As a new poll from Yahoo! HotJobs suggests that four out of 10 Americans in work plan to start looking for a new job at some point within the next 12 months – and one in five already looking – many of those with itchy feet might be heading south.
Drawing on its own research and an array of data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, Yahoo! HotJobs has compiled a list of the top ten cities and metropolitan areas that provide the foundation for a good work and life balance. Eight out of the ten are in the southern half of the U.S.
Selections were made based on assessment of population growth, cost-of-living, access to medical facilities, average commuting times, availability of recreational activities, and other data.
In alphabetical order, the top 10 cities are: Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; New York City metro area, NY; Orlando, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Diego, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Tampa, FL; and the Washington, D.C. metro area.
The rising stars among the best places to live and work, rated for their abundance of job opportunities and good access to recreation and health care facilities, have an even more southern bias. They are Albuquerque, NM; Chandler, AZ; Colorado Springs, CO; Gilbert, AZ; Henderson, NV; Las Vegas, NV; McAllen, TX; Provo, UT; Rancho-Cucamonga, CA; and West Palm Beach, FL.