Best Cities for Animal Caretakerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where animal caretakerss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	District of ColumbiaState	1.09	$44,210	$38,679	57%
2	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.09	$44,060	$38,548	60%
3	ArizonaState	1.07	$38,180	$37,839	47%
4	WashingtonState	1.07	$40,570	$37,810	56%
5	MaineState	1.05	$37,230	$37,305	42%
6	MinnesotaState	1.05	$36,430	$37,173	42%
7	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.05	$36,780	$36,965	48%
8	North DakotaState	1.04	$34,040	$36,760	34%
9	Rhode IslandState	1.04	$37,120	$36,935	49%
10	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.04	$44,070	$36,664	86%
11	HawaiiState	1.03	$40,130	$36,482	71%
12	IllinoisState	1.03	$35,570	$36,520	44%
13	MassachusettsState	1.03	$39,650	$36,544	68%
14	New MexicoState	1.03	$33,570	$36,489	37%
15	ColoradoState	1.00	$37,430	$35,512	59%
16	MissouriState	1.00	$31,230	$35,248	40%
17	MontanaState	1.00	$34,210	$35,488	40%
18	OregonState	1.00	$36,580	$35,515	52%
19	VermontState	1.00	$36,090	$35,210	47%
20	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.00	$34,310	$35,298	55%
21	AlaskaState	0.99	$36,640	$35,129	45%
22	ArkansasState	0.99	$30,230	$35,029	35%
23	CaliforniaState	0.99	$38,700	$34,959	70%
24	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.99	$39,850	$35,110	77%
25	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.99	$33,530	$35,000	54%
26	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.99	$34,490	$35,015	60%
27	ConnecticutState	0.98	$37,310	$34,675	50%
28	KentuckyState	0.98	$30,720	$34,712	37%
29	NebraskaState	0.98	$31,680	$34,623	40%
30	UtahState	0.98	$34,750	$34,681	52%
31	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.98	$32,150	$34,644	48%
32	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.98	$37,370	$34,666	58%
33	TexasState	0.97	$32,730	$34,236	51%
34	South CarolinaState	0.96	$31,280	$34,000	48%
35	West VirginiaState	0.96	$28,550	$33,907	35%
36	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	0.96	$31,040	$34,035	47%
37	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.96	$32,810	$34,106	57%
38	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.96	$34,970	$33,787	55%
39	DelawareState	0.95	$33,910	$33,574	48%
40	FloridaState	0.95	$34,150	$33,645	60%
41	IowaState	0.95	$30,080	$33,722	38%
42	MarylandState	0.95	$36,780	$33,681	55%
43	New YorkState	0.95	$37,840	$33,636	59%
44	OhioState	0.95	$30,310	$33,529	41%
45	South DakotaState	0.95	$30,390	$33,469	38%
46	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.95	$35,420	$33,478	57%
47	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.95	$37,710	$33,431	64%
48	IdahoState	0.94	$32,170	$33,337	45%
49	IndianaState	0.94	$29,990	$33,138	42%
50	KansasState	0.94	$29,830	$33,144	42%
51	TennesseeState	0.94	$30,550	$33,388	49%
52	VirginiaState	0.94	$34,380	$33,217	55%
53	Columbus, OHMetro	0.94	$30,920	$33,070	50%
54	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.94	$38,520	$33,064	71%
55	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.94	$30,860	$33,362	46%
56	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.94	$30,420	$33,065	51%
57	MichiganState	0.93	$30,320	$32,849	44%
58	New HampshireState	0.93	$34,790	$32,821	55%
59	New JerseyState	0.93	$35,850	$32,950	60%
60	AlabamaState	0.92	$28,330	$32,526	41%
61	North CarolinaState	0.92	$30,870	$32,701	51%
62	OklahomaState	0.92	$28,940	$32,701	40%
63	WisconsinState	0.92	$30,160	$32,676	43%
64	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.92	$35,160	$32,406	70%
65	PennsylvaniaState	0.91	$31,360	$32,330	50%
66	GeorgiaState	0.90	$29,860	$31,970	57%
67	MississippiState	0.90	$26,970	$31,804	40%
68	LouisianaState	0.88	$27,910	$30,977	45%
69	WyomingState	0.88	$29,080	$31,269	41%
70	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.88	$30,090	$31,085	64%
71	NevadaState	0.86	$30,320	$30,259	57%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).