Best Cities for Cooks, Short Orders

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where cooks, short orders 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	ArizonaState	1.29	$46,630	$46,214	39%
2	Rhode IslandState	1.28	$46,250	$46,020	39%
3	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.24	$50,870	$44,506	52%
4	MissouriState	1.21	$38,490	$43,442	32%
5	IdahoState	1.16	$40,090	$41,544	36%
6	MassachusettsState	1.14	$44,290	$40,820	61%
7	New MexicoState	1.13	$37,150	$40,380	34%
8	ColoradoState	1.12	$42,450	$40,275	52%
9	OklahomaState	1.11	$35,130	$39,695	33%
10	WashingtonState	1.11	$42,760	$39,851	53%
11	ConnecticutState	1.10	$42,450	$39,452	44%
12	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.10	$37,830	$39,324	49%
13	HawaiiState	1.09	$43,110	$39,191	66%
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.09	$35,630	$39,068	41%
15	CaliforniaState	1.08	$42,930	$38,780	63%
16	IllinoisState	1.07	$37,440	$38,439	42%
17	IowaState	1.07	$34,090	$38,217	34%
18	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.07	$45,990	$38,261	82%
19	DelawareState	1.06	$38,500	$38,119	42%
20	UtahState	1.06	$38,010	$37,934	47%
21	VermontState	1.06	$38,830	$37,883	44%
22	NevadaState	1.05	$37,780	$37,705	46%
23	Columbus, OHMetro	1.05	$35,200	$37,647	44%
24	District of ColumbiaState	1.04	$42,450	$37,139	59%
25	MichiganState	1.04	$34,510	$37,389	39%
26	New JerseyState	1.04	$40,720	$37,426	53%
27	OregonState	1.04	$38,550	$37,427	50%
28	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.04	$43,680	$37,494	62%
29	AlaskaState	1.01	$37,780	$36,222	43%
30	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.01	$34,600	$36,117	52%
31	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$33,260	$36,152	47%
32	KentuckyState	1.00	$31,840	$35,977	36%
33	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.00	$38,810	$36,002	55%
34	ArkansasState	0.99	$30,510	$35,353	35%
35	MaineState	0.99	$35,360	$35,431	44%
36	South DakotaState	0.99	$32,380	$35,661	36%
37	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.98	$34,740	$35,269	59%
38	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.98	$39,650	$35,151	60%
39	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.97	$39,600	$34,890	77%
40	MontanaState	0.96	$33,240	$34,481	41%
41	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.96	$36,460	$34,461	55%
42	FloridaState	0.94	$34,240	$33,734	60%
43	MarylandState	0.94	$36,800	$33,700	55%
44	MississippiState	0.93	$28,180	$33,231	38%
45	NebraskaState	0.93	$30,530	$33,366	41%
46	North CarolinaState	0.92	$31,290	$33,146	50%
47	TennesseeState	0.92	$30,210	$33,016	50%
48	MinnesotaState	0.91	$32,150	$32,806	48%
49	West VirginiaState	0.91	$27,440	$32,589	37%
50	OhioState	0.90	$29,290	$32,400	43%
51	South CarolinaState	0.90	$29,640	$32,217	51%
52	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.90	$29,810	$32,123	52%
53	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	0.90	$32,150	$32,312	55%
54	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.89	$34,570	$31,862	71%
55	New YorkState	0.88	$35,550	$31,600	62%
56	KansasState	0.85	$27,400	$30,444	45%
57	New HampshireState	0.85	$32,330	$30,500	59%
58	WisconsinState	0.85	$28,130	$30,477	46%
59	VirginiaState	0.84	$31,200	$30,145	61%
60	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.84	$31,360	$30,300	61%
61	LouisianaState	0.81	$26,260	$29,145	48%
62	GeorgiaState	0.80	$26,870	$28,769	63%
63	TexasState	0.74	$25,320	$26,485	66%
64	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.73	$25,320	$26,049	75%
65	AlabamaState	0.71	$22,330	$25,637	51%
66	IndianaState	0.68	$21,940	$24,243	58%
67	PennsylvaniaState	0.57	$19,910	$20,526	78%
68	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.52	$17,150	$18,541	82%

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