Best and worst cities to start a career revealed

A new report reveals the best and worst places for Americans to start their careers as many recent graduates enter the job market for the first time. 

Company WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 26 key indicators of career-friendliness. The data set ranged from the availability of entry-level jobs to the monthly average starting salary to housing affordability.

"Transitioning out of school and into the workforce can be a difficult and stressful process, but certain cities make things a lot easier than others," Cassandra Happe, a WalletHub analyst said. "The best cities for starting a career not only have a lot of job opportunities but also provide substantial income growth potential and satisfying work conditions." 

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Here’s a look at the results. 

Atlanta, Orlando are best places to start career

According to the data, published Monday, Atlanta, Georgia is the best place to start a career, boasting one of the highest growth rates in the median household income, at around 8.9% annually. 

They found that the median annual household income in Atlanta is already fairly high as well, at nearly $79,000.

In addition, WalletHub found that Atlanta has a lot of job opportunities at companies that are rated at least 4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, along with plentiful entry-level jobs.

Orlando, Florida was listed as the second-best city for starting a career, boasting one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. 

In addition, WalletHub found the city has the second-highest number of entry-level job openings per capita, along with lots of openings at companies rated 4 or 5 stars.

According to the results, people who land a job in Orlando have the potential to experience a lot of income growth, too, as the median household income grows by around 8.2% annually – one of the highest rates in the country. 

To top things off, Orlando recently ranked second among the most fun cities in America.

Best places to start career

New York City is worst place to start career

WalletHub found New York, New York to be the worst place for a person to start their career, gathering a total score of only 33.14. 

EARLIER: WalletHub study ranks NYC as worst place to start a career

The city ranked in last place for professional opportunities and 171 out of 182 cities for "quality of life." 

Top rental markets for grads

This news comes on the heels of Realtor.com’s recent report, revealing the top rental markets for graduates.

According to the company, Austin, Texas is the best rental market for recent grads, which was also ranked within the top 10 places to start a career.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.