Best 30 Cities for Jobs and Business 2010 - 2020
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Career-Level Jobs Available Even During Recessions
The hallmark of these Top 30 Cities offering abundant job opportunities most often centers on a combination of factors. Some of the most important of these effective elements of economic growth are listed below. For suggestions for seeking work in a recession see:
- How to Find A Job During a Recession,
- Top 15 Recession Proof Jobs for College Graduates and Others, and
- Fastest Growing Jobs for High School Graduates.
Elements for Economic Growth in a Best City
- Low Unemployment Rate comparied to state and country.
- High Standard of Living, comparatively
- Lower Cost of Living
- Lower Crime Rate - Often related to coordination od social and healthcare services, counseling, and government related Education & Training programs.
- Ongoing focus on community and social development programs.
- Excellent Higher Educational Institutions that have formed partnerships with other schools and or businesses and local governments to create new jobs in local industries and particularly in Sustainability/Alternative Energy.
- "Going Green" initiatives and local mandates related to reducing waste.
- A Revitalized central city, Downtown, or waterfront area with ongoing development.
- An ongoing infrastructure construction and reconstruction program(s).
- A local Economic Development Company for the metro area, often working with Historical Districts, Enterprise Zones, and other designated areas or neighborhoods.
- Ongoing development of arts and culture, particularly muticultural projects and projects that promote Indigenous Peoples.
Updates through August 2010
![American job listings began a small increase overall during 1st QTR 2009. Figures for 2nd QTR are being compiled. [Credit: Indeed.com searches millions of listings on thousands websites daily for listings and trends.]](http://s4.hubimg.com/u/1256575_f520.jpg "American job listings began a small increase overall during 1st QTR 2009. Figures for 2nd QTR are being compiled. [Credit: Indeed.com searches millions of listings on thousands websites daily for listings and trends.]")
Number One - Bismark, North Dakota
The Top 30 List
The Top 4 Cities on this list are all in the West.
- Bismarck, North Dakota. Western States are home to cities that are very good for jobs seekers. Bismark experienced Unemployment at 2.5% in late October 2008 and only a small increase in November to 2.8%. Oil field jobs in particular are going unfilled.
- Casper, Wyoming. This city has landed on several "best" and "top" city lists since 2000. With Unemployment at 2.5% in late 2008, Casper offers 1000s of career-level jobs, particularly in Nursing, even looking outside of the state for Registered Nurses (RNs), LPNs, and Licensed Vocational Nurses. Travel Nursing is a good way to try out Casper for up to a year, rent paid. See the links on the article site, along with job listings.
- Logan, Utah. Low unemployment rates monthly create job opportunities not only in unfilled current jobs, but unfilled newly created jobs as well in this Western State. All of the major cities in Utah are connecting via extending suburban development to create a larger metropolitan chain running north and south near the Wasatch Mountains. This creates dozens of partnerships among city governments, educational institutions, and businesses that result in new businesses and new jobs.
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Western States offer the top 4 cities in the nation for jobs, according to CareerBuilder.com, one of the most used job search engines in the Internet.
- 5. Morgantown, West Virginia. The preconception of West Virgina as a run-down rural wasteland has fallen away to reveal the business success that the state has become.
- 6. Ames, Iowa. Information Technology/Computers, Financial Services & Products, and Healthcare professions lead the growing economy of Ames, Iowa.
- 7. Fargo, North Dakota. The Fargo-Moorhead Metro Area is prosperous and continuting to grow through the 2000s, with profitable employment forecasts to 2016. High wages are paid to professionals in engineering and several technologies -- Unique businesss found only in this area include some innovative examples specializing in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Information Technology.
- 8. Iowa City, Iowa. Sustainability is a major focus for new and developing industry in Iowa City. Largest employers are University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, University of Iowa, Iowa City School District, US Veterans Medical Center, American College Testing, and Pearson Education.
Additional Western Cities
- 9. Rapid City, South Dakota.
- 10. Lincoln, Nebraska.
- 11. Provo-Orem, Utah.
- 12. Billings, Montana - This city and its residents made a concerted effort to defeat hate crime in Billings in 1993 and succeeded. All people are equal in billings and the crime rate is low. Alternative Energy is high on the list of emerging industries that is creating new jobs.
- 13. Charleston, West Virginia.
- 14. Midland, Texas.
- 15. Salt Lake City, Utah.
- 16. Idaho Falls, Idaho - Alternative Energy; effective partnerships among businesses and colleges with Idaho National Laboratory create jobs.
- 17. Lafayette, Louisiana. See this site for job listings and reviews for Lafayette and all the other major markets in Louisiana.
- 18. Santa Fe, New Mexico. Sustainability is a high focus point for education and jobs in Sustainable Santa Fe . Unversities and Business partner with government agencies to create new jobs on a regular basis. EcVersity gives free classes in permaculture and alternative energy.
- 19. Charlottesville, Virginia. - Top three employers include The University of Virgina and The University of Virginia Medical and Health Sciences Center, a regional teaching & research hospital, and State Farm Insurance. This city has a large groups of Community Based Organizations working together for further economic growth and new jobs.
