Best Cities for Brickmasons and Blockmasonss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where brickmasons and blockmasonss 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	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.58	$97,960	$98,452	18%
2	MinnesotaState	1.56	$95,220	$97,163	16%
3	IllinoisState	1.49	$89,980	$92,382	17%
4	MassachusettsState	1.41	$94,950	$87,512	28%
5	WisconsinState	1.40	$80,120	$86,804	16%
6	North DakotaState	1.39	$79,940	$86,328	15%
7	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.38	$96,960	$85,427	32%
8	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.38	$97,830	$85,591	27%
9	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.34	$76,940	$83,178	18%
10	MissouriState	1.31	$72,370	$81,682	17%
11	IndianaState	1.30	$73,110	$80,785	17%
12	Rhode IslandState	1.27	$79,280	$78,886	23%
13	Columbus, OHMetro	1.27	$73,550	$78,663	21%
14	OhioState	1.26	$70,950	$78,485	18%
15	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.26	$72,370	$77,985	21%
16	IowaState	1.25	$69,440	$77,848	16%
17	WashingtonState	1.25	$83,190	$77,530	27%
18	OregonState	1.24	$79,450	$77,136	24%
19	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.22	$81,700	$75,788	26%
20	New YorkState	1.21	$84,410	$75,031	26%
21	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.18	$75,970	$73,401	25%
22	HawaiiState	1.16	$79,250	$72,045	36%
23	PennsylvaniaState	1.15	$69,560	$71,711	22%
24	New JerseyState	1.14	$77,010	$70,781	28%
25	TennesseeState	1.12	$63,850	$69,781	24%
26	MichiganState	1.11	$63,500	$68,797	21%
27	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.11	$62,830	$68,893	23%
28	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.11	$66,380	$69,002	28%
29	KentuckyState	1.09	$59,820	$67,593	19%
30	NebraskaState	1.08	$61,200	$66,885	20%
31	South DakotaState	1.07	$60,380	$66,498	19%
32	DelawareState	1.06	$66,550	$65,891	24%
33	KansasState	1.06	$59,220	$65,800	21%
34	IdahoState	1.04	$62,510	$64,777	23%
35	WyomingState	1.04	$60,040	$64,559	20%
36	ArkansasState	1.03	$55,100	$63,847	19%
37	LouisianaState	1.03	$57,440	$63,751	22%
38	ConnecticutState	1.02	$67,960	$63,160	28%
39	New HampshireState	1.02	$66,890	$63,104	28%
40	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.02	$75,930	$63,170	50%
41	CaliforniaState	1.00	$69,050	$62,376	39%
42	ColoradoState	1.00	$65,260	$61,917	34%
43	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.99	$56,580	$61,500	28%
44	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.98	$59,400	$61,111	32%
45	NevadaState	0.97	$60,670	$60,549	29%
46	UtahState	0.97	$60,450	$60,329	30%
47	ArizonaState	0.95	$59,260	$58,731	30%
48	TexasState	0.95	$56,410	$59,006	29%
49	MontanaState	0.94	$56,030	$58,122	24%
50	VermontState	0.94	$59,590	$58,137	29%
51	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.94	$56,600	$58,471	34%
52	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.94	$57,490	$58,365	36%
53	MississippiState	0.93	$48,820	$57,571	22%
54	AlabamaState	0.92	$49,710	$57,072	23%
55	OklahomaState	0.92	$50,620	$57,198	23%
56	District of ColumbiaState	0.91	$64,450	$56,387	39%
57	West VirginiaState	0.89	$46,600	$55,344	22%
58	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.88	$58,000	$54,820	35%
59	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.88	$52,500	$54,802	34%
60	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.88	$63,450	$54,464	43%
61	GeorgiaState	0.87	$50,650	$54,229	34%
62	MarylandState	0.87	$59,030	$54,057	34%
63	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.87	$60,670	$53,785	39%
64	South CarolinaState	0.86	$49,010	$53,272	31%
65	North CarolinaState	0.85	$49,940	$52,903	31%
66	VirginiaState	0.85	$54,680	$52,831	35%
67	FloridaState	0.84	$52,760	$51,980	39%
68	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.84	$56,500	$52,074	43%
69	New MexicoState	0.79	$44,980	$48,891	28%
70	MaineState	0.69	$42,710	$42,796	36%

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