“Two Southern Arizona cities made the top ten list of best places for job seekers in the Grand Canyon State.
Sahuarita ranked number one, while Marana ranked number 8.
While the state was hit hard in the recession, according to the website NerdWallet the state is expected to have a 3 percent job growth, one of the fastest in the U.S.
NerdWallet based their list off the following three questions:
Is the city growing? Can you afford to live in the city comfortably? And lastly are most people employed?
The following were reasons Sahuarita and Marana made the list, according to NerdWallet’s calculations:
#1 Sahuarita –
Located on the north end of Green Valley, Sahuarita is situated approximately 15 miles south of Tucson; and is surrounded by beautiful natural attractions like Pena Blanca Lake, Madera Canyon and the Tohono O’odham Nation. Between 2009 and 2011 Sahuarita saw a 13.1 percent growth in the working-age population, and household earnings reach a high median income of $72,781. This mixed with a 6.9 percent unemployment rate is what helped rank it so high.
The largest employers in the area include Freeport-McMoRan, Asarco and Farmers Investment Co. Sahuarita is located in Pima County, which offers job assistance to all county residents at its One-Stop Career Centers. These centers provide career counseling, job-searching assistance and occupational-training programs.
#8 Marana –
Marana is located approximately 25 miles northwest of Tucson, in southeast Arizona. Residents enjoy a median household income of $70,705 while the town’s unemployment rate is at 6.6 percent.
The leading employers for the area include the Hunter Contracting, FLSmidth Krebs and Sargent Aerospace & Defense. In January 2013, Marana’s Chamber of Commerce launched the Marana Job Creation Incentive Program , which is aimed at developing skilled, career-oriented jobs by helping businesses find and train new employees.
For more on the list go online to http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/2013/best-places-arizona-job-seekers/“