Boston ranks as the best U.S. city for workers in a new Indeed index that evaluates metropolitan areas based on employment opportunities, pay, job quality, career mobility, flexibility and economic opportunity.
Washington, D.C., ranked second, followed by Burlington, Vermont. The ranking evaluates 233 U.S. metropolitan areas with populations above 200,000 using 40 metrics across six categories. Unlike rankings focused primarily on business conditions, the index incorporates factors such as real wages, labor market conditions, job security, remote and hybrid work availability, commuting, housing costs and disparities in employment and pay.
Boston Wins on Balance
Boston did not rank first in any individual category but scored consistently across the six areas, giving it the highest overall position.
Washington and Boston performed particularly well for career mobility, while San Jose, Seattle, Washington and San Francisco recorded the four highest compensation scores after adjusting wages for taxes and local costs.
The results also put several smaller metros near the top of the ranking. Madison ranked sixth, Rochester, Minnesota, seventh, and Fargo, Omaha, Cedar Rapids and Sioux Falls also placed among the top 25.
Burlington ranked third nationally despite not competing with larger technology hubs on pay. It recorded the highest job-opportunity score in the index, reflecting a tight local labor market and strong employment outcomes.
Rochester recorded the highest economic-opportunity score, while Madison also benefited from a combination of labor market strength and broad economic outcomes.
What Makes a City Good for Workers?
The index gives the greatest weight to job opportunity and compensation, with each accounting for 20% of the overall score. Job quality and security, career mobility, work-life and flexibility, and economic opportunity each account for 15%.
Indeed’s data provides information on job postings, advertised wages, remote and hybrid opportunities, AI exposure and labor market tightness. Those measures are combined with public economic and labor data, including information on taxes, regional prices, employment, benefits and worker outcomes.
The job-opportunity category considers factors including hiring demand, employment among prime-age workers and how difficult it is for employers to fill available positions. Compensation is adjusted for taxes and regional costs rather than relying solely on nominal wages.
The index also considers how easily workers can change jobs and increase their earnings, the availability of education and training, job stability, industry diversity and exposure to AI-driven disruption.
Smaller Metros Challenge the Usual Rankings
The results highlight a distinction between cities that offer the highest potential earnings and those where workers may have stronger odds of finding employment and sharing in local economic gains.
Large coastal technology centers generally performed strongly on wages and career opportunities, while several smaller Midwestern and Northern metros scored well on employment conditions and economic opportunity.
