.3 |
Cultural Diversity Rankings
| Rank | City | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | 63.9 |
| 2 | New York | 57.0 |
| 3 | San Francisco Bay Area | 53.3 |
| 4 | Washington, D.C. | 43.5 |
| 5 | San Diego | 41.6 |
For the full list of category rankings, download the Career City Index report above.
Methodology
The Robert Half Career City Index ranks and compares 25 U.S. cities across 25 indicators selected to measure different aspects of career development opportunities, quality and cost of living, and cultural environment. The indicators are organized into four distinct categories: Career Prospects, Quality of Life, Cost of Living and Cultural Diversity.
Working with Robert Half, an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research team created the Index framework, selected the final set of indicators, gathered internal and external data, analyzed and scored the data, and built the Index. Between indicator selection, data validation and allocation of category weights, the research team aimed for objectivity and robustness, relying on existing city-level research and data to construct the Index. Download the report for the full project methodology.