The Most Educated City in Every State

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6. Colorado
> Most educated city: Boulder
> Pct. of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 60.6%
> Median household income: $74,615
> Unemployment rate: 1.9%
> Number of postsecondary institutions: 9

A whopping 60.6% of adults in Boulder have at least a bachelor’s degree — the highest share in both Colorado and the nation. Better educated populations are often more resilient to economic slumps, and Boulder’s 1.9% unemployment rate is the lowest of any U.S. metro area and well below the 4.4% nationwide jobless rate. Adults with a college education are also more likely to have well-paying jobs, and the typical Boulder household earns $74,615 a year — more than any other Colorado metro area and well above the $57,617 median household income nationwide.

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7. Connecticut
> Most educated city: Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk
> Pct. of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 46.6%
> Median household income: $90,123
> Unemployment rate: 4.3%
> Number of postsecondary institutions: 20

Nearly 47% of adults in Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk hold at least a college degree, the highest share in Connecticut. The median household income in Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk is $90,123 a year, well above the state’s median income of $73,433. Though not all corners of the metro area are affluent, the 8.6% poverty rate in Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk is lower than Connecticut’s poverty rate of 9.8%.

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8. Delaware
> Most educated city: Dover
> Pct. of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 22.6%
> Median household income: $54,140
> Unemployment rate: 5.7%
> Number of postsecondary institutions: 5

The only metro area in Delaware, Dover, is the best educated by default. Educated adults in Delaware appear to be concentrated outside of Dover, as only 22.6% of metro area adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, well below the 31.0% share statewide. As is often the case across populations with lower educational attainment, Dover has a higher than typical jobless rate and relatively low incomes. Some 5.7% of Dover’s labor force are out of a job compared to the statewide unemployment rate of 4.9%. Similarly, the typical Dover household earns only $54,140 a year, about $7,600 less than the typical Delaware household.

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9. Florida
> Most educated city: Tallahassee
> Pct. of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 39.3%
> Median household income: $50,654
> Unemployment rate: 3.7%
> Number of postsecondary institutions: 8

Of the 22 major metropolitan areas throughout the Sunshine State, Tallahassee is home to the largest share of college-educated adults. Some 39.3% of area residents 25 and older have at least a bachelor’s degree, a difference of over 10 percentage points from the 28.6% statewide bachelor’s degree attainment rate.

As the state capital, Tallahassee’s economy is bolstered by government jobs — many of which require a college education. Some 22.9% of Tallahassee’s labor force work in state government, a larger share than in all but a handful of other metro areas nationwide.

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10. Georgia
> Most educated city: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
> Pct. of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 37.7%
> Median household income: $62,613
> Unemployment rate: 4.4%
> Number of postsecondary institutions: 101

Large metropolitan areas tend to provide more educational opportunities, and Atlanta is no different. The Atlanta area boasts more than 100 different postsecondary institutions like the Georgia Institute of Technology, which has an enrollment of nearly 30,000 students.

In addition to its high educational attainment rate, Atlanta is Georgia’s top spot for white-collar jobs. The area has the highest percentage of its labor force working in financial activities, information, and professional and business services in the state.