What Are the Best US Cities to Work in Tech?

A common question among tech workers is “What are the best cities for those who work in tech?” A recent study by software developer marketplace Lemon.io analyzed the most populated 250 cities in America across the following five tech-related metrics:
1. Number of institutes offering computer programs
2. Average graduation rate for tech courses
3. Number of WiFi hotspots in the city
4. Total number of tech jobs available in the city
5. Total number of tech companies that are rated three stars or higher on Glassdoor.
The sources for this survey included: nces.ed.gov, wifimap.io, glassdoor.com
These factors were then weighted and put into an index to establish which cities in America are really the best to work in tech. Once the weightings were assigned, the total score for the factors was calculated, producing an overall index score out of 100 for each entry, upon which the final ranking is based.
Surprising Results
The results are somewhat surprising. While the state of California is well-represented among the top 30 cities, with 7, the top-scoring California city is only the 5th highest rated city, and it is NOT San Jose or San Francisco. In fact, the top 5 cities are spread throughout the U.S.
Aleksandr Volodarsky, CEO of Lemon.io, said in a statement,“For many, a role in software development, programming, data engineering and more is becoming more and more valuable with the rapid advancements of AI. Having someone in your company or working with your company that can sense-check, build and understand AI and how to use it to better a company or product is more vital than ever.
“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 more than in any other.”
You’ll want to check out the following slideshow to see the top 15 cities.

Facts Only

* Lemon.io analyzed the most populated 250 cities in America.
* Metrics used were: number of computer programs offered, average graduation rate for tech courses, number of WiFi hotspots, total number of tech jobs, and the number of tech companies rated three stars or higher on Glassdoor.
* Sources included nces.ed.gov, wifimap.io, and glassdoor.com.
* Factors were weighted to create an overall index score out of 100 for each city.
* The top-scoring California city is not San Jose or San Francisco.
* The top five ranking cities are spread across the U.S.
* Aleksandr Volodarsky, CEO of Lemon.io, stated that roles in software development, programming, data engineering, and AI understanding are becoming more valuable.

Executive Summary

A study by Lemon.io analyzed data from the most populated 250 American cities across five tech-related metrics: the number of computer programs offered, the average graduation rate for tech courses, the number of WiFi hotspots, the total number of tech jobs, and the count of companies rated three stars or higher on Glassdoor. These factors were weighted to create an index score out of 100 to rank cities based on their suitability for tech workers. A surprising finding is that while California is well-represented in the top 30, the highest-scoring California city is not San Jose or San Francisco; the top five ranked cities are distributed across the U.S. One commentator noted the increasing value of skills in AI development, suggesting that these rankings point to where advanced tech talent resides and where opportunities exist for skill development.

Full Take

The methodology relies on aggregating disparate, measurable proxies—educational access, infrastructure, job availability, and company sentiment—to create a holistic ranking for tech talent. The initial result challenges the assumption that concentrated tech opportunity is strictly confined to specific geographic hubs like Silicon Valley. The observation that the top five cities are dispersed suggests that the true value of a tech location may reside less in concentrated density and more in the synergy between specialized educational ecosystems, necessary infrastructure, and job market depth across different regions. Volodarsky's commentary shifts the focus from pure geography to the location of critical cognitive assets capable of navigating advanced fields like AI. The implication is that the pursuit of opportunity requires looking beyond established geographic centers to identify nodes where high-level expertise intersects with significant demand, prompting a re-evaluation of what constitutes a "best" tech environment.

Sentinel — Human

Confidence

The text appears to be standard journalistic reporting based on survey data, framed by an expert commentary, with no strong immediate signs of machine generation.

Signals Detected

Moderate sentence length variance; typical journalistic framing.

Clear, focused structure revolving around a study and resulting surprise; reasonable flow.

Use of direct quotation from an identified expert (Aleksandr Volodarsky); explicit citation of data sources (though not fully detailed).

References to specific sources (Lemon.io, nces.ed.gov, etc.) suggest grounding in external material, though the methodology details are sparse.

Human Indicators

The incorporation of a direct quote from a named CEO adds a layer of human-sourced narrative depth.

The tone shifts effectively between reporting data and providing interpretative context.