FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A new report by Porch has determined the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area the best midsize metro to move to after college.
The study ranks metropolitan areas on the categories of median income for recent graduates, unemployment rate for recent graduates, number of employer firms per 1,000 residents, concentration of recent graduates compared to the national average, median 1-bedroom rent and cost of living compared to the national average.
According to their composite scores, North Dakota and Nebraska rank highest among all states, with scores of 88.8 and 88.6 out of 100, respectively.
To find the best metropolitan areas in the U.S. for students to move after college, researchers at Porch applied the same methodology and ranked metro areas according to their composite score.
Metro areas were grouped into categories based on population size.
In the midsize range, 350,000 to 999,999 residents, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers ranked first. Here is a summary of the data for the area:
- Composite score: 91.6
- Median income for recent graduates: $45,000
- Unemployment rate for recent graduates: 1.8%
- Number of employer firms per 1k residents: 25.1
- Concentration of recent graduates (compared to average): +23.6%
- Median 1-bedroom rent: $660
- Cost of living (compared to average): -11.8%
The median income for recent graduates sits $5,000 higher than the national average, with the unemployment rate for recent graduates at almost 2% lower.
Median 1-bedroom rent in the area sits at $660 per month, with the national average at $1,096.
The Number of employer firms per 1,000 residents is almost 1% higher than the national average.
For a full breakdown of the country and the top metro areas, visit Porch’s website.
