Career Lift-Off

The best cities in the world to start a career? Dallas is one.

Starting your career? Dallas is the place for you.

Photo courtesy of Dallas CVB

Good news for all you millennials flocking to Dallas: According to a new study, you're living in one of the best cities to start a career. Same goes for Houston and Austin.

Online marketing company HubSpot recently released its picks for the world's best cities to start your career, three of which are in Texas. HubSpot "scoured the web for studies, reports, and news stories" to determine the 12 favorites, presented in no particular order.

Not only does Dallas boast tons of entry-level jobs, but it's a sought-after city for corporate headquarters and startups alike. HubSpot also champions Dallas' low cost of living, high salaries, and low unemployment rate.

Houston garners big props for its starting salaries — the highest in the country when adjusted for cost of living — and strong job opportunities. Notes HubSpot, Houston was the first city to add more than two jobs for every one it lost after the economy crashed.

Austin's status as a top tech hub, combined with its relatively low cost of living and small business friendliness, make it a hot spot for kick-starting your career. Plus, "Austin's friendly, funky vibe might just be the cherry on top," says HubSpot.

These Lone Star cities join such exotic locales as Amsterdam, Netherlands; Santiago, Chile; and Sydney, Australia on the esteemed list. Other U.S. cities on the list are Washington, D.C.; Denver, Colorado; Raleigh, North Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Very Merry news

Dallas climbs up list of best cities to celebrate Christmas

Dallas Arts District with holiday lights

Photo courtesy of Omni Dallas Hotel

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Dallas is on the nice list this holiday season: The city has clambered up on WalletHub's annual ranking of the best cities for celebrating Christmas.

Very merry Dallas is ranked No. 31 on WalletHub's 2024 list, which ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Dallas ranked No. 34 on WalletHub's 2023 report. That's a 3-point increase. Kudos, Dallas.

Here's how the city performed across the study's five main categories:

No. 16 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 21 – Shopping rank
No. 57 – Generosity rank
No. 74 – Costs rank
No. 75 – Observance rank

Dallas can cheer on its place as the third highest-ranked Texas city thanks to its vast array of holiday happenings, including numerous dazzling light displays and neighborhoods throughout town. From local restaurants and bars creating festive feasts and delightful cocktail experiences, to a number of pop-up ice skating rinks, over-the-top attractions, and tall Christmas trees, there are more ways than ever for Dallasites to celebrate.

Dallas households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Dallas household is expected to spend about $1,406 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $943 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

In a separate report by home services provider Thumbtack, Dallas was named the second most festive U.S. city in 2024.

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include Austin (No. 23), San Antonio (No. 30), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

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