innovation hub
Plano is the 7th best U.S. city to find a job in 2026, report finds

There are lots of reasons to live in Plano, including its job market.
Dallas neighbor Plano has worked its way into 7th place in WalletHub's new study ranking the best places to find a job in 2026.
The just-released "Best Cities for Jobs (2026)" report compared 182 U.S. cities based on 31 relevant metrics "that shape the strength of local job markets" across two main categories: a socioeconomics rank and a job market rank.
WalletHub determined the top three best U.S. cities to find a job in 2026 are Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 1); Columbia, Maryland (No. 2); and Portland, Maine (No. 3).
The report found Plano's job market ranking — which covered job opportunities, employment growth, unemployment rates, job automation risk, and more — is the 6th best in the U.S.
Plano also ranked No. 40 in the nationwide socioeconomic category, which analyzed housing affordability, median annual income, average work and commute times, transit accessibility, and many other factors.
While these employment indicators are important to consider when researching the best place to find work, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the quality of the jobs available matters just as much as the quantity of available jobs in a city.
"There are plenty of secondary factors to take into account as well, from how easy a city makes commuting to jobs to whether it’s a good place for raising a family or engaging in recreational activities outside of work," Lupo said.
Plano is home to the headquarters and regional offices for major corporations including Toyota, J.C. Penney, Frito-Lay, PepsiCo, Bank of America, Capital One, Ericsson, and soon, AT&T.
Plano was dubbed the No. 6 best city for remote workers in 2025, and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metro recently ranked No. 3 a separate national ranking of the best cities for startups.
Elsewhere in Texas, 10 more cities made it into the top-100 best places for finding a job: Austin (No. 9), Irving (No. 18), Grand Prairie (No. 24), Amarillo (No. 32), Garland (No. 48), Dallas (No. 54), Arlington (No. 60), Fort Worth (No.77), San Antonio (No. 78), and Corpus Christi (No. 100).
The top 10 best U.S. cities for finding a job in 2026 are:
- No. 1 – Scottsdale, Arizona
- No. 2 – Columbia, Maryland
- No. 3 – Portland, Maine
- No. 4 – South Burlington, Vermont
- No. 5 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- No. 6 – Orlando, Florida
- No. 7 – Plano, Texas
- No. 8 – Washington, D.C.
- No. 9 – Austin, Texas
- No. 10 – Huntsville, Alabama
