The 20 best places to live in your 20s

Rachel GillettJun 27, 2015, 17:30 IST

Your 20s are perhaps the most transient time in your life.

From graduating college and finding your first job to making your career dreams a reality and the many milestones in between, a lot of things can happen in those 10 years of young adulthood - so why not add moving to a new city to your list?

Personal finance site WalletHub recently analyzed and ranked the 150 most populous US cities based on 19 metrics that 20-somethings would likely find most helpful in picking a new city.

Metrics included the number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents, housing affordability, annual job growth rate, recreation ranking, unemployment rate, and number of leisure establishments in the area.

To read more about the study's methodology, check out the full report here.

These 20 cities rank as your best prospects for building your new life:

20. Omaha, Nebraska

Monthly median starting salary: $2,552

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 18

While there aren't too many entry-level jobs in Omaha, a good number of people living there already - almost 97% - have jobs. The city also makes up for its less-than-stellar professional opportunities rank of No. 27 with it's quality of life rank of No. 6, which came in part from its abundance of recreational activities and single people.

19. Plano, Texas

Monthly median starting salary: $2,947

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 147

At $82,129, Plano has the highest median annual income of the 150 cities analyzed. The city also has the most affordable housing.

18. Aurora, Colorado

Monthly median starting salary: $2,845

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 85

Virtually across the board Aurora scores above average in both quality of life and professional opportunities categories, with a respective ranking of No. 47 and No. 12. Workforce diversity, recreation ranking, and median income growth rate all contribute to the city's ranking.

17. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Monthly median starting salary: $2,538

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 16

The city's workforce diversity, housing affordability, and low unemployment rate contribute to the city's professional opportunities rank of No. 12 and quality of life rank of No. 44, making Oklahoma City an optimal choice for the young worker.

16. Seattle, Washington

Monthly median starting salary: $2,746

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 42

A majority of Seattle's population has at least a bachelor's degree, and about a quarter of the city's occupants are in their 20s to mid 30s, and single people abound. The home to Amazon, Expedia, and Nintendo also boasts a high median income growth rate and economic mobility. Overall the city ranks No. 7 for quality of life and No. 25 for professional opportunities.

Flickr/kla4067Des Moines, Iowa.
15. Des Moines, Iowa

Monthly median starting salary: $2,647

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 25

Des Moines has the 15th best professional opportunities and 36th best quality of life ranking. This city is particularly great for young people in part because the city offers affordable housing and has tons of single people.

14. Dallas, Texas

Monthly median starting salary: $3,060

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 36

Dallas boasts the 6th best professional opportunities ranking of the 150 cities analyzed, thanks to its high monthly median starting salary, workforce diversity, and above average annual job growth rate and entrepreneurial activity ranking. The tradeoff is the city's quality of life rank of No. 36.

13. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Monthly median starting salary: $2,756

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 82

With a professional opportunities rank of No. 17 and quality of life rank of No. 18, Minneapolis is a great option for people in their 20s. They city's low unemployment rate and large cluster of young, educated people with access to arts, leisure, and recreation establishments especially makes this true.

12. Salt Lake City, Utah

Monthly median starting salary: $2,451

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 73

High economic mobility, low unemployment, and tons of young, educated people to meet make Salt Lake City a viable option for 20-somethings. It follows, then, that the city earned a professional opportunities rank of No. 16 and quality of life rank of No. 19.

11. Arlington, Texas

Monthly median starting salary: $3,335

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 122

With the second highest monthly median starting salary and a median annual income of $59,553, it's not surprise Arlington ranks No. 10 for professional opportunities. While there aren't a ton of young, single people to mingle with, the housing is pretty affordable, which earns the city a rank of No. 46 for overall quality of life.

Caleb Long, Wikimedia CommonsTulsa, Oklahoma.
10. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Monthly median starting salary: $2,754

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 16

Coming in at No. 10 overall is Tulsa, Oklahoma. It earned a professional opportunities rank of No. 5 and ranked No. 61 for quality of life. WalletHub also ranks the city as the second best for entrepreneurial activity.

9. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Monthly median starting salary: $2,190

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 9

WalletHub ranks Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the second best city for families and the sixth best for entrepreneurial activity, which makes the city the fourth best in terms of overall quality of life and No. 18 for overall professional opportunities.

8. Fort Worth, Texas

Monthly median starting salary: $3,013

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 29

Affordable housing options is one of the many reasons Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the best cities for overall professional opportunities and No. 41 for quality of life.

7. Fremont, California

Monthly median starting salary: $2,634

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 195

The median annual income in Fremont, California, is $71,593, the third highest of the 150 cities analyzed. This contributes to the city's overall professional opportunities rank of No. 9 and fairly high quality of life score.

6. Corpus Christi, Texas

Monthly median starting salary: $2,733

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 9

With the second best median income growth rate and the seventh best annual job growth rate, Corpus Christi, Texas, comes in at No. 4 for overall professional opportunities and No. 82 for overall quality of life.

Reuters/Richard CarsonHouston, Texas.
5. Houston, Texas

Monthly median starting salary: $3,671

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 19

Houston, Texas, boasts the highest monthly median starting salary of the 150 cities analyzed, earning it a rank of No. 3 for overall professional opportunities and No. 71 for overall quality of life.

4. Denver, Colorado

Monthly median starting salary: $2,845

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 48

Denver, Colorado, has the eighth best overall professional opportunities and an overall quality of life rank of No. 13, which stems from its relatively high median income growth rate and young people making up almost a quarter of the city's population.

3. Austin, Texas

Monthly median starting salary: $3,005

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 23

A rapidly growing population, a low unemployment rate of 3.4%, and tons of single people to hang out with earns Austin, Texas, the No. 11 spot in terms of professional opportunities and No. 1 for quality of life.

2. Grand Prairie, Texas

Monthly median starting salary: $3,190

Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 270

Grand Prairie, Texas, has some of the most affordable housing and plenty of entry-level jobs that pay well, which affords it the No. 2 spot for overall professional opportunities and No. 49 for overall quality of life.

1. Irving, Texas