Which City to Pick?

Left the buyside for a startup marketing fellowship and I have the choice of 3 LCOL cities: Birmingham, Atlanta, and Detroit. Which of the three should I pick? 

Best city?

Birmingham, AL
11% (8 votes)
Atlanta, GA
74% (52 votes)
Detroit, MI
14% (10 votes)
Total votes: 70
17 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a breakdown of the three cities:

  1. Atlanta:

    • Atlanta is highlighted as a rapidly growing city with strong job opportunities, particularly in tech and finance.
    • It offers a mix of affordability, a growing population, and a favorable business environment.
    • The city is socially liberal, has a major international airport, and is considered the "Capital of the South."
    • However, public transportation is noted as functional but not great, and it may still face challenges in attracting top-tier talent.
  2. Detroit:

    • Detroit is a good choice if you have connections or a strong network in the area.
    • Opportunities in corporate finance for the Big 3 automakers are prominent, and the city is seeing a resurgence in certain industries.
    • If you have family or personal ties to the Midwest, Detroit could be a more comfortable fit.
    • However, the job market in investment banking (IBD) is limited compared to other cities.
  3. Birmingham:

    • Birmingham is not specifically mentioned in the WSO content, but as a lower-cost city in the South, it may offer affordability and a slower pace of life.
    • It likely has fewer opportunities compared to Atlanta or Detroit, especially in finance or marketing.

Recommendation:

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Fast and Fiduciary

Atlanta. Live near Buckhead if you can, pretty cool area. My best friend from high school went to Georgia Tech and lives in Kennesaw now. Nice quiet town. Always enjoyed visiting them. Make a friend who owns a boat and go to Lake Lanier in the summers.

Counterpoint: don't live in Buckhead (it isn't the 00's—there are much cooler neighborhoods) or visit Lake Lanier (there are nearby lakes that won't kill you). 

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

West Midtown is cool but the traffic is awful. Old 4th Ward/Inman Park/Virginia Highlands/Ansley Park are all great spots. 

Midtown has its moments. I'd live there over Buckhead for sure. 

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

People actively promote moving to Detroit? I thought it was a place people always wanted to get out of living there. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Repellat soluta perferendis accusantium quia rerum voluptatem qui. Unde magni dolore ea enim molestias soluta ut rerum. Rerum molestias quidem in perferendis molestiae qui.

Dicta enim rem dolorem aut possimus non consequuntur quo. Et ipsa qui voluptas quo.

Nemo excepturi officiis ut minus ea quia aliquam. Illum accusantium neque sit perferendis sed ab. Quae et enim libero molestias. Nihil illo vero praesentium est porro.

Vel maxime aut illo et. Voluptatem voluptatem corporis ut repellat eos nihil odio sapiente. Cupiditate officiis voluptatum similique enim accusamus in id eos. Iure aut enim est ex nisi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”