With the failing economy hitting some cities harder than others, many recent college graduates are looking to other cities for more options.  “Given the current, new grads looking to relocate are becoming increasingly concerned with the cost of living as they are faced with more competition for jobs than seen in previous years, “says Tammy Kotula, public relations and promotions manager at Apartments.com  “With these very real concerns weighing on the minds of many, two leading online resources for apartments and jobs have come together to paint a realistic landscape of both the job market and cost of living in the most popular cities for young adults after college.”

Check out Apartments.com and CBcampus.com’s “Top 10 Best Cities for Recent College Graduates.”  The list was compiled based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s ranking of the top cities with the highest concentration of 20-24 year olds, an inventory of jobs requiring less than one year of experience from CBcampus.com and the average cost of rent for a one bedroom apartment according to Apartments.com.

1. Indianapolis

Average Rent: $625

Popular Jobs: Sales, Healthcare, Customer Service

2. Philadelphia

Average Rent: $1034,

Popular Jobs: Sales, Management, Customer Service

3. Baltimore

Average Rent: $1,130

Popular Jobs: Sales, Healthcare, Customer Service

4. Cincinnati

Average Rent: $691

Popular Jobs: Sales, Marketing, Customer Service

5. Cleveland

Average Rent: $686

Popular Jobs: Sales, Marketing Customer Service

6. New York

Average Rent: $686

Popular Jobs: Sales, Clerical, Customer Service

7. Phoenix

Average Rent: $747

Popular Jobs: Sales, Marketing, Customer Service

8. Denver

Average Rent: $877

Popular Jobs: Sales, Healthcare, Customer Service

9. Chicago

Average Rent: $1,133

Popular Jobs: Sales, Marketing, Customer Service

10. San Antonio

Average Rent: $696

Popular Jobs: Sales, Management, Customer Service

Here are some additional tips for relocating after college…

-Contact alumni from your college who live in that city and join an alumni chapter if one exists in the area.
-Keep up to date on what’s going on in that city through the local media and other resources.
-Develop a list of local companies and research their business and company culture.
-Consider spending a few days visiting that city and while on the trip network and set up informational interviews.
-Register with a national recruitment agency and interview with a local recruiter.