Skip to main content

The 30 Best Cities for Starting Over, From Washington, D.C. to Honolulu

Looking for a new beginning for the new year? The Daily Beast finds the 30 best metros for starting over.

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-tease_hzxya1
galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-tease_aosdv4

Looking for a new beginning for the new year? The Daily Beast crunches the numbers to find the best places in America for reinvigorating your life and career.

With Thanksgiving's gluttony behind us, planning for December's holidays and the year ahead begins. For Americans using the coming new year as motivation to move, we calculated the best metro areas for reinvigorating a career and improving one's quality of life. 

For the second-annual ranking of the best cities in which to start over, The Daily Beast considered six data points, equally weighted, for more than 200 metropolitan areas:

• Small-business friendliness, based on Civic Economics and the American Book Association’s Indie City Index, a study of the vitality of independent retail in U.S. metropolitan areas.

• Ease of finding a job, based on September 2011 unemployment figures compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• High income level, based on median income figures for 2011, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, accessed via Fannie Mae.

• Low cost of living, based on the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index for the third quarter of 2011, in which a 100 is the average for all places and each city's index score is a percentage of the average.

• Nonprofit friendliness—nonprofits are a key job source—based on Charity Navigator's ranking of the top 30 cities that are most charity-conscious.

• Student friendly—key for retraining—based on the American Institute for Economic Research's 75 Best Colleges for Students, which ranks small, medium, and large cities, as well as college towns, in terms of academic environment, quality of life, and professional opportunity.

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-albany-ny_eegzvb

Median income: $77,000

Cost of living score (average=100): 110.9

Student-friendly rank: 14th (among small metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 108.9

Unemployment: 6.8%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

PictureNet / Corbis

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-stamford-ct_erwncn

Median income: $105,300

Cost of living score (average=100): 148.4

Student-friendly rank: 3rd (among small metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 127.5

Unemployment: 7.9%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Frederick Olson / Flickr

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-ames-iowa_exewwi

Median income: $77,400

Cost of living score (average=100): 96.0

Student-friendly rank: 4th (among college towns)

Independent business score (average=100): 85.5

Unemployment: 4.3%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Pete Zarria / Flickr

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-knoxville_wxw18j

Median income: $61,300

Cost of living score (average=100): 89.5

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 105

Unemployment: 7.9%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Elizabeth A. Davis / AP Photo

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-houston-tx_dwqzfu

 Median income: $66,000

Cost of living score (average=100): 89.4

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 97.9

Unemployment: 8.6%

Charity-conscious rank: 2nd (out of 30)

Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/cities-start-over---huntsville_x3yejk

Median income: $70,800

Cost of living score (average=100): 95.1

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 114.7

Unemployment: 8.2%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Michael Mercier / AP Photo

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-portland_pmb1zz

Median income: $70,100

Cost of living score (average=100): 112.8

Student-friendly rank: 20th (among small metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 113.1

Unemployment: 5.6%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Joe Sohm / Getty Images

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-manchester-nh_htls0n

Median income: $85,200

Cost of living score (average=100): 120.4

Student-friendly rank: 17th (among small metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 102.4

Unemployment: 5%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/job-growth-cities---charlottesville-va_ufhwl8

Median income: $76,700

Cost of living score (average=100): 104.4

Student-friendly rank: 6th (among midsize metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 100.3

Unemployment: 5.4%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-cambridge_qpy7p3

Median income: $91,600

Cost of living score (average=100): 137.2

Student-friendly rank: 4th (among major metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 105.6

Unemployment: 6.6%

Charity-conscious rank: 12th (out of 30)

Kiichiro Satop / AP Photo

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-oklahoma-city-ok_hzvyek

Median income: $60,600

Cost of living score (average=100): 92.0

Student-friendly rank: 20th (among midsize metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 99.6

Unemployment: 5.5%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Wes Thompson / Corbis

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/sleepless-cities---lexington-kentucky_k7e2rc

