UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.
#40. Bethesda
To put it plainly: D.C. suburb Bethesda is the place for the best of the best of young, smart entrepreneurs. Why? It ranks number 1 on this list for educational attainment and number 1 for share of creative class workers. It’s a cultural mecca, ranking number 1 on this list for arts and culture. It also has the lowest unemployment out of all cities on this list. Perhaps this is why (as well as its close proximity to D.C.) it is also one of the least affordable cities on this list, except in the area of transportation, where it ranks in the top 5 for affordability. Bottomline: If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere – that’s why it’s ranked on our Top 100 Best Places to Live and Top 10 Best Cities for New College Grads lists.