HOUSTON – Houston is one of the nation’s best large cities for recent college graduates looking to launch their careers, according to a new study, though another Texas city landed much higher on the list.
A report from CoworkingCafe ranked Houston No. 30 among the country’s best large cities for recent graduates, evaluating places based on factors such as employment opportunities, salaries, cost of living, access to coworking spaces, health insurance coverage and entertainment options.
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Houston earned high marks for its growing number of coworking spaces, ranking 15th nationally with 6.9 coworking spaces per 100,000 residents. The city also ranked 19th for leisure establishments, with 301.6 entertainment and recreation businesses per 100,000 residents, and posted a Regional Price Parity score of 98.6, suggesting living costs are close to the national average.
Austin leads Texas among large cities
Austin was the highest-ranked Texas city on the list, coming in at No. 6 among large cities.
The study found that:
- More than 53% of residents ages 18 to 34 hold a bachelor’s degree.
- Bachelor’s degree holders earn a median income of $80,920.
- The unemployment rate for people ages 20 to 29 is 5.2%.
- The city offers nearly 363 leisure establishments per 100,000 residents.
- Nearly 65% of residents have employer-sponsored health insurance.
Dallas also made the rankings, placing No. 25 among large cities. Researchers highlighted the city’s relatively low unemployment rate for young adults and strong access to coworking spaces.
Other Texas cities that made the list
Several other Texas communities ranked among the nation’s best places for recent graduates.
Mid-sized cities:
- Plano: No. 17
- Frisco: No. 28
- McKinney: No. 33
Small cities:
- Richardson: No. 10
- Round Rock: No. 26
- League City: No. 33
League City stood out for having one of the highest rates of employer-sponsored health insurance in the nation, with nearly 80% of residents covered. Richardson ranked in the top 10 among small cities thanks to its high median salaries for bachelor’s degree holders and highly educated young adult population.
The rankings were based on factors including educational attainment, median earnings, unemployment among young adults, health insurance coverage, coworking availability, cost of living and access to leisure and entertainment.
Readers can explore the complete rankings and methodology in the CoworkingCafe study.