Washington, DC, has been named the best city in the US for working in tech, outpacing traditional industry hubs such as San Francisco, according to a new ranking.
The study, conducted by software developers marketplace Lemon.io, evaluated the 250 most populous American cities using five weighted technology-related metrics
- Number of institutions offering computer programmes
- Average graduation rate for technology courses
- Number of Wi-Fi hotspots
- Total number of technology jobs available
- Total number of technology companies rated three stars or higher on Glassdoor
California led all states with seven cities in the top 30, including San Jose, Anaheim, Irvine, San Francisco, Long Beach, Riverside, and Oakland.
Top 5 tech cities breakdown
Washington, DC (Score: 80)
Ranked first overall due to strong performance across all categories. It has 17,350 available tech jobs on Glassdoor, 2,924 highly rated tech companies, 1,237 Wi-Fi hotspots, and a 65% tech graduation rate. It tied for third place, with 10 institutes offering computer programmes.
St Paul, Minnesota (Score: 78)
second overall. Its strongest metric is its 62% tech graduation rate, the fifth-highest in the nation. It also ranked 12th for computing institutes, with seven schools.
Pennsylvania (Score: 75.8)
Took third place, driven by a 64% tech graduation rate, the third-highest nationwide. However, its lower job availability ranking, with 1,565 advertised tech jobs placing it 33rd, kept it from scoring higher.
Miami, Florida (Score: 75.1)
Placed fourth overall and was the highest-ranking of three Florida cities in the top 30. It has the 2nd-highest number of Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide, at 3,895, alongside 1,167 highly rated tech companies. It ranked 30th for tech job availability, with 2,108 openings.
Irvine, California (Score: 75)
Ranked fifth overall and first in California. Irvine has the highest tech course graduation rate in the nation, at 67%. It also ranked 7th for employee-rated tech companies, with 2,211, and 23rd for available tech jobs, with 2,369 openings.
Industry Impact and Expert Insights
“For many, a role in software development, programming, data engineering, and more is becoming increasingly valuable with the rapid advancement of AI. Having someone in your company or working with your company who can sense-check, build, and understand AI and how to use it to improve a company or product is more vital than ever,” said Aleksandr Volodarsky, CEO of Lemon.io.
“What stands out from the data is that Washington, DC, has nearly three times more tech job openings than San Francisco, a city most people would associate with the tech industry. The results suggest that the definition of a ‘tech hub’ is evolving beyond Silicon Valley,” Volodarsky added. “The cities in the ranking highlight where some of the best tech minds reside and where, if you’re curious about developing these skills, then these are the places to do so. The opportunities in these cities are far greater than in any other.”
The 30 best US cities to work in tech
| Rank | City Name | State | Institutes Offering Computer Programs | Average Graduation Rate | WiFi Hotspots | Tech Jobs (Glassdoor) | IT Companies Above 3 Stars (Glassdoor) | Overall Index Score (/100) |
| 1 | Washington | District of Columbia | 10 | 65% | 1,237 | 17,350 | 2,924 | 80 |
| 2 | St. Paul | Minnesota | 7 | 62% | 395 | 2,159 | 998 | 78 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 7 | 64% | 405 | 1,565 | 665 | 75.8 |
| 4 | Miami | Florida | 6 | 61% | 3,895 | 2,108 | 1,167 | 75.1 |
| 5 | Irvine | California | 5 | 67% | 300 | 2,369 | 2,211 | 75 |
| 6 | Atlanta | Georgia | 9 | 56% | 1,020 | 5,646 | 1,853 | 74.8 |
| 7 | Newark | New Jersey | 3 | 54% | 614 | 4,466 | 4,278 | 73.6 |
| 8 | Boston | Massachusetts | 12 | 56% | 1,035 | 4,846 | 1,518 | 70.5 |
| 9 | Baltimore | Maryland | 11 | 55% | 468 | 6,455 | 1,118 | 69.1 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | Ohio | 4 | 55% | 909 | 1,450 | 548 | 64.7 |
| 11 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 7 | 52% | 544 | 2,160 | 998 | 64.6 |
| 12 | Arlington | Texas | 1 | 57% | 859 | 6,001 | 2,285 | 64.6 |
| 13 | Orlando | Florida | 5 | 42% | 1,209 | 1,213 | 578 | 62.6 |
| 14 | Anaheim | California | 3 | 53% | 207 | 2,723 | 2,211 | 60.4 |
| 15 | San Francisco | California | 6 | 52% | 1,661 | 5,890 | 1,906 | 59.9 |
| 16 | Seattle | Washington | 7 | 46% | 1,345 | 8,937 | 1,271 | 59.3 |
| 17 | Long Beach | California | 2 | 49% | 4,900 | 2,211 | 567 | 59.1 |
| 18 | Dallas | Texas | 8 | 61% | 1,920 | 7,142 | 2,285 | 58.3 |
| 19 | Portland | Oregon | 6 | 63% | 1,618 | 1,137 | 618 | 58.3 |
| 20 | Tampa | Florida | 4 | 44% | 913 | 2,191 | 900 | 57.8 |
| 21 | Riverside | California | 5 | 59% | 450 | 436 | 265 | 57.4 |
| 22 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 6 | 51% | 340 | 2,214 | 906 | 55.9 |
| 23 | Oakland | California | 3 | 29% | 743 | 6,975 | 1,906 | 54.7 |
| 24 | Cleveland | Ohio | 3 | 55% | 591 | 981 | 466 | 54 |
| 25 | Kansas City | Missouri | 5 | 51% | 959 | 1,352 | 562 | 53.9 |
| 26 | Denver | Colorado | 5 | 46% | 1,185 | 3,658 | 1,062 | 52.5 |
| 27 | San Jose | California | 4 | 44% | 1,278 | 10,974 | 1,441 | 51.1 |
| 28 | New Orleans | Louisiana | 7 | 48% | 337 | 349 | 188 | 50.8 |
| 29 | Austin | Texas | 5 | 49% | 1,664 | 4,319 | 1,181 | 50.6 |
| 30 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 5 | 58% | 675 | 874 | 478 | 50.6 |