Best Cities for Child, Family, and School Social Workerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where child, family, and school social workerss 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	ConnecticutState	1.23	$78,970	$73,392	24%
2	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.22	$87,600	$72,879	43%
3	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.19	$74,960	$70,851	27%
4	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.19	$70,530	$70,884	25%
5	New JerseyState	1.18	$76,280	$70,110	28%
6	MarylandState	1.17	$76,390	$69,954	26%
7	MassachusettsState	1.17	$75,570	$69,650	36%
8	North DakotaState	1.17	$64,560	$69,719	18%
9	Rhode IslandState	1.17	$69,870	$69,522	26%
10	WashingtonState	1.17	$74,480	$69,413	31%
11	MinnesotaState	1.16	$67,450	$68,827	23%
12	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.15	$77,420	$68,211	40%
13	KentuckyState	1.12	$59,100	$66,780	19%
14	New HampshireState	1.12	$71,010	$66,991	27%
15	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.12	$75,550	$66,977	32%
16	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.11	$75,280	$65,862	35%
17	VermontState	1.10	$67,340	$65,698	25%
18	IllinoisState	1.09	$63,220	$64,908	25%
19	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.09	$59,270	$64,989	25%
20	District of ColumbiaState	1.08	$73,550	$64,348	34%
21	MichiganState	1.08	$59,270	$64,215	23%
22	WisconsinState	1.08	$59,280	$64,225	22%
23	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.07	$60,950	$63,622	30%
24	LouisianaState	1.06	$56,800	$63,041	22%
25	MaineState	1.06	$63,290	$63,417	25%
26	North CarolinaState	1.06	$59,610	$63,146	26%
27	OregonState	1.05	$64,130	$62,262	30%
28	Columbus, OHMetro	1.05	$58,460	$62,524	27%
29	HawaiiState	1.04	$68,270	$62,064	42%
30	IdahoState	1.04	$59,840	$62,010	24%
31	West VirginiaState	1.04	$52,220	$62,019	19%
32	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.04	$66,910	$62,069	32%
33	New MexicoState	1.03	$56,160	$61,043	22%
34	TennesseeState	1.03	$56,310	$61,541	27%
35	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.03	$71,250	$61,159	38%
36	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.03	$56,670	$61,598	28%
37	ColoradoState	1.02	$63,720	$60,455	35%
38	NevadaState	1.02	$61,080	$60,958	29%
39	WyomingState	1.02	$56,420	$60,667	21%
40	AlaskaState	1.01	$62,630	$60,048	26%
41	KansasState	1.01	$54,300	$60,333	23%
42	VirginiaState	1.00	$61,330	$59,256	31%
43	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.00	$58,540	$59,431	35%
44	CaliforniaState	0.99	$65,200	$58,898	42%
45	MontanaState	0.99	$56,780	$58,900	24%
46	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.99	$57,080	$58,724	33%
47	IowaState	0.98	$52,250	$58,576	22%
48	TexasState	0.98	$55,680	$58,243	30%
49	New YorkState	0.97	$65,100	$57,867	34%
50	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.97	$55,630	$57,827	34%
51	OhioState	0.96	$51,520	$56,991	24%
52	South CarolinaState	0.95	$51,800	$56,304	29%
53	South DakotaState	0.95	$51,100	$56,278	22%
54	FloridaState	0.94	$56,550	$55,714	36%
55	IndianaState	0.94	$50,470	$55,768	25%
56	MississippiState	0.92	$46,530	$54,870	23%
57	MissouriState	0.92	$48,520	$54,763	26%
58	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.92	$59,710	$55,032	41%
59	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.91	$55,930	$54,039	34%
60	AlabamaState	0.90	$46,660	$53,571	25%
61	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.90	$49,880	$53,750	31%
62	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.90	$49,800	$53,838	28%
63	NebraskaState	0.88	$47,770	$52,208	26%
64	PennsylvaniaState	0.88	$50,820	$52,392	31%
65	UtahState	0.87	$52,000	$51,896	34%
66	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.86	$49,720	$51,364	39%
67	GeorgiaState	0.85	$47,510	$50,867	36%
68	ArkansasState	0.84	$43,330	$50,209	24%
69	ArizonaState	0.83	$50,150	$49,703	36%
70	OklahomaState	0.83	$43,950	$49,661	26%
71	DelawareState	0.81	$48,520	$48,040	34%

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