Editor’s Note: This article is one of the top 10 Leadership stories of 2015. See the full list here.

A lot of factors go into finding the right job, and like many things in life, location plays a huge role. And while the coasts have long been considered industry hotspots, the best cities for jobs might surprise you.

According to Glassdoor’s Best Cities for Jobs report, the top three are Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, based on a comparison of the 50 most populated U.S. metro areas.

Part of the reason Raleigh placed first is a matter of practicality. “Raleigh has long held a reputation for tech companies looking to flee the expensive and congested Northeast corridor, with companies like IBM, Cisco, and SAS setting up shop in North Carolina,” Glassdoor’s chief economist Andrew Chamberlain tells Fast Company.

But unlike Glassdoor’s previous survey that measured the best cities by employee satisfaction, each region’s Glassdoor Job Score, based on a five-point scale (five being the best), is determined by measuring three factors equally.

Hiring opportunity: Determined by the ratio of active job openings to population data according to the U.S. Office of Management & Budget.



Cost of living: Determined by the ratio of median annual base salary as reported by local employees over the past year to median metro home value, according to the most recent Zillow Home Value Index for All Homes.



Job satisfaction: Determined by a minimum of 1,000 company reviews shared by local employees on Glassdoor over the past year.

Chamberlain says these other factors contributed to Raleigh snagging the top spot. Situated in the “Research Triangle,” it has several universities feeding skilled workers to employers. “Couple this with Raleigh’s walkable neighborhoods and affordable homes, and it’s no surprise that Raleigh stands out as the best city for jobs,” Chamberlain states.

Chamberlain says it’s not just Raleigh that scores points for what job seekers really want: a stable career that they’re happy with, and the feeling that they can “get ahead” and eventually own a home.