The 10 cities with the best job markets in the US

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Finding the right job isn’t just about your resume — it’s also about your zip code.

Financial data firm SmartAsset recently ranked 348 U.S. cities based on how desirable their job markets are. The study used U.S. Census Bureau data from 2023 — the most recent available — and factored in everything from unemployment to median earnings, wage growth, remote work opportunities and more.

Bend, Ore., ranked first overall thanks to its relatively low unemployment rate (3.1 percent) and strong wage growth, with the median income increasing 44 percent from 2020 to 2023. Known for its outdoor activities, the central Oregon city also boasts a good work life-balance, thanks to a brief average commute of 16 minutes and a high share of remote workers (27 percent).

Richmond, Va., secured second place and posted the highest earnings growth in the analysis, with a 50 percent increase in the average median income between 2020 and 2023.

SmartAsset also took health care into account and found that the job market in Santa Clara, Calif., offers the most coverage — 88.6 percent of workers had private health insurance through their employer.

If a short commute is your top priority, look no further than Wichita Falls, Texas, where the average is just 14 minutes.

Here are the top 10 cities with the best job market, according to the report.

10 – Sunnyvale, Calif.

Apple Park’s spaceship campus is seen from this drone view in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. (Jane Tyska/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)

Unemployment rate: 3.45 percent
Median earnings: $111,905
3-year income growth: 31.12 percent
Percent working remotely: 15.33 percent

9 – Westminster, Colo.

People unleash their dogs at Westminster Hills Open Space Dog Park in Westminster, Colo., on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Unemployment rate: 1.69 percent
Median earnings: $70,711
3-year income growth: 37.73 percent
Percent working remotely: 19.35 percent

8 – Sioux Falls, S.D.

Falls Park in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Unemployment rate: 2.36 percent
Median earnings: $56,858
3-year income growth: 29.89 percent
Percent working remotely: 9.26 percent

7 – Cary, N.C.

Cary is a suburb of Raleigh, N.C. Raleigh’s downtown skyline is seen from The Dillion’s ninth floor lobby terrace open to the public Jan. 2, 2019. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Unemployment rate: 3.50 percent
Median earnings: $47,203
3-year income growth: 23.13 percent
Percent working remotely: 27.96 percent

6 – Santa Clara, Calif.

Mission Santa Clara de Asís, Santa Clara, Calif. (Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

Unemployment rate: 4.24 percent
Median earnings: $90,384
3-year income growth: 40.97 percent
Percent working remotely: 16.51 percent

5 – Carmel, Ind.

A course scenic view of the 16th hole during the final round of the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club on Sept. 11, 2016, in Carmel, Ind. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

Unemployment rate: 2.27 percent
Median earnings: $101,038
3-year income growth: 21.49 percent
Percent working remotely: 27.75 percent

4 – Bellevue, Wash.

The artwork ‘Piloti’ by THEVERYMANY studio in front of the Rising Office Tower building, where Pokémon Co. leases office space, at Bellevue Downtown Park in Bellevue, Wash., on Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Grant Hindsley/Bloomberg via Getty Images)