The results are in, and according to a new survey Birmingham-Hoover is the top place in the country for college graduates to land a job. The greater Birmingham-Hoover metro area moved from fifth place last year to first this year.
"Greater Birmingham’s rise was driven by strong hiring and rapid wage growth," the study said.
“If you can get that right mix of hiring, pay, and affordability, it’s a really attractive launch point for a young person,” Nela Richardson, ADP Research Institute's chief economist, told the Wall Street Journal.
To get to the end result, ADP anonymized payroll data of more than 409,000 people aged 20 to 29 at more than 20,000 U.S. employers, spanning January 2025 through January 2026. ADP then ranked 53 U.S. metro areas with at least one million residents based on wages, hiring and cost of living.
The results show the Birmingham-Hoover metro posted a strong 2.8% hiring rate, and median annual wages for recent graduates jumped more than 16% to $59,004.
Researchers also noted that the region was “more affordable than all but two of the metros we studied.”
Governor Kay Ivey celebrated the news, saying, "A new @WSJ analysis ranks Birmingham #1 for new grads. Turns out, the best move isn’t always moving. As our graduates take the stage this month, Alabama offers a strong place to begin — and every reason to stay."
A new @WSJ analysis ranks Birmingham #1 for new grads.
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) May 4, 2026
Turns out, the best move isn’t always moving.
As our graduates take the stage this month, Alabama offers a strong place to begin — and every reason to stay. #alpoliticshttps://t.co/qkGnOKoE8N
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin also celebrated the results in a social media post.
"This is what we’ve been telling y’all. The story of Birmingham is changing. The story being told about Birmingham is changing too," Woodfin said.
"For a long time, when somebody graduated from one of our incredible universities, the assumption was they’d leave for a bigger city. Now we’re seeing the opposite. Young professionals from across the country are moving here for opportunity, and our own graduates are choosing to stay and build their futures right here in the Magic City," he continued. "That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because we’ve invested in the talent pipeline. Because we’ve made this city a place where people want to live. Because we’ve backed a business climate that’s creating real careers in healthcare, finance, tech, biosciences, and beyond."
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