{"h1":"Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Midwest","faq":[{"a":"Chicago is the best all-round city for AI careers in the Midwest, with a score of 93 / 100.","q":"Which city ranks first: best all-round cities for ai careers in the midwest?"},{"a":"20 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 20 entries.","q":"How many cities are ranked?"},{"a":"A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): ai-skill share of openings 35%, ai-skill openings 30%, median posted pay 20%, pay after cost of living 15%. A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most. Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.","q":"How is the ranking calculated?"},{"a":"Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.","q":"How often is it updated?"}],"lead":"Chicago is the best all-round city for AI careers in the Midwest, with a score of 93 / 100.","minN":100,"rows":[{"n":8033,"bar":1,"key":"IL|chicago","sub":"IL","href":"/places/illinois/city/chicago","name":"Chicago","rank":1,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"13%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"1,071"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$140k"}],"value":92.89473684210526,"change":null,"employers":["Publicis Groupe","Confidential","Mars"],"valueLabel":"93 / 100"},{"n":363,"bar":0.9943342776203966,"key":"MN|eden prairie","sub":"MN","href":"/places/minnesota/city/eden-prairie","name":"Eden Prairie","rank":2,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"23%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"84"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$139k"}],"value":92.36842105263158,"change":null,"employers":["Unitedhealth Group","LHC Group","Illinois Tool Works"],"valueLabel":"92 / 100"},{"n":362,"bar":0.9376770538243626,"key":"MI|ann arbor","sub":"MI","href":"/places/michigan/city/ann-arbor","name":"Ann Arbor","rank":3,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"18%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"65"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$153k"}],"value":87.10526315789474,"change":null,"employers":["May Mobility","Torc Robotics","Thomson Reuters"],"valueLabel":"87 / 100"},{"n":786,"bar":0.8045325779036828,"key":"MI|detroit","sub":"MI","href":"/places/michigan/city/detroit","name":"Detroit","rank":4,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"10%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"78"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$126k"}],"value":74.73684210526316,"change":null,"employers":["Wayne State University","Henry Ford Health System","Accident Fund"],"valueLabel":"75 / 100"},{"n":1313,"bar":0.745042492917847,"key":"MN|minneapolis","sub":"MN","href":"/places/minnesota/city/minneapolis","name":"Minneapolis","rank":5,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"6%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"84"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$130k"}],"value":69.21052631578947,"change":null,"employers":["Mortenson","Ameriprise Certificate","U.S. Bank"],"valueLabel":"69 / 100"},{"n":394,"bar":0.708215297450425,"key":"IA|des moines","sub":"IA","href":"/places/iowa/city/des-moines","name":"Des Moines","rank":6,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"8%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"30"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$129k"}],"value":65.78947368421053,"change":null,"employers":["Principal Financial Group","OpenLoop","Olsson"],"valueLabel":"66 / 100"},{"n":2024,"bar":0.6798866855524079,"key":"OH|columbus","sub":"OH","href":"/places/ohio/city/columbus","name":"Columbus","rank":7,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"7%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"134"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$115k"}],"value":63.1578947368421,"change":null,"employers":["State of Ohio","Nationwide","American Electric Power"],"valueLabel":"63 / 100"},{"n":1496,"bar":0.6770538243626062,"key":"IN|indianapolis","sub":"IN","href":"/places/indiana/city/indianapolis","name":"Indianapolis","rank":8,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"5%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"82"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$124k"}],"value":62.89473684210526,"change":null,"employers":["Eli Lilly and Company","State of Indiana","Masco"],"valueLabel":"63 / 100"},{"n":577,"bar":0.5070821529745043,"key":"NE|omaha","sub":"NE","href":"/places/nebraska/city/omaha","name":"Omaha","rank":9,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"7%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"38"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$110k"}],"value":47.10526315789474,"change":null,"employers":["Conagra Brands","Valmont","First National Bank of Omaha"],"valueLabel":"47 / 100"},{"n":909,"bar":0.453257790368272,"key":"WI|milwaukee","sub":"WI","href":"/places/wisconsin/city/milwaukee","name":"Milwaukee","rank":10,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"5%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"49"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$115k"}],"value":42.10526315789474,"change":null,"employers":["Michels","Rockwell Automation","Molson Coors Beverage"],"valueLabel":"42 / 100"},{"n":242,"bar":0.4390934844192635,"key":"IL|schaumburg","sub":"IL","href":"/places/illinois/city/schaumburg","name":"Schaumburg","rank":11,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"10%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"23"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$110k"}],"value":40.78947368421053,"change":null,"employers":["Motorola