By John S Kiernan, WalletHub — Deciding where to lay the foundation for a long and prosperous career can be a daunting task, especially for recent graduates entering the job market for the first time. After all, there are numerous factors — job-market saturation, housing affordability and commuter-friendliness, for instance — to consider about each prospective area.

But the process needn’t be that difficult or intimidating. WalletHub’s data team compared the relative market strength and overall livability of the 150 largest U.S. cities to help recent college graduates find the best cradles for their burgeoning careers. We examined each city based on 23 key metrics that range from the availability of entry-level jobs to monthly average starting salary to workforce diversity. 

And the #1 place to start a career: Salt Lake City!