As the Class of 2025 enters the workforce, many graduates are weighing a key decision: Which city offers the strongest start to their careers?
To guide their choice, CoworkingCafe’s updated 2025 study ranks the best U.S. cities for recent grads based on eight key metrics — including job availability, median income, affordability, and quality of life. To ensure a fair comparison, cities were grouped by population: large, mid-sized and small.
Springfield made a notable first-time entry in the top 10 best small cities for college grads in 2025, landing directly on #6 — supported by consistent early-career job opportunities, an affordable cost of living, and a vibrant lifestyle with plenty of leisure options.
Here are the main highlights for Springfield:
Employment Metrics (ranking #8 among small cities)
- 29% of residents aged 18–34 hold a bachelor’s degree, ranking Springfield 31st among small cities for educational attainment.
- 7% of all jobs in the metro are entry-level graduate positions, placing Springfield 3rd for early-career job access.
- The unemployment rate for young adults (ages 20–29) is 5%, ranking 34th among small cities.
Financial Metrics (ranking #11 among small cities)
- The median income for college graduates aged 25+ is $67,199, placing Springfield 19th among small cities.
- Regional price parity is 90.5, indicating prices are about 9.5% below the national average, reflecting affordable living costs.
- 59% of young adults (ages 19–34) have employer-based health insurance, ranking 36th among small cities for this metric.
Lifestyle Metrics (ranking #3 among small cities)
- Springfield offers 404 leisure establishments per 100K residents, ranking 12th among small cities for dining, entertainment, and social options.
- Coworking space density stands at just 1 flex workspace per 100K residents, placing Springfield 47th.
Nationally, the new wave of college grads is finding opportunity across all city sizes — from major hubs like Atlanta and D.C. to mid-sized standouts like Arlington, VA and St. Louis, and small cities such as Cambridge and Ann Arbor, which combine strong salaries with livability.
Read the full analysis and methodology here:https://www.
