Best Cities for Clergys

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where clergys 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	1.24	$80,830	$75,331	28%
2	NevadaState	1.21	$73,910	$73,762	24%
3	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.19	$84,050	$72,146	32%
4	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.18	$81,750	$71,522	32%
5	CaliforniaState	1.15	$77,710	$70,199	35%
6	New MexicoState	1.15	$64,100	$69,674	20%
7	IowaState	1.12	$60,630	$67,971	19%
8	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.12	$62,760	$68,217	25%
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.11	$65,150	$67,304	30%
10	OklahomaState	1.10	$59,110	$66,791	20%
11	KentuckyState	1.09	$58,920	$66,576	20%
12	MassachusettsState	1.09	$72,190	$66,535	37%
13	MissouriState	1.09	$58,740	$66,298	21%
14	WisconsinState	1.09	$60,950	$66,035	21%
15	WyomingState	1.09	$61,590	$66,226	19%
16	North DakotaState	1.08	$60,680	$65,529	19%
17	OhioState	1.08	$59,160	$65,442	21%
18	South DakotaState	1.08	$59,860	$65,925	19%
19	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.08	$59,890	$65,669	24%
20	GeorgiaState	1.07	$60,530	$64,807	28%
21	IndianaState	1.07	$59,020	$65,215	21%
22	Columbus, OHMetro	1.07	$60,820	$65,048	26%
23	MaineState	1.06	$64,340	$64,469	24%
24	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.06	$73,160	$64,458	42%
25	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.06	$64,060	$64,382	28%
26	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.06	$77,510	$64,484	49%
27	IllinoisState	1.04	$61,820	$63,470	25%
28	North CarolinaState	1.04	$59,600	$63,136	26%
29	VermontState	1.04	$64,950	$63,366	26%
30	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.04	$60,760	$63,424	30%
31	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.04	$58,850	$63,416	26%
32	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.04	$60,720	$63,119	31%
33	DelawareState	1.03	$63,260	$62,634	26%
34	MinnesotaState	1.03	$61,230	$62,480	25%
35	NebraskaState	1.03	$57,520	$62,863	22%
36	TennesseeState	1.03	$57,260	$62,579	26%
37	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.03	$57,720	$62,400	24%
38	IdahoState	1.02	$59,570	$61,731	24%
39	MississippiState	1.02	$52,450	$61,851	20%
40	MontanaState	1.02	$59,550	$61,774	23%
41	TexasState	1.02	$59,480	$62,218	28%
42	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.02	$60,040	$61,770	32%
43	ArizonaState	1.01	$61,900	$61,348	29%
44	MichiganState	1.01	$56,490	$61,203	24%
45	New HampshireState	1.01	$65,200	$61,509	29%
46	OregonState	1.01	$63,140	$61,301	30%
47	South CarolinaState	1.01	$56,630	$61,554	27%
48	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.01	$63,430	$61,285	30%
49	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.00	$65,710	$60,955	33%
50	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.00	$59,610	$60,518	35%
51	ColoradoState	0.99	$63,700	$60,436	35%
52	LouisianaState	0.99	$54,140	$60,089	23%
53	New JerseyState	0.99	$65,500	$60,202	33%
54	PennsylvaniaState	0.99	$58,300	$60,103	27%
55	Rhode IslandState	0.98	$59,660	$59,363	30%
56	ConnecticutState	0.97	$63,470	$58,987	30%
57	AlabamaState	0.95	$50,180	$57,612	23%
58	KansasState	0.95	$52,130	$57,922	24%
59	West VirginiaState	0.95	$48,460	$57,553	21%
60	ArkansasState	0.94	$49,070	$56,860	21%
61	District of ColumbiaState	0.93	$64,800	$56,693	39%
62	MarylandState	0.93	$61,620	$56,429	33%
63	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.93	$59,700	$56,427	34%
64	FloridaState	0.92	$56,940	$56,099	36%
65	HawaiiState	0.91	$61,050	$55,500	47%
66	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.89	$58,470	$53,889	42%
67	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.89	$61,170	$54,229	39%
68	AlaskaState	0.88	$55,780	$53,480	29%
69	VirginiaState	0.88	$55,430	$53,556	34%
70	New YorkState	0.86	$58,580	$52,071	38%

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