- 20. Farmington, New Mexico. See also the New Mexico Summary Page.
- 21. Grand Forks, North Dakota.
- 22. Lawton, Oklahoma.
- 23. Madison, Wisconsin.
Dual-State Metro Area
- 24. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas-Missouri. Covering psrts of two Midwestern US States and at least three entire cities with their suburbs, this metro has an Economic Development Plan in place and ongoing through 2025, when the population could reach nearly a million people. Largest industies in this metro area are Trade, Manufacturing, and Services, accountign for 2/3 of the area's economy. Sustainability is a key to increasing economies and the creation of new jobs in green businesses in the growing region of America.
- 25. Harrisonburg, Virginia. Virginia is one of the Original Thriteen Colonies. Ongoing Revitalization has been important in this Metro Area in improving its urban sectors, but also for enhancing and protecting many valuable Historical Districts with homes and businesses listed on the National Historic Register of the USA.
- 26. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah.
- 27. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
- 28. Omaha-Council Bluffs, Nebraska-Iowa. Gateway to the West. This dual-state metro area that has used partnerships among CBOs (Community Based Organizations) within both states to benefit mot Omaha-Council Bluffs, addtional counties, both states, and most of the American West.
- 29. Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
- 30. Sioux City, Iowa.
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Comments & AdditionsLoading...
Great! - Let me know where you choose and how it goes eventually. I wish you all the best.
I don't know... none of these places sound appealing but my job status is not good so it's good info. Thanks
Do you have a specific profession or career field, or would you like to try a new one?
Good information. Job seekers should also check out the completely rebuilt Monster.com site which now includes many addiitonal job hunting tools and career development planning options. It blows some of the other sites away now.
Great, helpful information! Especially in this economy. thanks
I'll look at Monster.com and see what they've done. Sounds good.
ocbill - We need to get all the information to the public that we canThanks for reading. Tell anyone who needs the help that we are here!!
Very cool and helpful, a lot of research went into that great job.
I have to admit some of these cities were a little surprising to me. I did expect Provo and Salt Lake but Casper I did not (I thought living there would be a little spendy).
Different neighborhoods in each of these cities are more expensive than the rest, but overall, lower costs of living can be found in the Top 30. We'll have to see how this holds through 2012.
Hey Ms. Patty you Survey is different from Forbes' own so now I wonder which one is more Accurate--can you update this since now we are fresh into 2009? Thanks!
Hi Tru - Du: The Forbes list is the older version, so this one is up to date as of December, 2008. To be sure, I'll be adding more cities as they emerge as sucesses in the new economy!
Excellent post, this will definitely be useful given the current economy. Thanks!
I live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and am laid off due to lack of work. A lot of these things are incorrect. I did a lot of traveling in the midwest before i got laid of and can tell you that the recession is here and people are feeling the effects and losing jobs at rapid pace.
Sorry to hear of your misfortune, but the info is not incorrect. But do not give up and keep looking. Have you tired the county job referral and training offices in your locale?
Best wishes.
Thanks for the hub, great info as always :-) I think the recession has hit us everywhere and there no places "to hide". I believe the best way to handle the situation is to follow the same strategy as the winning companies, and to look for location but also to grab this "involuntary" situation as a starting point to reinvent ourselves. It's the story of our species that when we are faced with difficulty we figure out a way to overcome the obstacle and move on. Our individual actions now determine if we say in 2015 look back to this period with bitterness and regred or as the cathalist that propelled us forward.. (wherever that might be:-))
Some "Stimulus Jobs" are opening up around the country during summer 2009 and this will help a lot. In NYC, Coney Island is being reconstructed, with 6,000 new homes near the waterfront as well. These projects are huge.
Interesting Hub. I gave birth to my first born in Grand Forks, my husband grew up in East Grand Forks. While it is a nice little town, its a college town (UND) and they have a military base there. Fargo isn't much bigger, but they have a decent mall, again its a college town as is its neighboring town of Moorhead, MN. I grew up near Sioux Falls, nice town too. Unfortunately, for someone looking for Upper Level Management/Engineering jobs, many of these town mentioned above do not have the corporations to support many Upper Management/Middle Managers that are being laid off.
Hi Jane@CM - I'm sorry to hear that management & engineering people are being laid off. People are needing to move to other locations in order to stick with their chosen professions. It's almost like people drifitng fomr town to town during the Depression, but with more modern conveniences and helping organizations. I must think that we will all make it, though.
With the interest in renewable energy, I guess those cities in Utah will find many investors interested in solar and wind energy production. Jobs will likely followed
You people created with your greed. Yes there are a handful of decent, caring people who don;t deserve to fail, but the majority of you do! You flipped homes to make huge profits at the expense of those making $8 and hour. When you do own businesses you don't pay a liveable wage. I hope you all end up broke and homeless on the street!!!!
dlarson, I am sorry for your pain.
hi..i am rakesh..can you help me by finding jobs in mechanicle eng throughout the world ;and also in india
Medical Assistant in a suburb of Boston. Places like the Dakotas sound interesting. I'm also intrigued by Washington state, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Oregon. Any input on those areas?
