Best Cities for Couriers and Messengerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where couriers and messengerss 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	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.21	$47,160	$47,397	38%
2	MissouriState	1.19	$41,410	$46,738	30%
3	NevadaState	1.18	$46,520	$46,427	37%
4	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.18	$55,680	$46,323	68%
5	MinnesotaState	1.17	$44,860	$45,776	34%
6	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.17	$42,250	$45,676	33%
7	VermontState	1.13	$45,600	$44,488	38%
8	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.13	$41,050	$44,235	38%
9	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.13	$42,800	$44,491	44%
10	OklahomaState	1.12	$38,910	$43,966	30%
11	OregonState	1.12	$45,170	$43,854	42%
12	TennesseeState	1.12	$40,270	$44,011	37%
13	WashingtonState	1.11	$46,500	$43,336	49%
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.11	$39,670	$43,498	37%
15	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.11	$39,860	$43,326	39%
16	ArkansasState	1.10	$37,070	$42,955	28%
17	IowaState	1.10	$38,460	$43,117	30%
18	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.10	$41,860	$43,066	45%
19	ColoradoState	1.09	$45,140	$42,827	49%
20	KansasState	1.09	$38,370	$42,633	32%
21	UtahState	1.09	$42,840	$42,754	42%
22	GeorgiaState	1.08	$39,400	$42,184	43%
23	MississippiState	1.08	$35,780	$42,193	30%
24	OhioState	1.08	$38,320	$42,389	33%
25	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.08	$45,650	$42,347	47%
26	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.08	$48,510	$42,441	54%
27	MaineState	1.07	$41,710	$41,794	37%
28	New MexicoState	1.07	$38,570	$41,924	33%
29	MontanaState	1.06	$40,080	$41,577	34%
30	North CarolinaState	1.06	$39,100	$41,419	40%
31	West VirginiaState	1.06	$34,890	$41,437	29%
32	Columbus, OHMetro	1.06	$38,790	$41,487	40%
33	IndianaState	1.05	$37,270	$41,182	34%
34	MichiganState	1.05	$37,940	$41,105	35%
35	North DakotaState	1.05	$38,090	$41,134	31%
36	TexasState	1.05	$39,260	$41,067	42%
37	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.05	$39,720	$41,033	49%
38	CaliforniaState	1.04	$44,970	$40,623	60%
39	PennsylvaniaState	1.04	$39,700	$40,928	39%
40	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.04	$39,110	$40,825	46%
41	KentuckyState	1.03	$35,880	$40,542	32%
42	AlabamaState	1.02	$34,820	$39,977	33%
43	AlaskaState	1.02	$41,720	$40,000	39%
44	IllinoisState	1.02	$39,100	$40,144	40%
45	South CarolinaState	1.02	$36,710	$39,902	41%
46	WisconsinState	1.02	$36,910	$39,989	35%
47	District of ColumbiaState	1.01	$45,210	$39,554	56%
48	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.01	$44,840	$39,752	53%
49	MassachusettsState	1.00	$42,380	$39,060	64%
50	ArizonaState	0.99	$38,980	$38,632	46%
51	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.99	$43,830	$38,617	70%
52	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.99	$40,340	$38,976	47%
53	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.99	$38,100	$38,680	54%
54	DelawareState	0.98	$38,760	$38,376	42%
55	New HampshireState	0.98	$40,630	$38,330	47%
56	NebraskaState	0.96	$34,600	$37,814	36%
57	New JerseyState	0.96	$40,870	$37,564	53%
58	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.96	$43,760	$37,562	62%
59	FloridaState	0.95	$37,740	$37,182	55%
60	IdahoState	0.95	$36,110	$37,420	40%
61	LouisianaState	0.95	$33,490	$37,170	38%
62	ConnecticutState	0.94	$39,480	$36,691	48%
63	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.94	$39,140	$36,994	51%
64	Rhode IslandState	0.93	$36,810	$36,627	49%
65	VirginiaState	0.93	$37,820	$36,541	50%
66	MarylandState	0.91	$39,140	$35,842	51%
67	HawaiiState	0.89	$38,580	$35,073	74%
68	South DakotaState	0.89	$31,650	$34,857	36%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.89	$37,650	$34,700	65%
70	New YorkState	0.88	$38,740	$34,436	57%
71	WyomingState	0.87	$31,680	$34,065	37%

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