For years the northern California tech area also known as Silicon Valley, has been the go-to hub for all things tech. Home to the biggest names in tech; Apple, Google and Facebook to name a few,  SV has held the reigning title of best tech hub in the U.S. But as more and more cities infiltrate their ecosystems with tech companies and startups, Silicon Valley may have to go into combat mode to keep their top ranking spot.

Some of the first cities that come to mind when thinking about what’s best for tech are usually New York City and San Francisco, but its ok to leave the coasts. Don’t count out all the cities in between that are booming with fresh raw talent, newly planted tech and software HQ’s and a much more reasonable cost of living for those fresh-out-of-college budgets.

Recent studies have shown the shift has a lot to do with the percentage in growth of tech jobs in more cities as well as the cost of living in comparison to the starting salaries which is enticing tech talent to look other places besides SV.

Some of the cities may come as surprise, whereas others are an obvious choice. Either way all of these cities are giving silicon valley a big run for their money. If you’re tech savvy and looking for a fresh, cost-affordable start, add these cities to your list.

 Austin, TX

Named by CNBC as the best city for startups, Austin is booming with fresh talent and consumers who are open and willing to give new things a try. In addition to its It’s Texas’ capital and home to Facebook, Buzzfeed and Google subsidiaries. Austin is booming with fresh talent straight from the home university, UT and has an affordable cost of living with a city environment.

 

 

Seattle, WA

Only 800 miles from the bay area and home to tech giants such as Microsoft and amazon, and a large and fruitful startup community, Seattle has proven itself to be a major contender for the home of bright tech talent and companies.

 

Raleigh-Durham, NC.

Apart of the the research triangle Raleigh has a growing population that has now reached just over 1M most of which have a Bachelor’s degree which makes the talent pool one of the most well educated ones in the U.S. With a 38.5% increase in tech jobs and more than 500 area startups this NC city is the perfect option for a techy.

 

 

Denver, CO.

Recently deemed a startup haven Denver with it’s aesthetically beautiful architecture with an urban experience and a profitable startup experience it’s become one of the more popular hubs for tech jobs. There’s a emerging tech ecosystem, with a large amount of funding on the horizon so keep Denver on your list for tech jobs.

 

 

Boston, MA.

One of the oldest cities in the U.S with a melting pot of global talent stemming from the universities in surrounding areas including the prestigious Harvard and MIT. The startup scene has the support of the city too, with an immense amount of city wide initiatives every year to get startups off the ground.

 

 

Phoenix, AZ.

Known for their AZ Top Tech Exec award and the Chase sponsored PHX startup week this is hotspot for tech. The average salary in Phoenix has hit 90,000+ with an affordable cost of living and a rising startup scene. With a lower cost of doing business and the abundance of talent pool from local universities PHX is a budding tech city gem.

 

 

Detroit, MI.

Motor city no more. Once home to GM and the notable Motown records, Detroit is not a blossoming tech hub with a big number of acquisitions including self-driving car technology with an large $1B investment in artificial intelligence. It’s futuristic technology combined with motor engineering putting a new spin on the “Motor City.”

 

 

 

 Indianapolis, IN.

A beautiful Midwest gem and home to over 150 tech companies including Angie’s List and Salesforce Indy is a perfect place to cultivate a tech career with longevity, plus the company Tech Point HQ in Indy has made it their business to make sure the tech and startup community to continues to thrive through various programs and initiatives.

 

 

Chicago, IL.

With an increasing growing buzz in the Chi-town tech community, the windy city has proven itself to be  worthy contender to steal tech talent away from Silicon Valley due to its talent and infrastructure. Their continuous developing startup environment has raised over $1.7B in venture funding. All these stats and more is a reason you should take your tech talents to Chi-town.

Washington DC.

Lastly, the nation’s capital is coming up on the horizon for things other than politics. Earlier this year D.C was named the number three city for tech markets in the U.S. Access to top universities such as Georgetown, University of Maryland and George Washington University creates a open and bright pipeline of talent. There is also a large presence of venture capitalism in the region and a plethora of budding startups. Don’t count out D.C as your next tech home.