Report: Richmond good city to start career, but Norfolk and Chesapeake below average
(The Center Square) – Richmond is one of the best cities for a person to start a career and Virginia Beach is in the top half, but the commonwealth’s other cities are below average, according to a report from the financial website WalletHub.
Per the report, Richmond scored about 57.5 out of a possible 100, which placed the city 23rd among all the cities ranked in the study. Richmond was the 20th best city for professional opportunities and the 55th best for quality of life.
WalletHub’s report ranked 188 cities across the country.
“Richmond is among the best cities to start a career in, and is the best ranked city in Virginia out of the five analyzed,” WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez told The Center Square. “Richmond ranks third overall in terms of availability of entry level jobs. This explains why it also has one of the largest shares of Millennial newcomers in the country — almost 15%, as well as why over 21% of the population is aged 25 – 34.”
Virginia Beach also landed in the top half of cities. It ranked 68th overall with a score of 51.84. The city was 93rd for professional opportunities and 43rd for quality of life.
“The city has the eighth largest median annual income nationwide, almost $80,000, a low share of workers in poverty — 4.25%, and ranks high for job satisfaction,” Gonzalez said.
The commonwealth’s three other cities ranked in the report did not do as well, falling outside the top half. Newport News ranked 115th overall with a 90th ranking in professional opportunities and a 138th ranking for quality of life. Chesapeake ranked 124th overall with a 126 ranking in professional opportunities and a 119 ranking in quality of life.
Norfolk had the worst ranking among cities in the commonwealth, landing at 139. The city ranked 130 in professional opportunity and 152 in quality of life.
“[These three cities] have some of the lowest growth rates for median income — as low as 1.5% in Newport News, long work weeks, and very few commuter-friendly jobs,” Gonzalez said.
Some of the nation’s best cities for starting a career include Salt Lake City, Orlando, Atlanta and Austin. Some of the worst cities include Newark, New York, Detroit and Philadelphia.
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