If you think you know the best U.S. cities for technology workers — think again.
In fact, locations such as San Francisco and Los Angeles rank near the bottom of an analysis of 50 cities with tech sectors, according to a study from Edwize, an online education website. The analysis looked at factors such as broadband internet speed, population, average salaries, available job openings and rent costs to determine the best metros for people employed in the technology industry.
"It's a bit of a surprise to see some of the 'lesser known tech cities' ranking really well in the report and equally surprising to see some of the big players ranking further down," Edwize founder Layla Acharya said in a statement.
Breaking down major cities by factors such as salary and rent prices can help determine the best locations for people who want to pursue a career in tech, she added.
Arlington, Texas came in at No. 1, with tech workers boasting an average salary of $91,988 and the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment coming in at $1,100 a month, according to the study. The city is home to 10,422 jobs related to technology.
Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Boston rounded out the top five cities on the list.
Miami, which gained thousands of new tech job postings during the first half 2022, came in at the middle at No. 23. Edwize reports there are nearly 3,700 tech jobs in the Magic City, or 0.008 jobs for every person. But with an average salary of $69,654 and the price of a one-bedroom apartment surpassing $2,000 a month, the city may not be as affordable for workers breaking into the industry.
More surprising? Some cities known for their robust tech industries — including New York, Seattle and Austin, Texas — didn't even crack the Top 10.
In San Francisco (No. 47), that could be due to a lack of available jobs. Edwize reports there are about 1,381 available jobs in that metro, or one position for every 0.0015 people in the area. In contrast, New York (No. 35) has more than 19,000 open jobs related to tech, but the average cost of rent ($2,653) and lower salaries ($87,170) can make it more difficult to launch a career in the city.
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