Arizona may be best known for its sweeping landscapes and desert climate, and according to one new report, the Southwestern state is also home to three of the best cities to land a new job in 2020.
Personal finance site WalletHub released its ranking of the year's best cities for jobs, which stacks 180 U.S. cities against each other and scores them based on 31 key indicators.
Locations were weighed based on a "job market" ranking, which accounts for job opportunities, employment growth, starting salary, unemployment rate, job satisfaction and other factors.
Each city was also given a second "socioeconomic" ranking to score how well workers actually live there. These factors include median household income, average commute to work, housing affordability and whether each city was well equipped for raising a family, dating or enjoying recreational activities.
The No. 1 city to find a new job in 2020 is Scottsdale, Arizona, according to WalletHub. Jobs site Glassdoor lists 67,809 open positions in the city, particularly in high-growth (and high-paying) industries such as health care, computer software and information technology.
The U.S. Census Bureau puts the median household income of Scottsdale at $84,601 per year — a fair amount higher than the national median household income of $63,179, as of 2018.
WalletHub also highlighted Scottsdale as a good city for college students as well as for renters in 2019.
Chandler, Arizona, and Tempe, Arizona, were also recognized in the top 10 best cities to land a new job this year.
While several high-cost cities with rapid population growth, including San Francisco, are recognized for their strong hiring markets, smaller up-and-coming metros also make a strong showing.
Boise, Idaho, is the 10th-best city for jobs and was recently identified as a popular destination for people fleeing expensive coastal cities — and taking their jobs with them — according to The Wall Street Journal.
On the other end of the spectrum, the worst job markets include: Detroit, Michigan; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Newark, New Jersey; Stockton, California; and Brownsville, Texas.
January and February are the most popular times to search for a new job, and job seekers have a lot of factors working in their favor: The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are roughly 7.3 million open jobs in the U.S., and the unemployment rate sits at just 3.5% — meaning there are plenty of openings for those who are looking.
"The best time to apply is right now," Monster.com career expert Vicki Salemi tells CNBC Make It. "Especially in this talent shortage, recruiters especially are focused on reading incoming applications ASAP to start the process to fill their jobs."
Job seekers can increase their odds of landing a new gig by taking stock of their skills, polishing their application materials and keeping tabs on companies they want to work for in order to make the move at the right time.
Here are the best cities to find a new job in 2020.
10. Boise, Idaho
Total score: 59.29
Job market rank: 19
Socioeconomic rank: 8
9. Portland, Maine
Total score: 60.04
Job market rank: 10
Socioeconomic rank: 26
8. Tempe, Arizona
Total score: 60.07
Job market rank: 14
Socioeconomic rank: 11
7. Boston, Massachusetts
Total score: 60.44
Job market rank: 5
Socioeconomic rank: 64
6. Chandler, Arizona
Total score: 60.99
Job market rank: 8
Socioeconomic rank: 13
5. Fremont, California
Total score: 61.53
Job market rank: 4
Socioeconomic rank: 67
4. Austin, Texas
Total score: 61.82
Job market rank: 6
Socioeconomic rank: 21
3. San Francisco, California
Total score: 63.17
Job market rank: 3
Socioeconomic rank: 30
2. South Burlington, Vermont
Total score: 65.47
Job market rank: 1
Socioeconomic rank: 10
1. Scottsdale, Arizona
Total score: 65.50
Job market rank: 2
Socioeconomic rank: 4
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