I've completed Hubs on each of the states and several metro areas withitn each. You can search my HubPages by city or state name, or leave the name of a particular city you like here and I can talk about those jobs in the city for you.
could any one of you above assisst me to finding better states for Finance/Accounting sector ? i belive that your skills determine or accepted outside of the states better than in the states.i mean globally
I want to return to working in human services for state governmet. However, I am over 40. I,m thinkig about either Kentucky or West Virginia. What do thik?
Shubee, you can check the state government websites for those two states and see what's available
http://kentucky.gov/Pages/home.aspx
Each website should have a link for careers, employment, or jobs. or --
Or check http://www.indeed.com and search for each state name In the "where" box, and in the "what" box at the top of the page before "where" put "government." KY had over 2000 govt jobs today, for example.
HI Patty I read through your list and was wondering if you knew of a place that was good for like Social Work type jobs? I will be a MSW (Master's of Social Work) graduate in April and thinking about relocating
Today, Indeed.com finds 22,000 Social Work Jobs mostly in NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, San Diego, Arlington VA, Houston, Baltimore, and Dallas.
more »
DLarson,
Please quit whining. You would feel differently if you went to a university and busted your tail for a degree to get a GOOD career.
Hello Patty,
My husband and I live in NYC and have been facing unemployment for 6 mo now. Every job we get hired for, we lose. I am a college graduate in English Literature and he is a contractor in construction as well as an artist. We have 2 children and are at wits end. We are thinking of relocating where art is strongly appreciated and jobs are accessible. What would you say about NH? It's an idea we've been considering.
@3trinity3 -- looking at the aggregated listings, there are 16,700+ job listings in New Hampshire today. Most are in Healthcare and require licenses, and a few over 200 list as contruction-related in Manchester, Portsmouth, and Concord; many with the National Guard.
No arts listings that I can find in NH. About 175 listings for Administrative Asst. in the same three major cities. Some scattered writing jobs
One of the reasons I began writing at HubPages is that it builds income in case Social Security retirement income should be eliminated and to guard against income loss from layoffs, etc.
Are there any jobs in either NY or the South anywhere besides Virginia?
Kelli - North Carolina is increasing in jobs and population both int he Research Triangle area. Begin looking in Durham and Chapel Hill NC.
Construction jobs anywhere??
In search of IT jobs for a recent college graduate with one year experience. Any suggestions please?
hi, any suggestion the state to move? my husband and I can't get a job here in CA. he is an IT for 15 years. thanks
hi patty,
I am doing my MBA right now and after that I hope to do another master of science degree in energy management. Could you please provide me with the list of states or cities where I can easily find jobs in energy, renewable energy, oil and gas, and petroleum? Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
Take a look at the results I've examined on my related Hub: Where Are the Sustainable Energy Jobs in America?
I'm a city girl and I can't find anything where I live in New Jersey. I have been unemployed for 2.5 years. I had to go back to school. I now have a teaching certification in English in addition to a B.A. in English. I have been applying for every job out even if it's not affiliated with my background. I'm looking for writing, editing, PR, High School English, or anything theatre or sports related.
I live in Utah and all the jobs that are available suck, I would like a job like I had with Halliburton in the oil field I made a lot of money spent it stupid though my Goal is to go work for a few years and make and save all my money to buy a house and education back here in Utah. So my plan is to go to Alaska Anchorage blindfolded and work HARD LABOR EARNED MONEY like fishing, mining, oil, and etc fields. Please PATTY get back to me I leave in 3 days on 9/16.
Anchorage Jobs: http://hubpages.com/t/558c0
Utahhh d Best ! Wish I had continued there ..Damn :(
I live in Rapid City, SD number nine on the list. I am attending school for project management and I have 14 years of experience in construction. Unfortunately I will have to move upon graudtion because the construction industry is so slow. Any suggestions
I'll do some research on construction trades; I know that a few states are experiencing an upsurge.
Hello Patty,
I live in California and I am looking for a way to start a meaningful career pretty much anywhere. I graduated with B.S in Biochemistry and B.A in chemistry. However, after college I managed restaurants for a couple years to travel. I am also taking courses at UCLA for a business management certificate. I was told to get a decent job to get out of Cali and work somewhere else. I would love to get into more of a business development or management role. Do you have any suggestions of states I may want to check out with my back ground. I am still young and I am not skilled in one type of work; so I am looking to start fresh somewhere. Thanks for any input.
The top cities that come up in a search for "biochemistry" positions are Cambridge, MA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; and St. Louis, MO.
For "business development chemistry" are Houston Texas, Ohio, and St. Louis again. Look at SimplyHired.com and Indeed,com every day, because jobs are added hourly to both. Good luck!
Netters 3 years ago
Thank you Patty, I've been looking for a place to move to and all your hubs give me in-sight into different areas of the country.