The World’s Best Tech Hubs To Live and Work In 2016

Click here to find the new top tech city ranking.

There is no question that Silicon Valley, in the Bay area of San Francisco, is the original and most successful tech hub in the world – but is it the best one to live in if you are starting a tech career or company?

That is the question Expert Market have answered using data that focuses not only on the potential business success of an area, but also quality of life factors.

We decided on 8 categories, 4 ‘work factors’ and 4 ‘life factors’ to determine which startup city really is the best one to live in. Using this year's 20 biggest tech hubs, as noted by startup experts Compass, we collated data from each category to give a new, more balanced ranking of the top tech hubs in the world!

The top 10 are presented in the infographic below with additional information, the entire top 20 can be seen in the accompanying tables – along with each city’s rank for the individual factors.

Our philosophy is that if you are to thrive in an area, either working in tech or building your own company, you need a balance between potential corporate success and an enjoyable lifestyle.

This is why areas such as San Francisco, London and New York do not come out on top – even though they are considered to be among the top 5 global startup ecosystems.

High living costs and lower work-life balance let these tech hub giants down and allow second tier startup cities such as Berlin and Austin to shine through as better alternatives.