NextChapter

Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Southeast

Manassas is the best all-round city for new graduates in the Southeast, with a score of 67 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

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Key facts

  • #1 Manassas, VA: 67 / 100
  • #2 Alexandria, VA: 63 / 100
  • #3 Louisville, KY: 62 / 100
  • 29 cities ranked in the Southeast
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1Manassas VA67 / 100
  2. 2Alexandria VA63 / 100
  3. 3Louisville KY62 / 100
  4. 4Arlington VA62 / 100
  5. 5Raleigh NC62 / 100
  6. 6Tallahassee FL61 / 100
  7. 7Norfolk VA60 / 100
  8. 8Vienna VA59 / 100
  9. 9Mc Lean VA59 / 100
  10. 10Richmond VA58 / 100

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Manassas leads on 67 / 100, and #10 Richmond is at 58 / 100.
  • Vienna reaches #8 on a sample of 163 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Louisville is the largest market in the top ten, with 2,064 openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

New graduates need a place with many entry-level roles, pay that covers the cost of living and employers that state their pay. This list weighs those together and shows the weights, so it ranks the all-round picture rather than one number.

How to use it

Start with the top ten and read each city's numbers against what you value most. If one thing matters most to you, such as pay, switch to the single-measure list for it.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Manassas VA

    67 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    38%
    Pay after cost of living
    $136k
    Entry-level openings
    88

    Hiring most here: General Dynamics Mission Systems, Electra.Aero, Holder Construction

    Based on 231 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Manassas

  2. 2

    Alexandria VA

    63 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    34%
    Pay after cost of living
    $139k
    Entry-level openings
    199

    Hiring most here: Kearney, Patent and Trademark Office, Analytic Services (ANSER)

    Based on 584 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alexandria

  3. 3

    Louisville KY

    62 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    34%
    Pay after cost of living
    $115k
    Entry-level openings
    710

    Hiring most here: BrightSpring Health Services, Norton Healthcare, GE Appliances

    Based on 2,064 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Louisville

  4. 4

    Arlington VA

    62 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    28%
    Pay after cost of living
    $143k
    Entry-level openings
    559

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Bloomberg Industry Group

    Based on 1,989 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Arlington

  5. 5

    Raleigh NC

    62 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    35%
    Pay after cost of living
    $121k
    Entry-level openings
    505

    Hiring most here: First Citizens Bank, Dewberry, MaintainX

    Based on 1,427 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Raleigh

  6. 6

    Tallahassee FL

    61 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    45%
    Pay after cost of living
    $106k
    Entry-level openings
    342

    Hiring most here: State of Florida, L3HARRIS Technologies, Florida

    Based on 759 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tallahassee

  7. 7

    Norfolk VA

    60 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    40%
    Pay after cost of living
    $103k
    Entry-level openings
    133

    Hiring most here: Commonwealth of Virginia, Seacorp, United States Fleet Forces Command

    Based on 332 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Norfolk

  8. 8

    Vienna VA

    59 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    35%
    Pay after cost of living
    $131k
    Entry-level openings
    57

    Hiring most here: Esri, Navy Federal Credit Union, Antithesis

    Based on 163 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Vienna

  9. 9

    Mc Lean VA

    59 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    31%
    Pay after cost of living
    $161k
    Entry-level openings
    72

    Hiring most here: Capital One, Booz Allen Hamilton, Sunrise Senior Living

    Based on 234 openings.

  10. 10

    Richmond VA

    58 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    36%
    Pay after cost of living
    $99k
    Entry-level openings
    411

    Hiring most here: Mckesson, Capital One, Genworth Financial

    Based on 1,136 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Richmond

  11. 11

    Charlotte NC

    57 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    32%
    Pay after cost of living
    $125k
    Entry-level openings
    1,026

    Hiring most here: Truist Financial, Scout Motors, SMBC Americas

    Based on 3,198 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Charlotte

  12. 12

    Tampa FL

    54 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    35%
    Pay after cost of living
    $100k
    Entry-level openings
    603

    Hiring most here: DTCC, University of South Florida, Tampa Electric

    Based on 1,738 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Tampa

  13. 13

    Atlanta GA

    53 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    27%
    Pay after cost of living
    $135k
    Entry-level openings
    1,529

    Hiring most here: Emory University, Oxford College of Emory University, Capgemini Invent

