SAN FRANCISCO, California
Population: 852,469
Unemployment: 4.2 percent
Sales Tax: 8.75 percent
“The City by the Bay” is expensive, whether you’re starting a business or renting a one-bedroom apartment. But included in the price is access to one of the smartest populations—more than 50 percent of folks 25 or older have at least a bachelor’s degree—including scads of the best tech minds on the planet producing more patents than any area except neighboring San Jose/Sunnyvale, i.e. Silicon Valley. Home to more than 30 global financial institutions, S.F. has exceptional job growth at 4.6 percent.