Best Cities for Communications Teachers, Postsecondarys

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where communications teachers, postsecondarys 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	CaliforniaState	1.55	$135,000	$121,951	20%
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.42	$130,160	$111,725	21%
3	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.27	$119,860	$99,717	31%
4	DelawareState	1.26	$100,260	$99,267	16%
5	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.23	$103,920	$96,401	21%
6	OregonState	1.22	$98,900	$96,019	19%
7	MichiganState	1.21	$87,670	$94,984	15%
8	Rhode IslandState	1.21	$95,910	$95,433	19%
9	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.19	$84,950	$93,147	17%
10	West VirginiaState	1.18	$77,880	$92,494	13%
11	ConnecticutState	1.15	$97,210	$90,344	19%
12	New HampshireState	1.15	$95,760	$90,340	20%
13	IowaState	1.11	$77,700	$87,108	15%
14	NebraskaState	1.10	$79,180	$86,536	16%
15	South CarolinaState	1.10	$79,810	$86,750	19%
16	Columbus, OHMetro	1.10	$81,160	$86,802	19%
17	LouisianaState	1.09	$77,250	$85,738	16%
18	OhioState	1.09	$77,660	$85,907	16%
19	WisconsinState	1.09	$78,780	$85,352	17%
20	MinnesotaState	1.08	$83,380	$85,082	18%
21	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.08	$81,810	$84,514	24%
22	North DakotaState	1.07	$78,120	$84,363	15%
23	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.06	$83,120	$83,538	21%
24	WyomingState	1.05	$76,760	$82,538	15%
25	NevadaState	1.04	$82,020	$81,856	21%
26	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.04	$75,890	$82,043	19%
27	MissouriState	1.03	$71,830	$81,072	17%
28	MontanaState	1.03	$78,110	$81,027	17%
29	TexasState	1.03	$77,050	$80,596	22%
30	IllinoisState	1.02	$78,150	$80,236	20%
31	PennsylvaniaState	1.02	$77,790	$80,196	20%
32	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.01	$77,050	$79,270	25%
33	GeorgiaState	1.00	$73,430	$78,619	23%
34	South DakotaState	1.00	$71,300	$78,524	16%
35	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.00	$83,510	$78,932	24%
36	MaineState	0.99	$78,000	$78,156	20%
37	UtahState	0.99	$77,950	$77,794	23%
38	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.98	$79,870	$77,169	24%
39	MarylandState	0.97	$83,510	$76,474	24%
40	MassachusettsState	0.97	$82,610	$76,138	33%
41	New YorkState	0.96	$84,690	$75,280	26%
42	OklahomaState	0.96	$66,650	$75,311	17%
43	VermontState	0.95	$76,120	$74,263	22%
44	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.95	$83,810	$74,300	29%
45	AlabamaState	0.93	$63,760	$73,203	18%
46	District of ColumbiaState	0.93	$83,910	$73,412	30%
47	TennesseeState	0.93	$66,630	$72,820	23%
48	IndianaState	0.92	$65,390	$72,254	19%
49	MississippiState	0.92	$61,290	$72,276	18%
50	KansasState	0.91	$64,180	$71,311	19%
51	New JerseyState	0.91	$77,780	$71,489	28%
52	VirginiaState	0.91	$73,750	$71,256	26%
53	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.91	$80,890	$71,269	38%
54	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.91	$81,920	$71,671	32%
55	ArizonaState	0.90	$71,230	$70,595	25%
56	KentuckyState	0.90	$62,380	$70,486	18%
57	North CarolinaState	0.89	$65,850	$69,756	24%
58	WashingtonState	0.89	$75,330	$70,205	30%
59	ArkansasState	0.88	$59,810	$69,305	18%
60	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.88	$63,890	$68,847	24%
61	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.88	$66,630	$69,262	28%
62	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.87	$65,180	$68,038	28%
63	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.86	$66,770	$67,787	31%
64	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.85	$72,440	$66,765	34%
65	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.85	$61,530	$66,880	25%
66	ColoradoState	0.84	$69,200	$65,655	32%
67	FloridaState	0.82	$65,740	$64,768	31%
68	New MexicoState	0.69	$49,880	$54,217	25%

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