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Meet Journal Star meals and eating reporter Cas Waigand
Journal Star reporter Cas Waigand covers meals and restaurant information all through the Peoria space.
Peoria was hailed as “the breakout story” in a 2026 analysis evaluating the very best cities for latest faculty graduates.
Securing the No. 7 spot amongst small cities, Peoria rose within the ranks by 12 locations in comparison with the earlier 12 months. The bounce was attributed to drastically diminished unemployment for these between the ages of 20 and 29, together with elevated median revenue for graduates and diploma attainment.
The evaluation famous: “for graduates willing to look beyond the usual suspects, places like Peoria and Richardson (Texas) show just how quickly smaller cities can reinvent their economic profiles.”
Peoria’s unemployment fee for these of their 20s fell from 11.07% in 2025 to 2.3% in 2026. The share of these with a bachelor’s diploma rose to 36% − up from 23.25% in the previous analysis. Additionally, graduates’ median revenue rose by $4,551 from 12 months to 12 months.
“And, with price levels 9% below the national average, Peoria’s economic gains stretch further than they do in almost any other ranked city,” the evaluation mentioned. This was a lower from 2025, nevertheless, the place the price of residing was listed at 11.38% under the nationwide common.
Just over 125 small cities have been included within the evaluation – with the designation being described as cities with a inhabitants of below 150,000.
Also within the high 10 for small cities was Springfield, coming in at No. 2.
The evaluation, posted to CoworkingCafe.com, thought-about info present in varied reviews from the U.S. Census Bureau, together with information from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
It decided varied metrics – falling below financial, monetary or leisure classes – and added varied weights to every metric “based on their importance in determining the overall attractiveness of a city.”
The evaluation famous: “While traditional magnets like San Francisco and Washington, D.C. remain prominent, this year’s data reveals a clear shift: Mid-sized and smaller cities from Scottsdale, AZ, to Peoria, IL, are climbing the ranks thanks to falling unemployment, rising incomes and growing lifestyle infrastructure.”
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