Job seeker’s report provides useful information to grads entering workforce.

Getting a degree can help make it easier to find a job after graduation, but knowing where to live is also important. NerdWallet, a financial advice blog, recently published its list of Best Cities for Job Seekers in 2017.

Students can use the list as a good starting point for finding post-graduation career opportunities.

The Geography of Employment

The list used a three-pronged methodology, which assessed the number of jobs available in a given area, the projected growth expected and the affordability of the region.

Austin Texas Best City for Job seekers

Austin Texas – Top City for Job Seekers 2017 (Image Credit:Felix Lipov/Shutterstock.com)

Austin, Texas. earned the No. 1 spot due to its low unemployment rate and relatively affordable cost of living. The city also boasts a young creative workforce with a fast-growing technology sector. Not to mention it is a state capital which provides more available government job opportunities than other cities or metro areas.

Denver, Colorado ranked No. 2, due in part to many technology and healthcare care companies such as Lockheed Martin, CenturyLink and Davita. Nashville, Tennessee came in at No. 3 thanks to affordable rent prices and a high employment rate, plus it is home to many health care companies.

The rest of the top ten is Seattle, Washington (No. 4), Durham, North Carolina (No. 5), Atlanta, Georgia (No. 6), Minneapolis, Minnesota (No. 7), Lincoln, Nebraska. (No. 8), Irving, Texas (No. 9) and Raleigh, North Carolina. (No. 10).

Texas is the most job seeker-friendly state, according to the survey, claiming the most of the top 20 cities. North Carolina

General Considerations

Many of the top 10 cities on NerdWallet’s are college towns. Coastal areas were not as prominent on the list, because they to experience both higher unemployment rates and cost of living, according to the report.

Salary and long-term development potential are important factors to consider before moving to a new city for a job.

Another factor to consider is the up-front cost of the relocation itself. Domestic relocation within the U.S. for a new hire can cost between $23,766 and $71,803, depending on whether the employee is buying or renting his or her home, according to the 2015 report “U.S. Domestic Transfers: Relocation Statistics” by workforce mobility association, Worldwide ERC .