Looking for a US job? Try Santa Rosa in Sonoma County

With the unemployment rate at a 17-year low across the U.S., and employers expecting to hire 4 percent more college graduates from the Class of 2018 than from the previous graduating cohort, Santa Rosa ranks No. 82 as one of the best places to find a job in the coming year, according to a new report.

Santa Rosa beat out Oakland at No. 121, but is far-trailing other Northern California metropolises such as San Francisco at No. 3, San Jose at No. 20, Fremont at No. 19 and Sacramento at No. 48, according to a report released Jan. 2 by WalletHub.

The personal-finance website that issues credit reports and updates compared more than 180 cities across 26 key metrics to determine the strongest local job markets in the U.S. The data set ranges from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary.

According to the report, San Jose has the highest monthly average starting salary (adjusted by cost of living), $5,441, which is 3.1 times higher than in Brownsville, Texas, the city with the lowest at $1,778.

In November, the jobless rate fell to a 17-year low overall in Sonoma County, dropping to 2.8, down from 3.7 percent a year ago and 3.5 percent in October, according to the state Employment Development Department. Over the last year, the local economy has added 2,800 jobs.