Best Cities for Chefs and Head Cookss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where chefs and head cookss 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	North DakotaState	1.29	$74,740	$80,713	16%
2	Rhode IslandState	1.27	$79,930	$79,532	23%
3	WyomingState	1.26	$73,170	$78,677	16%
4	South CarolinaState	1.25	$71,860	$78,109	21%
5	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.23	$74,660	$77,128	26%
6	TennesseeState	1.22	$69,810	$76,295	22%
7	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.17	$70,420	$73,202	27%
8	MissouriState	1.16	$64,480	$72,777	19%
9	West VirginiaState	1.16	$61,100	$72,565	16%
10	AlabamaState	1.15	$62,400	$71,642	18%
11	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.15	$66,320	$71,697	21%
12	GeorgiaState	1.14	$66,230	$70,910	26%
13	HawaiiState	1.13	$77,360	$70,327	37%
14	WashingtonState	1.13	$76,010	$70,839	30%
15	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.13	$80,330	$70,280	33%
16	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.10	$64,010	$68,976	24%
17	New JerseyState	1.09	$74,280	$68,272	29%
18	New MexicoState	1.08	$62,250	$67,663	20%
19	District of ColumbiaState	1.07	$76,420	$66,859	33%
20	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.07	$64,260	$67,077	28%
21	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.07	$60,870	$66,743	24%
22	NebraskaState	1.06	$60,510	$66,131	21%
23	OklahomaState	1.06	$58,540	$66,147	20%
24	WisconsinState	1.06	$61,300	$66,414	21%
25	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.06	$64,100	$65,947	30%
26	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.06	$74,900	$66,401	32%
27	PennsylvaniaState	1.05	$63,860	$65,835	24%
28	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.05	$79,020	$65,740	48%
29	KansasState	1.04	$58,390	$64,878	21%
30	MichiganState	1.04	$60,070	$65,081	22%
31	MississippiState	1.04	$54,850	$64,682	20%
32	North CarolinaState	1.04	$61,130	$64,756	26%
33	MassachusettsState	1.03	$69,540	$64,092	39%
34	MinnesotaState	1.02	$62,600	$63,878	25%
35	VermontState	1.02	$65,440	$63,844	26%
36	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.02	$72,470	$63,850	42%
37	Columbus, OHMetro	1.02	$59,830	$63,989	26%
38	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.02	$63,240	$63,558	28%
39	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.02	$65,680	$63,459	29%
40	New YorkState	1.01	$70,670	$62,818	31%
41	NevadaState	1.00	$62,380	$62,255	28%
42	ColoradoState	0.99	$65,400	$62,049	34%
43	OregonState	0.99	$63,600	$61,748	30%
44	VirginiaState	0.98	$63,270	$61,130	30%
45	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.98	$65,690	$60,937	33%
46	DelawareState	0.97	$61,440	$60,832	26%
47	IllinoisState	0.97	$58,830	$60,400	27%
48	ConnecticutState	0.96	$64,310	$59,768	29%
49	New HampshireState	0.96	$63,400	$59,811	30%
50	OhioState	0.96	$53,990	$59,723	23%
51	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.96	$69,990	$60,077	39%
52	ArizonaState	0.95	$59,890	$59,356	30%
53	MontanaState	0.95	$57,470	$59,616	24%
54	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.95	$58,240	$59,127	35%
55	TexasState	0.94	$56,080	$58,661	30%
56	UtahState	0.94	$59,060	$58,942	30%
57	CaliforniaState	0.93	$64,500	$58,266	42%
58	FloridaState	0.92	$58,240	$57,379	35%
59	IndianaState	0.92	$52,190	$57,669	24%
60	MaineState	0.91	$57,010	$57,124	27%
61	MarylandState	0.90	$61,590	$56,401	33%
62	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.90	$59,290	$56,040	34%
63	KentuckyState	0.87	$48,070	$54,316	24%
64	ArkansasState	0.86	$46,170	$53,499	23%
65	IdahoState	0.86	$52,000	$53,886	28%
66	IowaState	0.86	$47,990	$53,800	24%
67	South DakotaState	0.85	$48,470	$53,381	24%
68	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.85	$57,940	$53,401	42%
69	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.85	$48,900	$53,152	32%
70	LouisianaState	0.81	$45,570	$50,577	28%
71	AlaskaState	0.80	$52,190	$50,038	31%

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