    Based on 5,566 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Atlanta

  14. 14

    Herndon VA

    51 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    27%
    Pay after cost of living
    $159k
    Entry-level openings
    222

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 821 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Herndon

  15. 15

    Fort Belvoir VA

    51 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    31%
    Pay after cost of living
    $133k
    Entry-level openings
    61

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Teksynap, LMI

    Based on 197 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Belvoir

  16. 16

    Boca Raton FL

    49 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    38%
    Pay after cost of living
    $92k
    Entry-level openings
    132

    Hiring most here: Compass, Baptist Health South Florida, SBA Communications

    Based on 344 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boca Raton

  17. 17

    Fort Lauderdale FL

    47 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    35%
    Pay after cost of living
    $97k
    Entry-level openings
    203

    Hiring most here: North Broward Hospital District (Broward Health), Autonation, Town & Country Credit Union

    Based on 572 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Lauderdale

  18. 18

    Nashville TN

    45 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    27%
    Pay after cost of living
    $138k
    Entry-level openings
    447

    Hiring most here: Oracle, Amazon, Vanderbilt University

    Based on 1,650 openings.

  19. 19

    Jacksonville FL

    44 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    35%
    Pay after cost of living
    $97k
    Entry-level openings
    376

    Hiring most here: Confidential, Intercontinental Exchange, UF Health

    Based on 1,071 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jacksonville

  20. 20

    Alpharetta GA

    44 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    29%
    Pay after cost of living
    $130k
    Entry-level openings
    168

    Hiring most here: Morgan Stanley, Fiserv, Landis+Gyr

    Based on 576 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alpharetta

  21. 21

    Miami FL

    44 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    29%
    Pay after cost of living
    $117k
    Entry-level openings
    682

    Hiring most here: University Of Miami, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Princess Cruises / Holland America Line

    Based on 2,344 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Miami

  22. 22

    Reston VA

    42 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    21%
    Pay after cost of living
    $157k
    Entry-level openings
    162

    Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries

    Based on 783 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reston

  23. 23

    McLean VA

    42 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    20%
    Pay after cost of living
    $148k
    Entry-level openings
    229

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 1,155 openings.

    Jobs and employers in McLean

  24. 24

    Chantilly VA

    41 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    27%
    Pay after cost of living
    $192k
    Entry-level openings
    149

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton

    Based on 555 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chantilly

  25. 25

    Frankfort KY

    40 / 100

    Entry-level share of openings
    26%
    Pay after cost of living
    $139k
    Entry-level openings
    40

    Hiring most here: Lumen, Oracle, Sazerac

    Based on 153 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Frankfort

Full ranking

All 29 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Manassas VA67 / 100231
2Alexandria VA63 / 100584
3Louisville KY62 / 1002,064
4Arlington VA62 / 1001,989
5Raleigh NC62 / 1001,427
6Tallahassee FL61 / 100759
7Norfolk VA60 / 100332
8Vienna VA59 / 100163
9Mc Lean VA59 / 100234
10Richmond VA58 / 1001,136
11Charlotte NC57 / 1003,198
12Tampa FL54 / 1001,738
13Atlanta GA53 / 1005,566
14Herndon VA51 / 100821
15Fort Belvoir VA51 / 100197
16Boca Raton FL49 / 100344
17Fort Lauderdale FL47 / 100572
18Nashville TN45 / 1001,650
19Jacksonville FL44 / 1001,071
20Alpharetta GA44 / 100576
21Miami FL44 / 1002,344
22Reston VA42 / 100783
23McLean VA42 / 1001,155
24Chantilly VA41 / 100555
25Frankfort KY40 / 100153
26Huntsville AL40 / 1001,154
27Orlando FL39 / 1001,272
28Tysons VA30 / 100190
29Springfield VA23 / 100274

How this ranking works

A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): entry-level share of openings 40%, pay after cost of living 25%, entry-level openings 20%, openings with pay posted 15%.

A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most.

Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked.

A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles and posted pay; Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: best all-round cities for new graduates in the southeast?
Manassas is the best all-round city for new graduates in the Southeast, with a score of 67 / 100.
How many cities are ranked?
29 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 29 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): entry-level share of openings 40%, pay after cost of living 25%, entry-level openings 20%, openings with pay posted 15%. A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most. Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Southeast,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-new-graduates-in-the-southeast

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-new-graduates-in-the-southeast">Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Southeast (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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