Median income: $66,200

Cost of living score (average=100): 91.7

Student -riendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 106.1

Unemployment: 8%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-appleton-wisconsin_mgnkw3

Median income: $72,600

Cost of living score (average=100): 93.4

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 94.2

Unemployment: 6.3%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

gobucks2 / Flickr

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-columbia-missouri_w74jqf

Median income: $65,100

Cost of living score (average=100): 91.0

Student-friendly rank: 13th (among college towns)

Independent business score (average=100): 88.2

Unemployment: 5.6%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-honolulu_jljd7j

Median income: $81,600

Cost of living score (average=100): 167.1

Student-friendly rank: 9th (among small metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 112.5

Unemployment: 5.7%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Robyn Beck / Getty Images

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/cities-start-over---fargo-nd_gz1x4o

Median income: $69,400

Cost of living score (average=100): 93.9

Student-friendly rank: 20th (among college towns)

Independent business score (average=100): 91.3

Unemployment: 3.3%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Getty Images

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-washington-dc_wfwuiz

Median income: $106,100

Cost of living score (average=100): 147.5

Student-friendly rank: 3rd (among major metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 104.6

Unemployment: 6.1%

Charity-conscious rank: 10th (out of 30)

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Photo

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-des-moines-iowa_cuzanm

Median income: $74,500

Cost of living score (average=100): 90.8

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 81.9

Unemployment: 5.6%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Ron Reiring / Flickr

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-cedar-rapids-iowa_dammbq

Median income: $70,100

Cost of living score (average=100): 93.7

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 97.2

Unemployment: 5.6%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-omaha-nebraska_c9ez6q

Median income: $70,600

Cost of living score (average=100): 88.5

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 72.1

Unemployment: 4.4%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Mark Karrass / Corbis

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-fairbanks_ixwoqk

Median income: $91,700

Cost of living score (average=100): 138.6

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 120.7

Unemployment: 5.8%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Walter Bibikow / Getty Images

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-provo-Wausau-wisconsin_aaomu5

 

Median income: $68,200

Cost of living score (average=100): 94.8

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 121.9

Unemployment: 7%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-provo-utah_xyevko

Median income: $66,200

Cost of living score (average=100): 90.2

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 101.3

Unemployment: 6.6%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-ann-arbor-michigan_ksabka

Median income: $86,300

Cost of living score (average=100): 102.2

Student-friendly rank: 2nd (among college towns)

Independent business score (average=100): 112.8

Unemployment: 6.8%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Robert Blackie / Flickr

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-burlington-vermont_euwurd

Median income: $75,700

Cost of living score (average=100): 122.0

Student-friendly rank: 16th (among college towns)

Independent business score (average=100): 123.6

Unemployment: 4.2%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Jordan Silverman / Getty Images

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-ogden-clearfield-utah_welvue

Median income: $70,600

Cost of living score (average=100): 90.5

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 99.2

Unemployment: 6.9%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Nasa Videographer / Flickr

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-nashville_dyf2i8

Median income: $66,200

Cost of living score (average=100): 88.8

Student-friendly rank: 10th (among midsize metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 114.1

Unemployment: 8.5%

Charity-conscious rank: 26th (out of 30)

Mark Humphrey / AP Photo

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-Iowa-City_st5z1w

Median income: $75,100

Cost of living score (average=100): 101.7

Student-friendly rank: 3rd (among college towns)

Independent business score (average=100): 109.9

Unemployment: 4.4%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/start-over-cities-idaho-falls_vwb7gl

Median income: $60,300

Cost of living score (average=100): 88.3

Student-friendly rank: N/A

Independent business score (average=100): 115.7

Unemployment: 6.8%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

galleries/2011/11/23/30-best-cities-to-start-over-photos/best-cities-to-start-over-austin_jmkcxc

Median income: $74,900

Cost of living score (average=100): 93.3

Student-friendly rank: 2nd (among midsize metros)

Independent business score (average=100): 134.2

Unemployment: 7.4%

Charity-conscious rank: N/A

Mira Oberman / Getty Images

TRENDING NOW