Best Cities for Bakerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where bakerss 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	WashingtonState	1.16	$46,140	$43,001	49%
2	WyomingState	1.16	$40,000	$43,011	30%
3	HawaiiState	1.14	$46,710	$42,464	61%
4	South DakotaState	1.14	$38,340	$42,225	30%
5	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.14	$42,270	$42,482	42%
6	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.13	$48,180	$42,152	55%
7	IowaState	1.12	$37,210	$41,715	31%
8	MinnesotaState	1.10	$40,210	$41,031	38%
9	WisconsinState	1.09	$37,310	$40,423	35%
10	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.09	$36,970	$40,537	40%
11	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.08	$43,440	$40,297	50%
12	IndianaState	1.07	$36,150	$39,945	35%
13	MissouriState	1.07	$35,130	$39,650	35%
14	North DakotaState	1.07	$36,900	$39,849	32%
15	NevadaState	1.06	$39,540	$39,461	44%
16	AlabamaState	1.05	$34,030	$39,070	34%
17	CaliforniaState	1.05	$43,120	$38,952	63%
18	VermontState	1.05	$39,980	$39,005	43%
19	Columbus, OHMetro	1.05	$36,430	$38,963	43%
20	ColoradoState	1.04	$40,650	$38,567	54%
21	District of ColumbiaState	1.04	$44,040	$38,530	57%
22	MichiganState	1.04	$35,830	$38,819	37%
23	MontanaState	1.04	$37,200	$38,589	36%
24	NebraskaState	1.04	$35,280	$38,557	36%
25	South CarolinaState	1.04	$35,460	$38,543	42%
26	KansasState	1.03	$34,300	$38,111	36%
27	KentuckyState	1.03	$33,890	$38,294	34%
28	OhioState	1.03	$34,560	$38,230	36%
29	OregonState	1.03	$39,500	$38,350	48%
30	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.03	$37,140	$38,368	52%
31	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$36,580	$38,184	49%
32	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.03	$35,650	$38,416	43%
33	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.03	$35,340	$38,205	40%
34	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.03	$35,100	$38,152	45%
35	AlaskaState	1.02	$39,710	$38,073	41%
36	IllinoisState	1.02	$37,030	$38,018	42%
37	New MexicoState	1.02	$34,850	$37,880	36%
38	Rhode IslandState	1.02	$38,140	$37,950	47%
39	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.02	$45,480	$37,837	83%
40	ArizonaState	1.01	$37,700	$37,364	48%
41	GeorgiaState	1.01	$35,010	$37,484	49%
42	MaineState	1.01	$37,390	$37,465	42%
43	PennsylvaniaState	1.01	$36,360	$37,485	43%
44	TennesseeState	1.01	$34,440	$37,639	44%
45	New HampshireState	1.00	$39,500	$37,264	48%
46	DelawareState	0.98	$36,730	$36,366	44%
47	North CarolinaState	0.98	$34,510	$36,557	45%
48	UtahState	0.98	$36,670	$36,597	49%
49	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.98	$34,920	$36,299	53%
50	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.98	$37,770	$36,493	51%
51	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.97	$35,410	$35,949	58%
52	OklahomaState	0.96	$31,460	$35,548	37%
53	ArkansasState	0.95	$30,380	$35,203	35%
54	FloridaState	0.95	$35,870	$35,340	58%
55	IdahoState	0.95	$34,060	$35,295	42%
56	MassachusettsState	0.95	$38,130	$35,143	71%
57	TexasState	0.95	$33,790	$35,345	49%
58	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.95	$34,350	$35,340	55%
59	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.93	$36,590	$34,584	55%
60	MississippiState	0.92	$28,920	$34,104	37%
61	New YorkState	0.92	$38,660	$34,364	57%
62	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.92	$38,650	$34,264	62%
63	ConnecticutState	0.91	$36,460	$33,885	52%
64	MarylandState	0.91	$37,040	$33,919	54%
65	New JerseyState	0.91	$36,960	$33,971	58%
66	West VirginiaState	0.91	$28,480	$33,824	35%
67	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.91	$38,570	$33,982	79%
68	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.91	$39,260	$33,700	69%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.91	$36,880	$33,991	66%
70	VirginiaState	0.90	$34,430	$33,266	55%
71	LouisianaState	0.84	$28,020	$31,099	45%

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