Economy

America’s Tech Hubs Still Dominate, But Some Smaller Cities Are Rising

Despite established urban tech hubs, some smaller cities are attracting high-tech jobs with lower living costs, unique talent pools, and geographic diversity.
San Jose and San Francisco lead the pack in share of tech jobs.Gabrielle Lurie/Reuters

Is high-tech America reaching an inflection point?

The nation’s leading tech hubs in the Bay Area, Seattle, and across the Boston-New York-D.C. corridor have become increasingly expensive, unaffordable, and embroiled in a deepening backlash against big tech. This has led to growing speculation—and increasing action by some tech leaders—around the “Rise of the Rest,” an effort to invest in and bolster the tech ecosystems of up-and-coming hubs like Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Miami, to name just a few.