Best Cities for Credit Counselorss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where credit counselorss 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	GeorgiaState	1.31	$64,080	$68,608	26%
2	NebraskaState	1.31	$62,510	$68,317	20%
3	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.29	$80,680	$67,121	47%
4	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.27	$64,080	$66,198	30%
5	MinnesotaState	1.21	$62,160	$63,429	25%
6	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.20	$58,090	$62,800	24%
7	CaliforniaState	1.16	$67,120	$60,632	40%
8	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.16	$58,480	$60,790	32%
9	PennsylvaniaState	1.15	$58,330	$60,134	27%
10	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.15	$59,750	$60,050	30%
11	MassachusettsState	1.12	$63,240	$58,286	43%
12	Columbus, OHMetro	1.12	$54,880	$58,695	28%
13	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.12	$53,140	$58,268	28%
14	Rhode IslandState	1.11	$58,480	$58,189	31%
15	South CarolinaState	1.11	$53,190	$57,815	28%
16	WashingtonState	1.11	$62,360	$58,117	37%
17	OregonState	1.10	$59,150	$57,427	32%
18	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.10	$61,980	$57,495	35%
19	MichiganState	1.08	$52,160	$56,511	26%
20	North DakotaState	1.08	$52,220	$56,393	22%
21	OhioState	1.08	$51,160	$56,593	25%
22	WisconsinState	1.08	$52,140	$56,490	25%
23	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.08	$64,080	$56,458	48%
24	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.08	$64,380	$56,325	41%
25	District of ColumbiaState	1.07	$63,580	$55,626	40%
26	New YorkState	1.07	$63,030	$56,027	35%
27	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.07	$65,210	$55,974	42%
28	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.07	$57,990	$56,029	33%
29	AlabamaState	1.06	$48,120	$55,247	24%
30	MaineState	1.06	$55,490	$55,601	28%
31	MarylandState	1.06	$60,450	$55,357	33%
32	NevadaState	1.06	$55,480	$55,369	31%
33	New HampshireState	1.06	$58,830	$55,500	32%
34	New MexicoState	1.05	$50,390	$54,772	25%
35	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.05	$61,930	$54,902	39%
36	ColoradoState	1.04	$57,130	$54,203	39%
37	KentuckyState	1.04	$48,150	$54,407	24%
38	MississippiState	1.04	$45,990	$54,233	23%
39	West VirginiaState	1.04	$45,860	$54,466	22%
40	IowaState	1.03	$48,130	$53,957	24%
41	South DakotaState	1.03	$48,890	$53,844	24%
42	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.03	$56,960	$53,837	35%
43	IllinoisState	1.02	$51,930	$53,316	30%
44	IndianaState	1.02	$48,180	$53,238	26%
45	OklahomaState	1.02	$46,950	$53,051	25%
46	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.02	$51,820	$53,313	37%
47	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.02	$48,890	$53,141	32%
48	IdahoState	1.01	$51,130	$52,984	28%
49	New JerseyState	1.01	$57,180	$52,555	38%
50	ArkansasState	1.00	$45,060	$52,213	23%
51	DelawareState	1.00	$52,840	$52,317	31%
52	LouisianaState	1.00	$47,250	$52,442	27%
53	ArizonaState	0.98	$51,480	$51,021	35%
54	UtahState	0.98	$51,330	$51,228	35%
55	ConnecticutState	0.97	$54,710	$50,846	34%
56	TexasState	0.97	$48,220	$50,439	34%
57	VirginiaState	0.95	$51,550	$49,807	37%
58	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.95	$45,840	$49,397	34%
59	North CarolinaState	0.94	$46,180	$48,919	34%
60	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.94	$46,950	$49,008	38%
61	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.90	$46,130	$46,832	45%
62	WyomingState	0.88	$42,580	$45,785	28%
63	FloridaState	0.87	$46,300	$45,616	45%
64	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.85	$47,980	$44,221	51%
65	TennesseeState	0.81	$38,730	$42,328	39%
66	MissouriState	0.66	$30,580	$34,515	41%

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