Best Cities for Cooks, Restaurants

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where cooks, restaurants 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	MaineState	1.21	$45,290	$45,381	34%
2	VermontState	1.18	$45,390	$44,283	38%
3	WashingtonState	1.17	$46,800	$43,616	49%
4	MassachusettsState	1.12	$45,600	$42,028	59%
5	MissouriState	1.12	$36,940	$41,693	34%
6	OregonState	1.12	$43,100	$41,845	44%
7	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.12	$45,200	$41,929	48%
8	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.12	$47,730	$41,759	55%
9	HawaiiState	1.10	$45,420	$41,291	63%
10	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.10	$37,410	$41,020	39%
11	CaliforniaState	1.08	$44,880	$40,542	61%
12	District of ColumbiaState	1.08	$46,130	$40,359	55%
13	NebraskaState	1.08	$37,030	$40,470	34%
14	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.08	$45,830	$40,379	67%
15	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.08	$37,370	$40,269	41%
16	IowaState	1.07	$35,670	$39,989	32%
17	MichiganState	1.07	$36,980	$40,065	36%
18	South DakotaState	1.07	$36,220	$39,890	32%
19	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.07	$39,640	$39,839	45%
20	ColoradoState	1.06	$41,600	$39,469	53%
21	MontanaState	1.06	$38,060	$39,481	36%
22	TennesseeState	1.06	$36,420	$39,803	41%
23	WisconsinState	1.06	$36,550	$39,599	36%
24	WyomingState	1.06	$36,830	$39,602	32%
25	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.06	$38,170	$39,678	49%
26	KentuckyState	1.05	$34,640	$39,141	33%
27	MinnesotaState	1.05	$38,590	$39,378	40%
28	North DakotaState	1.05	$36,470	$39,384	32%
29	OhioState	1.05	$35,540	$39,314	35%
30	Columbus, OHMetro	1.05	$36,590	$39,134	42%
31	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.05	$47,170	$39,243	80%
32	IndianaState	1.04	$35,170	$38,862	36%
33	KansasState	1.04	$35,130	$39,033	35%
34	New YorkState	1.04	$43,680	$38,827	51%
35	South CarolinaState	1.04	$35,740	$38,848	42%
36	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.04	$36,130	$39,059	39%
37	AlaskaState	1.03	$40,140	$38,485	41%
38	ArizonaState	1.03	$38,670	$38,325	46%
39	GeorgiaState	1.03	$35,940	$38,480	47%
40	IllinoisState	1.03	$37,580	$38,583	42%
41	NevadaState	1.03	$38,610	$38,533	45%
42	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.03	$37,230	$38,461	52%
43	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$37,030	$38,653	49%
44	New MexicoState	1.02	$35,020	$38,065	36%
45	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.02	$44,460	$38,163	61%
46	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.02	$42,920	$38,050	56%
47	IdahoState	1.01	$36,440	$37,762	39%
48	New HampshireState	1.01	$40,200	$37,925	47%
49	PennsylvaniaState	1.01	$36,580	$37,711	43%
50	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$34,860	$37,891	45%
51	DelawareState	1.00	$37,840	$37,465	43%
52	North CarolinaState	1.00	$35,400	$37,500	44%
53	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.00	$36,490	$37,541	52%
54	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.00	$37,010	$37,574	56%
55	AlabamaState	0.99	$32,180	$36,946	36%
56	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.99	$38,270	$36,976	50%
57	ConnecticutState	0.98	$39,480	$36,691	48%
58	FloridaState	0.98	$37,020	$36,473	56%
59	Rhode IslandState	0.97	$36,510	$36,328	49%
60	TexasState	0.97	$34,760	$36,360	48%
61	UtahState	0.97	$36,490	$36,417	49%
62	OklahomaState	0.96	$31,720	$35,842	37%
63	New JerseyState	0.95	$38,460	$35,349	56%
64	VirginiaState	0.95	$36,750	$35,507	51%
65	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.95	$37,420	$35,369	54%
66	ArkansasState	0.94	$30,180	$34,971	35%
67	West VirginiaState	0.94	$29,590	$35,143	34%
68	MarylandState	0.93	$37,820	$34,634	53%
69	MississippiState	0.93	$29,560	$34,858	36%
70	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.91	$36,920	$34,028	66%
71	LouisianaState	0.86	$29,050	$32,242	43%

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