City with low cost of living for young engineer (apartment complex, hotels)

[newsgirlsparrow]

I will be graduating from college next year and I am thinking about moving from New York, where I have spent my whole life, to a less expensive city. I will have a degree in mechanical engineering, so I need to move to a city with good prospects for finding a job in that field. Preferably, I would be able to commute by bike or public transportation rather than car. I enjoy backpacking so being semi-close to good hiking would be a plus. Any advice you can offer would be helpful. Thanks!

[DailyJournalist]

Pittsburgh, PA may be a good choice:

Pittsburgh Hotels, Attractions & Vacation Packages : Pittsburgh PA CVB

Pittsburgh Mechanical Engineering Jobs | Engineer Jobs.com

[ki0eh]

Harrisburg, PA is near the Appalachian and other backpacking trails SATC - Hiking Southcentral Pennsylvania and often has some opportunity in your field. For example, The Hershey Co. usually has engineer job postings so may be worth checking periodically. I know one engineer commuted for years by walking across US 422 from the Briarcrest apartment complex to the corporate technical center.

[leighland]

If you are willing and they are hiring, do a 2-3 year stint at Boeing Military in Wichita KS. It'll look fabulous on your resume, Wichita is cheap (tho' boring for a 20 yo) and a short term gig may be your thing