Richmond ranks as Virginia's top metro for new grads
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Richmond is the best metro in the state for new college grads, according to a new report.
Why it matters: We love being in first place — for anything.
Driving the news: RVA landed at No. 1 in the state and No. 25 overall in payroll processor ADP's ranking of metros with strong job opportunities for 20-somethings, per an Axios review.
- That's based on wages, affordability and hiring rates for people in their 20s.
- And it's per the payroll company's review of 53 U.S. metros with populations of at least 1 million, so in Virginia, Richmond, Hampton Roads and NoVA.
Yes, but: Richmond was No. 18 last year, so this is a drop.
By the numbers: Richmond area 20-somethings who work jobs that require a bachelor's degree earn an average of $52,720, per ADP.
- And the metro area's hiring rate, which ADP bases in part on how quickly someone can get hired in a given market, is 2.3%.
Comparatively, Raleigh, our perennial rival and consistently in ADP's top five metros, pays 20-somethings an average of $56,372 and its hiring rate is 2.8%.
- And it scores the same as Richmond on relative affordability.
Between the lines: Raleigh and Richmond's rankings suggest that Richmond-area employers need to up their pay, and how quickly they hire, if they want to attract recent grads.
Fun fact: Virginia Beach, which was excluded this year due to lack of data, came in last in ADP's ranking in 2025 and second-to-last in 2024.
- NoVa (and the whole DMV region) came in at No. 30.