Best Cities for Childcare Workerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where childcare 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	District of ColumbiaState	1.18	$47,340	$41,417	53%
2	ColoradoState	1.11	$40,750	$38,662	54%
3	New MexicoState	1.11	$35,840	$38,957	35%
4	WashingtonState	1.11	$41,680	$38,844	55%
5	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.09	$45,720	$38,037	82%
6	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.09	$43,710	$38,241	60%
7	MassachusettsState	1.08	$40,900	$37,696	66%
8	OregonState	1.07	$38,650	$37,524	49%
9	VermontState	1.06	$38,030	$37,102	45%
10	IllinoisState	1.05	$35,830	$36,786	44%
11	Rhode IslandState	1.05	$36,940	$36,756	49%
12	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.05	$41,590	$36,643	74%
13	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.05	$39,590	$36,725	54%
14	MaineState	1.04	$36,350	$36,423	43%
15	MinnesotaState	1.04	$35,520	$36,245	43%
16	MontanaState	1.04	$35,120	$36,432	39%
17	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.04	$36,310	$36,492	49%
18	CaliforniaState	1.03	$40,020	$36,152	68%
19	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.02	$34,450	$35,811	54%
20	WisconsinState	1.01	$32,460	$35,168	40%
21	New HampshireState	1.00	$37,080	$34,981	51%
22	AlaskaState	0.99	$36,200	$34,708	45%
23	ArizonaState	0.99	$35,100	$34,787	51%
24	MissouriState	0.99	$30,790	$34,752	40%
25	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.98	$31,770	$34,235	49%
26	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.98	$39,890	$34,240	68%
27	ConnecticutState	0.97	$36,660	$34,071	51%
28	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	0.97	$31,060	$34,057	47%
29	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.97	$33,530	$34,041	62%
30	FloridaState	0.96	$34,210	$33,704	60%
31	HawaiiState	0.96	$37,030	$33,664	77%
32	MichiganState	0.96	$30,970	$33,554	43%
33	NebraskaState	0.96	$30,740	$33,596	41%
34	New JerseyState	0.96	$36,390	$33,447	59%
35	New YorkState	0.96	$37,590	$33,413	59%
36	IndianaState	0.95	$30,180	$33,348	42%
37	VirginiaState	0.95	$34,330	$33,169	55%
38	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.95	$34,520	$33,353	55%
39	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.95	$37,610	$33,342	64%
40	ArkansasState	0.94	$28,450	$32,966	37%
41	DelawareState	0.94	$33,210	$32,881	49%
42	MarylandState	0.94	$36,030	$32,995	56%
43	North DakotaState	0.94	$30,290	$32,711	39%
44	OhioState	0.94	$29,680	$32,832	42%
45	West VirginiaState	0.94	$27,710	$32,910	36%
46	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.94	$34,860	$32,949	58%
47	KansasState	0.93	$29,240	$32,489	42%
48	KentuckyState	0.93	$28,920	$32,678	40%
49	TennesseeState	0.93	$29,660	$32,415	51%
50	Columbus, OHMetro	0.93	$30,280	$32,385	51%
51	South CarolinaState	0.92	$29,650	$32,228	51%
52	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.92	$34,750	$32,028	70%
53	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.92	$29,840	$32,259	47%
54	IowaState	0.91	$28,420	$31,861	40%
55	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.91	$30,390	$31,722	59%
56	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.91	$31,110	$32,006	61%
57	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.91	$29,440	$32,000	53%
58	OklahomaState	0.90	$27,730	$31,333	42%
59	UtahState	0.90	$31,630	$31,567	57%
60	IdahoState	0.89	$30,160	$31,254	48%
61	PennsylvaniaState	0.89	$30,140	$31,072	52%
62	North CarolinaState	0.88	$29,140	$30,869	54%
63	South DakotaState	0.88	$27,940	$30,771	41%
64	WyomingState	0.87	$28,250	$30,376	42%
65	GeorgiaState	0.86	$28,020	$30,000	61%
66	NevadaState	0.85	$29,740	$29,681	59%
67	TexasState	0.85	$28,570	$29,885	58%
68	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.85	$28,840	$29,793	67%
69	AlabamaState	0.75	$22,720	$26,085	51%
70	MississippiState	0.74	$22,050	$26,002	49%
71	LouisianaState	0.73	$22,900	$25,416	55%

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