Top 3 Cities to Live in for the Best Career Opportunities

Looking to move your career forward? Well, the cities you need to consider living in may surprise you. Turns out some of the best opportunities are in small and mid-sized metro areas rather than larger cities along the coasts. Here are the top 3 cities. At number 3, Rochester, Minnesota. Health care dominates Rochester, Minn., the state's third-largest city. Rochester, located less than two hours south of Minneapolis, is home to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. As of November, Rochester's unemployment rate is 2.6% - about half the national average. Rochester's popular industries are health care, wholesale and retail trade, and agriculture. At number 2 is Fargo, North Dakota. Fargo is North Dakota's largest city. The city's job growth and income gains have outpaced the national average. Most impressively, job growth has kept pace with Fargo's double digit population growth over the last decade. As of November, Fargo's unemployment rate is 2.2%. Fargo's popular industries are education and health care. And topping the list at number 1 is Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska's second largest city is also its capital. Lincoln is ranked number 6 on Forbes' list of Best Places for Business and Careers and takes ZipRecruiter's number 1 position in best cities to get a job in 2015. The city has a 'killer combination' of low unemployment, strong job growth and low ratio of applicants to open jobs. As of November, Lincoln's unemployment rate is 2.1%, and its popular industries are construction, financial services, state government, manufacturing, and health care.