Atlanta included in the top 10 cities for recent college grads in 2025
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(NewsNation) — The job market is challenging for recent college graduates, yet cities such as Austin and Raleigh continue to present a compelling combination of affordability and opportunities, according to a new report.

Realtor.com examined over 300 cities and towns to identify the most “grad-friendly” rental markets for 2025, evaluating factors such as housing affordability, rental availability, and job prospects.

Austin, Texas, ranked first on the list for the second consecutive year, due to its low rent-to-income ratio (18.9%) and a significant proportion of jobs (29.4%) that require a bachelor’s degree but no previous experience.

Raleigh, North Carolina, and Overland Park, Kansas, ranked second and third, followed by Minneapolis, Minnesota, and St. Louis, Missouri.

“These markets aren’t just affordable areas with relatively more abundant rental options, they’re full of energy, opportunity, and a sense of community, everything a recent grad could want,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a statement.

On average, graduates in the top 10 markets spend just 21.5% of their income on rent, well below the commonly accepted 30% affordability benchmark. This year’s top cities also have a lower average unemployment rate (3.8%) compared to the 50 largest metros (4.1%).

Cost of living and job opportunities will likely be top priorities for the Class of 2025, which is entering the rockiest job market since 2021.

Here’s Realtor.com’s top 10 list for 2025 along with some of the key metrics the report considered.

1 – Austin, TX

AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 04: Atmosphere during weekend one, day one of the 2024 Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park on October 04, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images)

Median Rent: $1,504

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 18.9%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 8.2%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 29.4%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 3.6%

2 – Raleigh, NC

RALEIGH, NC – JANUARY 2:
Raleigh’s downtown skyline is seen from The Dillion’s ninth floor lobby terrace open to the public January 02, 2019 in Raleigh, NC. The convention center’s Shimmer Wall is seen at the far right.
(Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Median Rent: $1,524

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 20.0%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 9.0%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 30.4%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 3.3%

3 – Overland Park, KS

Kansas, Overland Park, Museum at Prairiefire. (Photo by: Bernard P. Friel/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Median Rent: $1,351

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 20.6%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 9.2%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 25.5%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 4.2%

4 – Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis, Minnesota. Skyline showing the Mississippi river and US Bank Stadium in the fall. (Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Median Rent: $1,528

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 19.7%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 5.2%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 27.3%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 3.7%

5 – St. Louis, MO

ST. LOUIS, MO – JULY 18: A general view of the St Louis Gateway Arch, skyline and the Budweiser sign during the fifth inning between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium on July 18, 2023 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)

Median Rent: $1,335

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 20.8%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 8.0%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 25.1%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 4.0%

6 – Richmond, VA

Sunset view on James River of historic southern Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Median Rent: $1,502

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 23.2%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 8.2%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 25.3%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 3.3%

7 – Pittsburgh, PA

The skyline of Pittsburgh is framed by couple walking through a park on the Northside on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Median Rent: $1,461

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 22.3%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 8.7%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 24.3%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 4.1%

8 – Scottsdale, AZ

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 19: People ride electric scooters through the old town area on Tuesday November 19, 2024 in Scottsdale, AZ. Maricopa County continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in the country. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Median Rent: $1,530

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 22.5%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 7.9%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 23.0%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 3.7%

9 – Richardson, TX

The University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson, Texas (Credit: University of Texas at Dallas)

Median Rent: $1,472

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 22.4%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 8.9%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 24.4%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 4.0%

10 – Atlanta, GA

The midtown skyline and interstate highway system as it merges into downtown Atlanta in the late evening. Viewable are great light trails from the traffic on the highways, Georgia Tech University, and various midtown skyscrapers.

Median Rent: $1,604

Rent-to-Income Ratio: 24.1%

Rental Vacancy Rate: 9.3%

College Grad Friendly Occupations: 24.7%

Forecasted unemployment rate: 4.1%

For more on Realtor.com’s methodology, read here.

As a new class of graduates prepares to enter the job market, the latest consumer confidence numbers have turned somewhat positive after five straight months of declines.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose 12.3 points in May to 98, up from April’s 85.7, its lowest reading since May 2020.

A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market jumped 17.4 points to 72.8, but remained below 80, which can signal a recession ahead.

The Labor Department earlier this month reported that U.S. employers added a surprising 177,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate remained at a low 4.2%.

Write-in responses to the survey showed that tariffs are still consumers’ biggest concern. Inflation is also still weighing on their minds, though some noted that inflation seemed to be easing, along with gas prices.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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