For the Class of 2020, graduation season is underway. Normally, this is an exciting time for college graduates, who are free to move to a new city and begin their careers. But for the Class of 2020, the pomp has been overcome by the circumstance: graduates are participating in digital commencements, hitting the job market as unemployment spikes and many cities under some form of lockdown. This year, the goal for college grads is simple – secure a job.Apartment List has just compiled a new report ranking the stability and resilience of local job markets. According to the report, Charlotte is now ranked as the #19 best metro in the nation for college graduates.
The report found that:
- The average wage for recent college grads in Charlotte is $42,348, ranking #25 in the nation.
- 74% of recent college grads in Charlotte work in an remote-friendly occupation, making it easier to find and secure a job during lockdown.
- Recent college grads are likely to be renters. And in Charlotte, 30% are cost-burdened, spending more than one-third of their income on rent.
Here are the top 50 metros in America:
| Metro | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | 1 | 1.97 |
| San Francisco, CA | 2 | 1.66 |
| Washington, DC | 3 | 1.16 |
| Boston, MA | 4 | 0.98 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 5 | 0.66 |
| Austin, TX | 6 | 0.62 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 7 | 0.61 |
| Raleigh, NC | 8 | 0.59 |
| Seattle, WA | 9 | 0.57 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 10 | 0.53 |
| Baltimore, MD | 11 | 0.52 |
| New York, NY | 12 | 0.50 |
| Denver, CO | 13 | 0.42 |
| Hartford, CT | 14 | 0.31 |
| Kansas City, MO | 15 | 0.27 |
| Atlanta, GA | 16 | 0.26 |
| Portland, OR | 17 | 0.24 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 18 | 0.23 |
| Charlotte, NC | 19 | 0.21 |
| Detroit, MI | 20 | 0.20 |
| Dallas, TX | 21 | 0.14 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 22 | 0.11 |
| Chicago, IL | 23 | 0.07 |
| Columbus, OH | 24 | 0.05 |
| Richmond, VA | 25 | 0.05 |
| Houston, TX | 26 | 0.04 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 27 | 0.04 |
| Nashville, TN | 28 | 0.00 |
| St. Louis, MO | 29 | -0.01 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 30 | -0.05 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 31 | -0.24 |
| Buffalo, NY | 32 | -0.25 |
| Providence, RI | 33 | -0.28 |
| Sacramento, CA | 34 | -0.28 |
| San Diego, CA | 35 | -0.28 |
| Louisville, KY | 36 | -0.29 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 37 | -0.36 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 38 | -0.40 |
| Birmingham, AL | 39 | -0.47 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 40 | -0.49 |
| Tampa, FL | 41 | -0.60 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 42 | -0.64 |
| San Antonio, TX | 43 | -0.70 |
| Cleveland, OH | 44 | -0.72 |
| Memphis, TN | 45 | -0.77 |
| Orlando, FL | 46 | -0.84 |
| Miami, FL | 47 | -0.94 |
| New Orleans, LA | 48 | -1.08 |
| Riverside, CA | 49 | -1.44 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 50 | -1.89 |