MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A lot of Minnesota college graduates are looking to flee the nest, but they may want to stay close home.

A new ranking from Forbes says the Twin Cities is one of the best cities to live for new college graduates.

“I think Minneapolis/St. Paul is a great market for young professionals,” said Katherine Pasker, a University of Minnesota law student who moved to the Twin Cities from Salt Lake City, Utah.

Pasker plans to stay in Minneapolis after graduating.

“It has a large metropolitan area which a lot of young professionals are looking for and a lot of opportunity,” she said.

Forbes came up with the rankings using data from Rent.com to find the top 25 cities with the most rental listings. Then they compared unemployment figures, cost of living and annual mean wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau.

U of M law student Kenzie Johnson said Minnesota’s job market has improved since she entered law school.

“When I graduated two years ago I thought doom and gloom,” said Johnson. “But I think it’s getting better and hearing stories about Minneapolis being a great market is promising.”

The following are the top-10 cities where young college graduates will likely find housing, work and an affordable lifestyle according to Forbes.com:

Minneapolis/St. Paul
Unemployment: 5.5%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $23.63

Boston, MA
Unemployment: 5.8%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $27.19

Seattle, WA
Unemployment: 7.8%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $26.25

Houston, TX
Unemployment: 7.3%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $22.26

Baltimore, MD
Unemployment: 6.8%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $24.00

Dallas, TX
Unemployment: 7.1%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $22.53

Kansas City, MO
Unemployment: 6.8%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $24.00

Raleigh/Durham, NC
Unemployment: 8.0%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $21.54

Washington D.C.
Unemployment: 5.5%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $29.95

Austin, TX
Unemployment: 6.3%, Mean Wages (Hourly) $22.18