When it comes to mathematical physics, job prospects are good. While the field itself can be very competitive with limited positions and funding, mathematical physicists are always in an excellent position when it comes to finding work because of the broad range of well-paying jobs and roles they can fill due to their background in mathematics, physics, and science in general.
If you want to be involved in mathematical physics, these are some of the best cities for it and why, and while you shouldn't just move to these places and hope to get jobs in mathematical physics or science, they should be some of the places you look to when looking for roles.
Some of these places are great for mathematical physics because of the excellent schools they have there and some are home to scientific research centers and institutions. Either way, if you land an excellent role in mathematical physics, you could end up living in one of these cities.
We've divided these cities into domestic and abroad so if you want to stay in the good ol' US of A, you can, but if you're suffering from wanderlust, there are a bunch of international cities that you may also want to look at.
Great Cities for Mathematical Physicists in the USA
This list is by no means exhaustive and these are just a few of the great cities that would be worth looking at and spending time researching if you have an interest in mathematical physics.
Naturally, any city with good schools with mathematical physics programs can be considered, too, but you can always just look at our article on the best schools for mathematical physics for that.
In terms of physics research, the US tops a lot of the rankings for studying physics and physics research. If you're looking for places to be a mathematical physicist, you don't need to necessarily leave the country.
Here are just a few examples.
Berkeley, California
Berkeley in California is highly recommended for scientists, physicists, and mathematical physicists because it's home to one of the best public schools in the country for physics education and research.
Beyond the science and job prospects, there are also plenty of reasons to live in Berkeley. For those of us from colder climbs, it's nice to enjoy the year-round decent weather that's offered across large areas of California, including Berkeley.
Berkeley is also home to a good music and arts scene and isn't too far from beaches, mountains, and forests so there's nature to escape to as well as lots of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks for those that want to stay in the city.
Beyond Berkeley, the whole Bay Area is worth looking at, especially if you're interested in science and technology, and whether it's the many reputable schools, Silicon Valley, or the nearby tech startup culture, mathematical physicists should think about looking for mathematical physics jobs and a place to live in this general area.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
If you haven't heard of Cambridge, Massachusetts, you'll have definitely heard of two of the area's most famous academic institutions: Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
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Cambridge is part of the Boston metropolitan area, which we could have also comfortably included in this article, but Cambridge gets the nod because there are few places in the world with such influential and reputable schools, especially for science and physics.
Outside of education and academia, Cambridge is also recommended due to low levels of crime, but its popularity also makes it one of the more expensive places in the country to live.
Again, this is somewhere where mathematical physicists could live and find work quite comfortably.
Chicago, Illinois
There are two main reasons to include the Windy City: The University of Chicago and Fermilab, America's particle physics and accelerator laboratory, which can be found nearby.
The University of Chicago is often included in the lists of the best physics schools in the country and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) participates in work at the Large Hadron Collider as well as in research focusing on neutrino physics.
As a big city, Chicago is a popular choice due to plenty of amenities, a diverse population with neighborhoods for all tastes, and a long-running history with sports.
While all big cities can be quite expensive to live in, Chicago tends to be one of the cheaper large cities, which makes the cost of living quite affordable, even for those on entry-level salaries.
New York City, New York
You can't talk about cities you should live in without NYC. Most New Yorkers will happily tell you about all the benefits of living in their hometown, but when it comes to mathematical physics, Columbia University is the reason it's worth mentioning.
This is another one of the country's best schools for physics and Columbia's Department of Physics conducts research into astrophysics, condensed matter, atomic, molecular, and optical physics, and high energy nuclear physics and particle physics.
New York City is also a culturally diverse and fascinating place to live. The lifestyle mightn't be for everyone, but there are plenty of people who love living there!
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Great Cities for Mathematical Physicists Abroad
The US isn't the only country in the world with a passion for physics and research and while we don't have the time to go through every country in the world and tell you why it's good for mathematical physicists to live and work there, here are a few standout places that appeal to scientists and mathematical physicists in particular.
Beijing, China
For a drastic cultural change, Beijing, China, is an eye-opening experience. It's worth visiting for the culture alone, but mathematical physicists will be interested in the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has been ranked first in The Nature Index every year since 2014 for its scientific research output, putting it ahead of Harvard, MIT, and Stanford in the US.
With over 20 million inhabitants, Beijing is huge and there are pros and cons to living there. Generally, the quality of life is good and when it comes to things like restaurants, facilities, and education, it ranks highly. However, you also need to remember that this is in China and internet access, traffic, and pollution are all problems.
There's no harm in thinking about looking for work in mathematical physics in Beijing or elsewhere in China, but just make sure you do your homework beforehand or you may be in for a shock.
Cambridge, United Kingdom
The second Cambridge on our list is the original one and home to one of the world's most reputable universities.
The University of Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics is one of the biggest and best in Europe with its purpose-built center conducting groundbreaking physics research.
In the UK, Cambridge is a popular city for its history, great restaurants, shopping, connections to other cities (including London), and its iconic waterways where locals enjoy "punting", which is riding down the river on a boat that you move and steer using a single pole, a bit like a British gondola.
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva is famous for a few things, but any physicist will probably know it for being home to CERN's headquarters, the European Organization for Nuclear Research's main site, and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest and highest-energy particle collider.
As an organization, CERN actually includes 23 member states and many locations, but the headquarters is located near Geneva and so is the LHC.
The organization is responsible for the World Wide Web as well as world-leading particle physics research.
Like almost everywhere in Switzerland, Geneva is quite an expensive place to live, but the standard of living is one of the highest in the world and regularly ranks highly for health, safety, and overall well-being.
Oxford, United Kingdom
To keep everybody happy, you can't mention Cambridge without mentioning Oxford and this city in the UK is also home to one of the most famous universities in the world.
The University of Oxford's Department of Physics conducts plenty of ground-breaking research in areas such as astrophysics, laser physics, particle physics, and condensed matter physics.
While Oxford doesn't boast “punting”, it is home to lots of art galleries, parks, gardens, and plenty of history. The downside to Oxford is the high cost of living, at least for the UK.
Tokyo, Japan
Last but not least, we have Tokyo, Japan. The reason the Japanese capital features in our best cities for mathematical physicists is because of the University of Tokyo, which is both a reputable university but also a leading researcher across many different physics sub-disciplines.
Tokyo is a safe, clean, and well-connected city with a high standard of living. With 14 million people living there, though, you could hardly say that it's quiet. Fortunately, there are lots of accessible spots to take a break.
Naturally, these aren't the only cities that mathematical physicists can live and work in so feel free to let us know about any that you'd recommend! Ideally, you'll want to look for a job in applied mathematics, mathematical physics, or theoretical physics (find out more about the differences) and from there, you'll start to see which cities keep showing up. Cities with an important scientific institute, good college, or research lab are always good places to consider, too!
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