The 20 best cities for college grads looking to start their lives

19. Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln had a low unemployment rate among young adults.

Young-adult population share: 24.6%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 29.4%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.4%

Relative cost of living: 8.5% less expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $28,000

18. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, is a major Midwestern business hub. The twin cities had a relatively high share of young adults with bachelor's degrees.

Young-adult population share: 20.7%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 35.9%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.1%

Relative cost of living: 2.2% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $32,000

17. Burlington, VT, is home of the University of Vermont, and had a large population of young adults and a low unemployment rate among that community.

Young-adult population share: 24.0%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 33.4%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.6%

Relative cost of living: 5.0% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $30,000

16. Midland, TX, is at the heart of the booming oil fields of the Permian Basin. It had the highest median earnings for young adults among the metro areas studied.

Young-adult population share: 24.1%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 22.4%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 6.1%

Relative cost of living: 0.3% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $45,000

15. Columbia, MO, hosts the University of Missouri, and has a large young-adult population.

Young-adult population share: 29.8%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 32.1%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 7.0%

Relative cost of living: 9.7% less expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $22,100

14. Raleigh is North Carolina's capital and home to North Carolina State University. The metro area had a high share of young adults with bachelor's degrees.

Young-adult population share: 20.4%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 38.1%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.2%

Relative cost of living: 3.8% less expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $31,000

13. Washington, DC, and its metro area are home to the federal government and several federal agencies. The nation's capital had higher-than-average median earnings for young adults, but a very high cost of living.

Young-adult population share: 21.3%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 41.4%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 6.3%

Relative cost of living: 18.4% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $39,000

12. Seattle, WA, and its metro area are the home of major tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft. Seattle had a large share of young adults with bachelor's degrees.

Young-adult population share: 22.9%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 36.4%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 5.3%

Relative cost of living: 11.8% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $38,000

11. Des Moines, IA, had a low unemployment rate and high median earnings among young adults.

Young-adult population share: 20.8%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 33.8%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 3.2%

Relative cost of living: 6.5% less expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $35,000

10. Austin, TX, is the home of the University of Texas' flagship campus. The metro area had a high share of young adults with a bachelor's degree.

Young-adult population share: 24.2%%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 34.5%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.2%

Relative cost of living: 0.5% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $31,800

9. Denver, CO, is an increasingly popular destination for millennials and others as housing costs skyrocket in California and on the East Coast. Denver had higher-than-average median earnings among young adults.

Young-adult population share: 22.4%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 37.1%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.0%

Relative cost of living: 6.3% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $35,000

8. Lawrence, KS, is home to the University of Kansas. The city had the highest share of young adults among the metro areas studied.

Young-adult population share: 32.2%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 28.7%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.7%

Relative cost of living: 8.5% less expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $22,000

7. Boston, MA, is home to several major national colleges and universities. Boston had a very high share of young adults with bachelor's degrees.

Young-adult population share: 22.1%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 43.1%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 5.4%

Relative cost of living: 11.8% more expensive than the national average

Young adult median earnings: $36,000

6. Ann Arbor, MI, is home to the University of Michigan. The metro area had a relatively low unemployment rate among young adults.

Young-adult population share: 27.0%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 38.0%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.1%

Relative cost of living: 1.7% more expensive than the national average

Young adult median earnings: $26,000

5. San Francisco, CA, is one of the metro areas at the heart of Silicon Valley and the tech industry. San Francisco had the second-highest share of young adults with bachelor's degrees among the metro areas studied, but also had the second-highest cost of living.

Young-adult population share: 22.0%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 44.7%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 5.2%

Relative cost of living: 28.0% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $40,000

4. Bismarck, ND, had a low unemployment rate and high median earnings for young adults.

Young-adult population share: 21.3%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 33.6%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 2.6%

Relative cost of living: 7.0% less expensive than the national average

Young adult median earnings: $38,000

3. Iowa City, IA, is the home of the University of Iowa. Iowa City had a relatively large young-adult population.

Young-adult population share: 29.4%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 36.1%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.9%

Relative cost of living: 5.7% less expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $25,000

2. Ithaca, NY, is home to Cornell University. The metro area had a large young-adult population and a high share of young adults with bachelor's degrees.

Young-adult population share: 30.0%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 37.9%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 3.7%

Relative cost of living: 7.0% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $25,000

1. San Jose, CA, is at the heart of Silicon Valley. The metro area had the highest share of young adults with bachelor's degrees and the second-highest median earnings for young adults, but had the highest cost of living of any metro area in the US.

Young-adult population share: 22.2%

Share of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree: 46.6%

Young-adult unemployment rate: 4.8%

Relative cost of living: 30.9% more expensive than the national average

Young-adult median earnings: $43,700