Seattle, Boston top Robert Half's best 'Career Cities' rankings

IMGCAP(1)]

On Thursday, Robert Half issued a new report developed by The Economist Intelligence Unit titled the "Career City Index." The report ranks 25 U.S. cities as "the best destinations for career-oriented professionals," detailing factors from career prospects and cost of living to education and digital connectivity.

The Career City Index ranked the U.S. cities according to 25 indicators "selected to measure different aspects of career development opportunities, quality and cost of living, and cultural environment," according to the report. The indicators are furthermore organized into four categories: "Career Prospects," "Quality of Life," "Cost of Living," and "Cultural Diversity."

Based on these indicators, Seattle ranked first overall, followed by Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area. Coastal giants New York and Los Angeles ranked only 13th and 22nd, respectively.

"Seattle’s robust economic and employment growth have been spurred by a surging information technology industry, as well as its strong biotechnology, aerospace, healthcare and manufacturing sectors," details the report. "Additionally, compared with the East Coast and other West Coast cities (San Francisco and Los Angeles), the Seattle metro area has traditionally had a lower cost of living, although this has been changing."

The Career City Index overall rankings of U.S. cities are as follows:

1. Seattle
2. Boston
3. San Francisco Bay Area
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Raleigh
6. Dallas
7. Salt Lake City
8. Denver
9. Houston
10. Des Moines
11. San Diego
12. Phoenix
13. New York
14. Minneapolis
15. Atlanta
16. Charlotte
17. Miami
18. Chicago
19. Indianapolis
20. Cincinnati
21. Sacramento
22. Los Angeles
23. Philadelphia
24. Cleveland
25. Detroit

The report also offers more in-depth portraits of select cities, noting how their various factors are turning them into more career-driven destinations.

To view or download the full report, head to Robert Half's site here.