Over 80% Of New US Jobs Are In Health Care

In June, the U.S. economy added 74,000 new net jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 59,000 of those jobs were in healthcare and social services, one of the fastest growing sectors in the U.S. economy.

Health care is one of the largest, most vital sectors in the U.S. economy, and is projected to grow far beyond the national average over the next decade. While 14.0% of the U.S. workforce is employed in health care, in some cities the sector accounts for more than 25.0% of all employment. In these health care capitals, major hospitals, medical research firms, and life sciences companies dominate the local economy.

Many of the cities with the largest share of workers employed in health care serve as regional referral centers for wider service areas or are the headquarters of large hospitals systems. Some are anchored by large research universities, and support robust private biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. In Durham, North Carolina — where 17.6% of the workforce is employed in health care — Duke University and nearby University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill help support health care employment. Other research universities — Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Washington University in St. Louis, and Harvard University, Boston University, Tufts University in Boston — help enable strong local health care talent pools and employment.

Of the 40 cities with the largest shares of workers in health care, four are in the Boston metro area. Close to half of the list are in the Northeast, while the South is home to eight, and the Midwest and West are each home to seven. In Rochester, Minnesota — where the Mayo Clinic employs 42,000 people — 41.5% of the workforce is in health care, the largest share of any city.

In 20 of the 40 cities with the most health care employment, the percentage of adults with at least a bachelor's degree is greater than the 35.0% national figure. Despite high educational attainment and the presence of universities, health care capitals tend to be less wealthy, with the median household income below the $78,538 national figure in 30 of the 40 top cities. A closer look at the data reveals the cities driving the national health care economy.

To determine the cities driving the national health care economy, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year data on employment from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 America Community Survey. Cities were ranked based on the percentage of adults 16 years and over employed in health care and social assistance. Supplemental data on median household income, median home value, population, and industry composition are also from the Census Bureau. Only cities with at least 100,000 residents were considered.

40. Durham, NC

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 17.6%
Median household income: $79,234
Median home value: $355,300
Total population: 288,465
Most concentrated industries: Educational services, management of companies and enterprises, professional, scientific, and technical services, health care and social assistance, administrative and support and waste management services

39. St. Louis, MO

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 17.7%
Median household income: $55,279
Median home value: $185,100
Total population: 293,109
Most concentrated industries: Management of companies and enterprises, arts, entertainment, and recreation, health care and social assistance, educational services, finance and insurance

38. Antioch, CA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 17.7%
Median household income: $94,256
Median home value: $607,400
Total population: 115,759
Most concentrated industries: Administrative and support and waste management services, utilities, construction, transportation and warehousing, health care and social assistance

37. Vallejo, CA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.0%
Median household income: $89,496
Median home value: $557,500
Total population: 124,637
Most concentrated industries: Administrative and support and waste management services, information, health care and social assistance, transportation and warehousing, utilities

36. Boston, MA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.0%
Median household income: $94,755
Median home value: $710,400
Total population: 663,972
Most concentrated industries: Professional, scientific, and technical services, finance and insurance, educational services, health care and social assistance, information

35. Spokane, WA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.1%
Median household income: $65,745
Median home value: $326,200
Total population: 229,228
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, arts, entertainment, and recreation, retail trade, real estate and rental and leasing

34. Lowell, MA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.2%
Median household income: $76,205
Median home value: $395,100
Total population: 114,799
Most concentrated industries: Manufacturing, health care and social assistance, administrative and support and waste management services, professional, scientific, and technical services, other services, except public administration

33. Lynn, MA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.3%
Median household income: $74,715
Median home value: $472,600
Total population: 100,905
Most concentrated industries: Accommodation and food services, transportation and warehousing, health care and social assistance, administrative and support and waste management services, other services, except public administration

32. Sioux Falls, SD

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.4%
Median household income: $74,714
Median home value: $271,400
Total population: 197,642
Most concentrated industries: Management of companies and enterprises, finance and insurance, health care and social assistance, wholesale trade, retail trade

31. Baltimore, MD

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.4%
Median household income: $59,623
Median home value: $219,300
Total population: 577,193
Most concentrated industries: Public administration, educational services, health care and social assistance, real estate and rental and leasing, transportation and warehousing

30. Glendale, CA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.4%
Median household income: $84,262
Median home value: $1,043,900
Total population: 192,270
Most concentrated industries: Information, arts, entertainment, and recreation, real estate and rental and leasing, health care and social assistance, professional, scientific, and technical services

29. Syracuse, NY

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.4%
Median household income: $45,845
Median home value: $125,100
Total population: 146,211
Most concentrated industries: Educational services, health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, utilities, other services, except public administration

28. Clovis, CA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.4%
Median household income: $100,360
Median home value: $453,300
Total population: 122,719
Most concentrated industries: Public administration, utilities, educational services, health care and social assistance, wholesale trade

27. Brownsville, TX

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.5%
Median household income: $48,675
Median home value: $122,400
Total population: 188,023
Most concentrated industries: Educational services, health care and social assistance, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, administrative and support and waste management services, retail trade

26. Winston-Salem, NC

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.7%
Median household income: $57,673
Median home value: $208,200
Total population: 250,887
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, administrative and support and waste management services, finance and insurance, manufacturing, educational services

