The best cities and places to live after you graduate
By Ann Shelley// Opinion Editor
We are quickly hitting the double digits mark for how many days we have left until graduation. With the anticipation of graduation quickly approaching many individuals have started job hunting. A lot of people search for jobs based on the companies; however, I like to look based on locations. There are so many amazing places to live in the United States that are up and coming. We have been in High Point, North Carolina for the past four years. It doesn’t have that much going on compared to Chicago or any other thriving cities. High Point University and the Furniture Market are the two biggest attractions in our community. I was recently reading an article about “2018 Top 10 Best Cities for Recent College Graduates” by the website Livability. The next 10 cities are ideal for college graduates according to the article.
The next 10 cities are ideal for college graduates. They have affordable housing, low unemployment rates, thriving job markets and a wide variety of things to do. Each city has a good population of 22 to 29-year-olds, this helps with networking in a big city. After graduation, you are filled with excitement and pride with all you’ve accomplished. A lot of individuals, especially from HPU want to move to New York City right away and work.
The top city for recent college grads is Champaign, IL. It has a cool downtown with a packed visit station. Another city is Arlington, VA, which has a population of 223,000+. It has a thriving economy and really has plenty of well-paying jobs; the area is filled with suburban charm and history buildings.
The next city is Jersey City, NJ, with a population of 259,000+. It is known as a good place to put down roots for recent college grads, it’s also affordable.
The fourth city is Sandy Springs, GA. This area is home to some of the most fortune 500 companies known to mankind.
This is personally one of my favorite places, Santa Monica, California. It only has a population of 92,000. It grew in popularity due to the sun, sand and surf method. It is hard to make it in LA, especially Santa Monica where the residents are all 22 and 29. This has been a trend with all the places to live and might be due to gratuates rush to move and network straight out of college.
Another great place to live is Albany, New York. A lot of college grads are obsessed with the idea of moving to New York City after School, so this is a good in-between they can do. It has a low unemployment rate and is ranked one of the top cities for college grads because of it’s affordability, the number of young residents, parks, nature preserves, etc. Albany has a thriving nightlife scene and this draws a lot of people in, similar to Santa Monica.
A place I was surprised to hear on the list was Cincinnati, OH. It really has been an up and coming city because it is just a cool place for new college grads. The cost of living is way less than the national average. Another spot on the list not too far from us is Wilmington, NC. This is a great place on the East Coast to set up roots. Wilmington, NC is a vibrant place with great beaches. The unemployment rate is below national averages and the city has historic downtown districts packed with shops and attraction. This place was nicknamed Hollywood of the East because “One Tree Hill” and “Dawson’s Creek,” television shows both filmed in the area.
Finally, Madison, WI should definitely be on your traveling list with the many good dining spots in the downtown city. Madison is full of job opportunities and has a high employment rate. It is an emerging tech hub and is continuously growing with the school being a central feature as well.
No matter where you end up after graduation, make sure it’s somewhere with high employment, so you can find a job that you enjoy. Your first job may not be in the best place, however, it could actually turn out to be your dream job and the city may actually be fun to adventure in. Don’t judge a book by its cover because some of the best places to live are the ones that aren’t the most popular. Also sometimes the best surprises are found in the areas you never thought you would call home.
Santa Monica, CA is known for its endless ocean and beautiful beaches. It’s a great place for undergrads to live. Photos by Ann Shelley