It's the economy, stupid.
Houston ranks No. 1 on the list of the 10 best cities for recent college graduates compiled by MSN Now — and it's mainly because the Bayou City is a job magnet. In "The 10 Cities Every Recent Graduate Should Pick Up and Move To," Houston tops Boston, Austin, Seattle and Washington, D.C. and five other cities.
At No. 3, Austin is the only other Texas city in the Top 10.
With a 3.8 percent job growth rate, Houston is creating more jobs than any other major city in the United States.
The list looks at what cities in the United States are creating jobs as well as those that are most affordable on a fresh-out-of-college budget and have a vibrant population of twentysomethings.
With a 3.8 percent job growth rate, Houston is creating more jobs than any other major city in the United States. And the cost of living is relatively low.
Rents average $1,311 in Houston, according to the survey, while rents in Boston (No. 2) are $1,819, Seattle (No. 4) are $1,417 and Washington D.C. (No. 5) are $1,813.
The average rent in Austin is only $968, according to the survey.
On the other hand, the average salary of a recent college graduate in Houston is $38,000, less than $42,000 in Boston and D.C, but more than Austin ($32,000), Seattle ($35,000) or Denver, No. 6 on the list ($33,000).
Houston's has a lower percentage (17.8 percent) of residents between the ages of 20-29 than every other city in the Top 10 except Portland, Oregon (17.4 percent) and Omaha (16.9 percent). However, because Houston's population is so much larger than other cities on the list, there are a lot twentysomethings in the Bayou City.
The survey is the latest in which Houston has fared well. Houston is No. 1 on the Forbes list asAmerica's Coolest City and is No. 8 on CareerBliss.com's 10 Happiest Cities for Young Professionals.
Houston is No. 1 on MSN.com's list of the 10 cities every graduate should pick up and move to.
