Best Cities for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulances

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances 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	District of ColumbiaState	1.26	$72,260	$63,220	35%
2	North DakotaState	1.24	$57,580	$62,181	20%
3	MinnesotaState	1.20	$59,220	$60,429	26%
4	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.19	$59,560	$59,859	30%
5	IllinoisState	1.17	$57,240	$58,768	27%
6	NebraskaState	1.17	$53,880	$58,885	23%
7	MissouriState	1.15	$51,410	$58,025	24%
8	WisconsinState	1.13	$52,350	$56,717	25%
9	DelawareState	1.12	$57,170	$56,604	28%
10	KentuckyState	1.12	$49,990	$56,486	23%
11	AlabamaState	1.11	$48,790	$56,016	24%
12	OhioState	1.11	$50,320	$55,664	25%
13	IndianaState	1.10	$50,060	$55,315	25%
14	MaineState	1.10	$55,150	$55,261	28%
15	WashingtonState	1.10	$59,330	$55,294	38%
16	West VirginiaState	1.10	$46,620	$55,368	22%
17	Columbus, OHMetro	1.10	$51,640	$55,230	30%
18	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.10	$50,600	$55,482	29%
19	VermontState	1.09	$56,360	$54,985	30%
20	AlaskaState	1.08	$56,730	$54,391	29%
21	ArkansasState	1.08	$47,130	$54,612	22%
22	TennesseeState	1.08	$49,660	$54,273	30%
23	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.08	$58,670	$54,425	37%
24	MichiganState	1.07	$49,490	$53,619	27%
25	MississippiState	1.07	$45,660	$53,844	24%
26	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.07	$49,910	$53,957	28%
27	OregonState	1.06	$54,980	$53,379	35%
28	GeorgiaState	1.05	$49,180	$52,655	35%
29	IowaState	1.05	$47,000	$52,691	24%
30	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.05	$50,520	$52,735	36%
31	KansasState	1.04	$47,170	$52,411	26%
32	LouisianaState	1.04	$47,050	$52,220	27%
33	WyomingState	1.04	$48,690	$52,355	24%
34	South CarolinaState	1.03	$47,550	$51,685	32%
35	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.03	$49,680	$51,642	38%
36	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.03	$59,340	$51,916	44%
37	ColoradoState	1.02	$54,070	$51,300	41%
38	IdahoState	1.02	$49,660	$51,461	29%
39	MassachusettsState	1.02	$55,690	$51,327	49%
40	PennsylvaniaState	1.02	$49,960	$51,505	31%
41	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.02	$47,660	$51,358	32%
42	North CarolinaState	1.01	$48,230	$51,091	32%
43	OklahomaState	1.01	$44,950	$50,791	26%
44	UtahState	1.01	$51,010	$50,908	35%
45	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$46,800	$50,870	33%
46	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.01	$57,160	$50,674	42%
47	New JerseyState	1.00	$54,590	$50,175	40%
48	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.00	$48,930	$50,548	40%
49	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.00	$60,780	$50,566	62%
50	New HampshireState	0.99	$52,770	$49,783	36%
51	New YorkState	0.99	$55,810	$49,609	40%
52	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.99	$56,560	$49,833	54%
53	TexasState	0.98	$47,320	$49,498	35%
54	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.98	$48,030	$49,414	40%
55	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.98	$51,170	$49,440	37%
56	MontanaState	0.97	$47,140	$48,900	29%
57	Rhode IslandState	0.97	$49,320	$49,075	37%
58	VirginiaState	0.97	$50,710	$48,995	37%
59	South DakotaState	0.96	$43,920	$48,370	26%
60	HawaiiState	0.95	$52,570	$47,791	54%
61	NevadaState	0.95	$47,920	$47,824	36%
62	New MexicoState	0.95	$43,960	$47,783	29%
63	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.95	$50,820	$48,034	40%
64	ArizonaState	0.94	$47,880	$47,453	38%
65	CaliforniaState	0.94	$52,350	$47,290	52%
66	MarylandState	0.93	$51,350	$47,024	39%
67	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.91	$45,090	$45,777	46%
68	FloridaState	0.90	$45,880	$45,202	45%
69	ConnecticutState	0.89	$47,960	$44,572	39%
70	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.89	$52,170	$44,781	52%
71	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.84	$45,980	$42,378	53%

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