25. Pittsburgh, PA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.8%
Median household income: $64,137
Median home value: $193,200
Total population: 303,620
Most concentrated industries: Educational services, health care and social assistance, finance and insurance, professional, scientific, and technical services, arts, entertainment, and recreation

24. Billings, MT

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.8%
Median household income: $71,855
Median home value: $311,800
Total population: 118,321
Most concentrated industries: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, arts, entertainment, and recreation, real estate and rental and leasing, health care and social assistance, other services, except public administration

23. Fargo, ND

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.9%
Median household income: $66,029
Median home value: $269,800
Total population: 129,064
Most concentrated industries: Wholesale trade, health care and social assistance, finance and insurance, management of companies and enterprises, accommodation and food services

22. New Haven, CT

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.9%
Median household income: $53,771
Median home value: $249,000
Total population: 132,893
Most concentrated industries: Educational services, health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, administrative and support and waste management services, arts, entertainment, and recreation

21. New York, NY

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 18.9%
Median household income: $79,713
Median home value: $751,700
Total population: 8,516,202
Most concentrated industries: Information, real estate and rental and leasing, finance and insurance, health care and social assistance, arts, entertainment, and recreation

20. Albany, NY

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.0%
Median household income: $59,485
Median home value: $223,000
Total population: 100,081
Most concentrated industries: Public administration, health care and social assistance, arts, entertainment, and recreation, educational services, information

19. Tyler, TX

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.0%
Median household income: $65,527
Median home value: $216,400
Total population: 107,718
Most concentrated industries: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, retail trade, other services, except public administration

18. Yonkers, NY

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.2%
Median household income: $81,816
Median home value: $478,000
Total population: 209,529
Most concentrated industries: Management of companies and enterprises, health care and social assistance, real estate and rental and leasing, transportation and warehousing, educational services

17. Buffalo, NY

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.4%
Median household income: $48,050
Median home value: $152,300
Total population: 276,397
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, educational services, accommodation and food services, finance and insurance, administrative and support and waste management services

16. Hartford, CT

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.5%
Median household income: $45,300
Median home value: $217,200
Total population: 119,970
Most concentrated industries: Transportation and warehousing, retail trade, health care and social assistance, administrative and support and waste management services, accommodation and food services

15. Pearland, TX

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.5%
Median household income: $112,470
Median home value: $330,900
Total population: 125,983
Most concentrated industries: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, utilities, management of companies and enterprises, health care and social assistance, real estate and rental and leasing

14. Little Rock, AR

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.5%
Median household income: $60,583
Median home value: $221,200
Total population: 202,739
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, public administration, finance and insurance, management of companies and enterprises, other services, except public administration

13. Worcester, MA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.7%
Median household income: $67,544
Median home value: $339,500
Total population: 205,501
Most concentrated industries: Educational services, health care and social assistance, other services, except public administration, retail trade, accommodation and food services

12. Cleveland, OH

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.7%
Median household income: $39,187
Median home value: $94,100
Total population: 367,523
Most concentrated industries: Administrative and support and waste management services, health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, manufacturing, arts, entertainment, and recreation

11. Shreveport, LA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.8%
Median household income: $48,465
Median home value: $178,100
Total population: 183,483
Most concentrated industries: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, health care and social assistance, arts, entertainment, and recreation, accommodation and food services, administrative and support and waste management services

10. New Bedford, MA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 19.9%
Median household income: $56,025
Median home value: $324,400
Total population: 100,731
Most concentrated industries: Wholesale trade, health care and social assistance, management of companies and enterprises, construction, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

9. Springfield, IL

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 20.2%
Median household income: $65,537
Median home value: $155,200
Total population: 113,714
Most concentrated industries: Public administration, health care and social assistance, finance and insurance, accommodation and food services, utilities

8. Rochester, NY

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 20.5%
Median household income: $46,628
Median home value: $120,600
Total population: 209,720
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, educational services, administrative and support and waste management services, accommodation and food services, retail trade

7. Pueblo, CO

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 20.6%
Median household income: $55,305
Median home value: $230,900
Total population: 111,514
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, management of companies and enterprises, public administration, utilities, administrative and support and waste management services

6. Waterbury, CT

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 20.8%
Median household income: $51,642
Median home value: $185,400
Total population: 114,356
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, retail trade, administrative and support and waste management services, real estate and rental and leasing, manufacturing

5. Philadelphia, PA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 21.5%
Median household income: $60,698
Median home value: $232,400
Total population: 1,582,432
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, public administration, educational services, transportation and warehousing, professional, scientific, and technical services

4. Peoria, IL

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 21.8%
Median household income: $58,716
Median home value: $149,500
Total population: 112,126
Most concentrated industries: Management of companies and enterprises, health care and social assistance, manufacturing, accommodation and food services, administrative and support and waste management services

3. Springfield, MA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 24.4%
Median household income: $51,339
Median home value: $222,700
Total population: 154,751
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, utilities, transportation and warehousing, other services, except public administration, public administration

2. Brockton, MA

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 25.4%
Median household income: $77,089
Median home value: $405,500
Total population: 105,080
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, transportation and warehousing, construction, retail trade, accommodation and food services

1. Rochester, MN

Workers employed in health care and social assistance: 41.5%
Median household income: $87,767
Median home value: $287,500
Total population: 121,638
Most concentrated industries: Health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, educational services, retail trade, manufacturing