10 Best Cities for Jobs That Let You Have a Life
Home to Indiana University in Bloomington – the largest university in the state and the top employer in the region – the area offers an array of outdoor and cultural activities. It also has the shortest average commute to work of the top 10 cities.
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Home to Brigham Young University, Provo is working hard at providing a high quality of life to its residents while keeping them employed but not overworked. The average weekly hours worked per person is 30.9 hours, the lowest of all the 536 cities that NerdWallet studied.
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The average employee works only 32.5 hours in Gainesville, where the major employer is the University of Florida, the eighth largest university in the country. The town counts several museums among its treasures; residents also spend lots of leisure time at Florida Gators football games.
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Eau Claire residents have a short work week, on average 33.8 hours, and a quick commute to work, only 16 minutes. They spend their free time at one of the many local parks or the Chippewa River State Trail.
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Home to the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa is also a manufacturing, service and retail hub. The town counts several museums, parks and the Bryant Denny Stadium, where the university’s football team, the Crimson Tide, plays, among its assets.
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Not only do Iowa City’s residents work just 34 hours a week on average and spend roughly 17 minutes commuting to work, they also benefit from a low cost of living relative to average earnings. The median gross rent stands at $785, while the median earnings for a full-time worker are $42,290.
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Another college town, College Station is home to Texas A&M University, one of the largest institutions for higher education in the nation and Texas’s first public institution of higher ed. The city, which still has a small-town feel, is located in central Texas and offers entertainment options as well as recreational opportunities at one of its 52 parks.
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It only takes 17 minutes to get to work for the average Eugene resident, who can also hike and bike on scenic trails in the state’s Willamette Valley, famous for its wineries and its Pinot Noir. PeaceHealth Medical Group and the University of Oregon are among the top employers.
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Bellingham prides itself on its culture of outdoor recreation including hiking, biking, running, climbing, camping, kayaking, sailing, golfing and snow sports. Local breweries and wineries, as well as the fact that the average employee works only 33.4 hours a week, all make this town a strong work-life balance destination.
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Several companies including startups in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors have chosen to base their headquarters in Kalamazoo, which also boasts a large manufacturing industry. With the average employee working only 33.6 hours a week, there’s ample time to enjoy the city’s local breweries and pubs.
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