Why Denver Is One of the Best Cities in the U.S. for Job Seekers

A new survey lists Denver as one of the ten best cities in the country for job seekers. And its status in this area just keeps improving.

In 2015, the NerdWallet website listed Denver as the fifth-best city in the U.S. for those hoping to land a job. In 2016, another site, WalletHub, ranked Denver as the twelfth-best American city in which to find a job. And in the latest report, also from NerdWallet, Denver rates higher than it did on either of these previous rosters.

Why? We put that question to NerdWallet writer analyst Laura McMullen. When asked about the main factors that make Denver so outstanding from an employment perspective, McMullen, corresponding via e-mail, noted that the Mile High "rose to the top of our Best Cities for Job Seekers list thanks in part to its exceptionally low unemployment rate, which was 2.9 percent as of October 2016. (It's even lower now, I believe.) Of the 100 cities we analyzed, only three had a lower unemployment rate than Denver for that month. The city also stands out for its quickly growing workforce — nearly 30 percent between 2010 and 2015, compared with the U.S. median figure of 14 percent."

What are the specific industries in the Denver area that are most regularly looking to fill positions? "Denver's tech-related industries, like its aerospace influence, tend to deliver high-paying, in-demand positions," McMullen replies. "Denver ranks high because it provides those tech jobs but doesn't have that high cost of living you may see on the West Coast. So folks in Denver can hold on to more of their paychecks."

As for how wages and benefits in Denver compare to those in cities across the country, McMullen points out that "for this study, we looked at the 2015 median earnings for workers age sixteen and older. Denver's earnings ($47,741) were the 21st-highest out of the 100 cites we looked at."

Count down the top ten below, featuring NerdWallet data. Click to see the original post.

Number 10: Raleigh, North Carolina

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 4.1 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 25.54 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $42,345

Median monthly rent in 2015: $970

Score: 68.02

Number 9: Irving, Texas

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 3.6 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 25.09 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $39,318

Median monthly rent in 2015: $977

Score: 69.16

Number 8: Lincoln, Nebraska

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 2.8 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 18.13 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $40,998

Median monthly rent in 2015: $770

Score: 70.46

Number 7: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 3.1 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 19.5 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $48,249

Median monthly rent in 2015: $912

Score: 70.64

Number 6: Atlanta, Georgia

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 4.9 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 31.61 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $50,424

Median monthly rent in 2015: $981

Score: 71.34

Continue to see the five best cities in which to find a job in 2017, including Denver, according to NerdWallet.

Number 5: Durham, North Carolina

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 4.2 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 30.93 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $41,323

Median monthly rent in 2015: $970

Score: 72.10

Number 4: Seattle, Washington

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 4.2 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 29.56 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $62,903

Median monthly rent in 2015: $1,356

Score: 72.63

Number 3: Nashville, Tennessee

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 3.8 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 29.46 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $40,253

Median monthly rent in 2015: $921

Score: 72.68

Number 2: Denver, Colorado

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 2.9 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 259.54 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $47,741

Median monthly rent in 2015: $1,094

Score: 77.58

Number 1: Austin, Texas

Unemployment rate in October 2016: 3.2 percent

Employed population growth 2010-2015: 34.51 percent

Median 2015 annual earnings for full-time workers: $45,669

Median monthly rent in 2015: $1,139

Score: 78.96