Solutions","Fictiv","Zurich"],"valueLabel":"41 / 100"},{"n":1451,"bar":0.43342776203966,"key":"OH|cincinnati","sub":"OH","href":"/places/ohio/city/cincinnati","name":"Cincinnati","rank":12,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"5%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"66"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$110k"}],"value":40.26315789473684,"change":null,"employers":["Medpace Holdings","Procter & Gamble","Western & Southern Financial Group"],"valueLabel":"40 / 100"},{"n":916,"bar":0.3994334277620397,"key":"MO|kansas city","sub":"MO","href":"/places/missouri/city/kansas-city","name":"Kansas City","rank":13,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"4%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"33"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$116k"}],"value":37.10526315789474,"change":null,"employers":["JE Dunn Construction","Catalent Pharma Solutions","Commerce Bank"],"valueLabel":"37 / 100"},{"n":255,"bar":0.3852691218130312,"key":"IL|mundelein","sub":"IL","href":"/places/illinois/city/mundelein","name":"Mundelein","rank":14,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"3%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"8"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$134k"}],"value":35.78947368421053,"change":null,"employers":["Coda Search│Staffing"],"valueLabel":"36 / 100"},{"n":917,"bar":0.3852691218130311,"key":"OH|cleveland","sub":"OH","href":"/places/ohio/city/cleveland","name":"Cleveland","rank":15,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"6%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"57"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$100k"}],"value":35.78947368421052,"change":null,"employers":["Flexjet","Sherwin Williams","KeyBank"],"valueLabel":"36 / 100"},{"n":232,"bar":0.3144475920679887,"key":"MN|st paul","sub":"MN","href":"/places/minnesota/city/st-paul","name":"St. Paul","rank":16,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"4%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"10"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$121k"}],"value":29.21052631578947,"change":null,"employers":["George Konik Associates","Thomson Reuters","Mortenson"],"valueLabel":"29 / 100"},{"n":446,"bar":0.28328611898017,"key":"OH|dayton","sub":"OH","href":"/places/ohio/city/dayton","name":"Dayton","rank":17,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"3%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"12"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$121k"}],"value":26.31578947368421,"change":null,"employers":["University of Dayton","Modern Technology Solutions","Odyssey Systems Consulting"],"valueLabel":"26 / 100"},{"n":596,"bar":0.2407932011331445,"key":"MO|st louis","sub":"MO","href":"/places/missouri/city/st-louis","name":"St. Louis","rank":18,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"5%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"27"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$104k"}],"value":22.36842105263158,"change":null,"employers":["Stifel Charitable","BJC HealthCare","Kforce"],"valueLabel":"22 / 100"},{"n":323,"bar":0.2209631728045326,"key":"IL|springfield","sub":"IL","href":"/places/illinois/city/springfield","name":"Springfield","rank":19,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"2%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"7"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$125k"}],"value":20.52631578947368,"change":null,"employers":["State of Illinois","Army National Guard Units","Hshs Medical Group"],"valueLabel":"21 / 100"},{"n":526,"bar":0.1558073654390935,"key":"WI|madison","sub":"WI","href":"/places/wisconsin/city/madison","name":"Madison","rank":20,"stats":[{"label":"AI-skill share of openings","value":"3%"},{"label":"AI-skill openings","value":"16"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$106k"}],"value":14.47368421052632,"change":null,"employers":["Universities of Wisconsin [UW_Madison]","Creative Financial Staffing","Catalent Pharma Solutions"],"valueLabel":"14 / 100"}],"slug":"best-all-round-cities-for-ai-careers-in-the-midwest","unit":"openings","scope":{"id":"midwest","kind":"region","name":"Midwest"},"title":"Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Midwest","family":"Best overall","method":["A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): ai-skill share of openings 35%, ai-skill openings 30%, median posted pay 20%, pay after cost of living 15%.","A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most.","Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked.","A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score."],"builtAt":"2026-11-04T03:37:37.436Z","edition":"2026-11","measure":"cai","sources":["NextChapter job data: open professional roles and posted pay","Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024"],"baseline":null,"keyFacts":["#1 Chicago, IL: 93 / 100","#2 Eden Prairie, MN: 92 / 100","#3 Ann Arbor, MI: 87 / 100","20 cities ranked in the Midwest","Data as of November 2026"],"placeNoun":"cities","commentary":["The lead is wide: Chicago (93 / 100) is well clear of Milwaukee at #10 (42 / 100).","Ann Arbor reaches #3 on a sample of 362 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.","Chicago is the largest market in the top ten, with 8,033 openings behind its figure.","Cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful."],"license":"Free to use and share with a link to https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-ai-careers-in-the-midwest"}