Houston, Dallas, and Austin were named by Forbes.com as the top three cities on their "Best Cities for 
Recent College Graduates" list, which was published online this morning.
As a lifelong Texas resident (born and raised in Dallas, lived in Austin area since 1988), I know from experience that this is a terrific place to live and work. Some might say that I have no basis for comparison, which is true, because I have never wanted to live elsewhere.
Austin was #3 on the list, with an average starting salary for college grads of $38,700. Houston and Dallas were slightly higher.
From the cities listed, Austin had the highest percentage of people in their 20's, at a whopping 26%. This confirms the perception of Austin as a youthful town.
The article cites that Austin has recently enjoyed a boom in tech companies like 3M, Advanced Micro Devices and Intel. Additionally, Dell Computer is headquarted in nearby Round Rock, which is about 20 minutes north of Austin.
It also mentions that the city's labor force tends to weather recessions well, since other major employers are the Texas state government and the University of Texas.
To read the entire story and see which other cities rounded out the top ten, here's the link:
http://www.forbes.com/2008/06/26/cities-grads-best-forbeslife-cx_ae_0626realestate.html
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I've never been to Texas at all! I should check it out sometime! I have heard for years that Austin is a pretty hip town.
Great for us in Dallas and for you in Austin. I was told Richardson, TX would make the list this year for best place to live.
Jason, Austin has always been one of my favorite cities. I love the texmex food.
Yes, we are in a prime state my friend.
Hi Jason... Texas is a well kept secret. The three cities on the list have such different personalities that there really is something for everyone. And the cost of living/quality of life balance across all three is an incredible value compared to many other comparably sized cities in other states. I am glad to see that Forbes and other media outlets are starting to realize that Atlanta is not the only large southern city that makes a great place to live and work!
Howdy Jason
A big
to the Grand State of Texas, and to all my friend's.
Why to go!!
Wow, we kick butt! (I'm catching up on my blog reading as you can tell)
As a native Dallasite, I love it here! I've never lived anywhere other than the D/FW area. There is always something fun to do and the cost of living is reasonable.
Congratulations to the Big Three - This is Great News
As a native Texan, that lived in the NE for a while, I can say I was glad to get back. I like the heat, and the people. Austin, is the biggest gem around. I can't believe it hasn't exploded in size...it may now!