Overview
- Payroll firm ADP named Birmingham–Hoover the most favorable large metro for college graduates in their 20s.
- ADP ranked 53 metropolitan areas with at least 1 million residents using a combined score for wages, hiring rates, and local prices.
- The analysis drew on anonymized payroll records for about 209,000 workers ages 20–29 at more than 20,000 employers covering January 2025 through January 2026.
- The top 10 list placed Tampa second and San Jose third, with San Francisco and New York also ranking due to strong hiring and high pay despite steep costs.
- Morning Brew reported Birmingham’s lead reflected strong job growth and a 16% jump in median pay for young degree holders, while Raleigh slipped from prior years and Phoenix fell to 22nd.