2. Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Job growth is 5.3% in Raleigh, 4.6% for Durham. Combined, the area secured the No. 2 spot on U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Places to Live list after ranking No. 11 in 2020.
5. Boise, Idaho
Ranked No. 11 on U.S. News & World Report’s summer 2021 Best Places to Live report, Boise also was identified by the National Association of Realtors as a top 10 market showing resilience during the pandemic and expected it to perform well in a post-COVID-19 environment.
Jacksonville, Fla., jumped ahead in The Wall Street Journal/Moody’s Analytics rankings for 2021 when it became the fifth-hottest job market after placing 15th in 2020 and 27th in 2019 in the assessment of 300 metro areas based on five factors: unemployment and labor-force participation rates, job, labor-force and wage growth.