These Are the Best and Worst U.S. Metro Areas for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Professionals in 2026

These Are the Best and Worst U.S. Metro Areas for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Professionals in 2026

A 2026 study by personal finance website WalletHub ranks the best and worst U.S. metropolitan areas for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals.The analysis, published Jan. 21, 2026, compared the 100 most populous U.S. metropolitan statistical areas using 21 metrics grouped into three categories: Professional Opportunities, STEM-Friendliness, and Quality of Life. Data were drawn from publicly available sources incl…