US  | 

10 Best Cities in America If You're Hunting for a Job

Arizona's Scottsdale is No. 1 on WalletHub's list, while Detroit brings up the rear
Posted Jan 18, 2026 11:00 AM CST
10 Best, Worst US Cities for Job Seekers
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/djiledesign)

If you've been fretting about the job market, a bit of hope: This year is set to be a "landmark year" for those on the hunt, leading to a "new era of opportunity," per Mental Floss. How those opportunities unfold for you, however, may depend what city you're in. WalletHub wanted to see which metropolitan areas hold the best prospects for job seekers, looking at more than 180 of the nation's largest cities across 31 metrics in two main categories: job market, which includes the opportunities themselves, as well as the unemployment rate, industry variety, job security, and average starting salary, among other factors; and socioeconomics, covering such things as median income, housing affordability, commute times, and safety. The Arizona city of Scottsdale shot to the top of the list, while Detroit currently offers the most dismal news. The top and bottom 10 cities:

Best US cities

  1. Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 1 in "Job Market" category)
  2. Columbia, Maryland
  3. Portland, Maine
  4. South Burlington, Vermont
  5. Pittsburgh
  6. Orlando, Florida
  7. Plano, Texas
  8. Washington, DC
  9. Austin, Texas
  10. Huntsville, Alabama

Worst US cities

  1. Huntington, West Virginia
  2. Toledo, Ohio
  3. Fayetteville, North Carolina
  4. Columbus, Georgia
  5. Augusta, Georgia
  6. Las Cruces, New Mexico
  7. Shreveport, Louisiana
  8. Stockton, California
  9. Memphis, Tennessee (last in "Socioeconomics" category)
  10. Detroit (last in "Job Market" category)
See the complete list here. (Or check out the most in-demand ZIP codes.)

Read These Next
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X