These Are CA's Best Metros For Young Professionals In 2017: Forbes

New college graduates across the country are planning or have already planned their next move post-college and for many those plans include moving to a new city. So what locations are the best for young professionals headed to California in 2017?

Forbes looked at a range of factors to come up with a definitive list and while some cities might seem like obvious choices for young professionals, there are certainly some surprises. According to Forbes, the top city for young professionals in 2017 is Salt Lake City. What makes the city so attractive is its 3.2 percent unemployment rate, a 2.54 percent projected job growth for 2017 and a median grad salary of $50,500, which is higher than many other cities. Forbes also notes that rent in the city is fairly cheap, with a two-bedroom going for around $1,100.

In compiling the list, Forbes used six metrics, of which the median salary earned by college grads with less than five years of experience was the best predictor for whether a city would make the list. Another metric, rental affordability, was the least likely to predict whether a city would make the list.

The other metrics Forbes used are local unemployment rates, data on job growth and projections, networking opportunities and social outlook. Forbes ranked each of the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the United States using these metrics. Read more here on the metrics Forbes used to come up with the list.

Nationwide, the top 25 cities for young professionals in 2017 can be found here. Five of them are located in California.

Here are the top areas as ranked in the Golden State:

• San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division (no. 3 nationally)
• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area (no. 9 nationally)
• Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division (no. 11 nationally)
• Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division (no. 16 nationally)
• San Diego-Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area (no. 18 nationally)

>>>Click here to see more statistics on the cities that make the list, including median income, unemployment rate and more.

By Feroze Dhanoa (Patch National Staff) / Photo: Pixabay