Best Cities for Financial and Investment Analystss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where financial and investment analystss 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	WyomingState	1.96	$187,090	$201,172	6%
2	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.17	$144,910	$120,557	26%
3	OregonState	1.14	$120,590	$117,078	16%
4	New YorkState	1.11	$127,930	$113,716	17%
5	MissouriState	1.08	$98,420	$111,084	13%
6	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.08	$106,510	$111,180	17%
7	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.08	$101,550	$111,349	14%
8	North CarolinaState	1.06	$102,390	$108,464	15%
9	South DakotaState	1.06	$99,150	$109,196	12%
10	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.06	$117,280	$108,794	18%
11	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.06	$124,790	$109,178	21%
12	GeorgiaState	1.04	$99,420	$106,445	17%
13	AlabamaState	1.02	$91,290	$104,811	13%
14	IdahoState	1.02	$100,830	$104,487	14%
15	MinnesotaState	1.02	$102,990	$105,092	15%
16	OhioState	1.02	$94,280	$104,292	13%
17	Columbus, OHMetro	1.02	$97,920	$104,727	16%
18	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.02	$97,680	$105,259	16%
19	IllinoisState	1.01	$101,180	$103,881	16%
20	IowaState	1.01	$92,370	$103,554	12%
21	MichiganState	1.01	$95,420	$103,380	14%
22	TexasState	1.01	$99,150	$103,713	17%
23	WisconsinState	1.01	$95,570	$103,543	14%
24	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.01	$100,830	$104,163	19%
25	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.01	$117,520	$103,542	26%
26	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.01	$103,350	$103,869	17%
27	MassachusettsState	1.00	$111,040	$102,341	24%
28	MontanaState	1.00	$99,190	$102,894	14%
29	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.00	$100,350	$103,241	19%
30	ConnecticutState	0.99	$109,500	$101,766	17%
31	South CarolinaState	0.99	$93,670	$101,815	16%
32	TennesseeState	0.99	$92,990	$101,628	16%
33	VirginiaState	0.99	$105,490	$101,923	18%
34	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.99	$97,490	$101,341	19%
35	DelawareState	0.98	$101,800	$100,792	16%
36	New JerseyState	0.97	$108,610	$99,825	20%
37	Rhode IslandState	0.97	$100,550	$100,050	18%
38	WashingtonState	0.97	$107,210	$99,916	21%
39	CaliforniaState	0.96	$109,110	$98,564	25%
40	ColoradoState	0.96	$103,850	$98,529	21%
41	AlaskaState	0.95	$102,240	$98,025	16%
42	VermontState	0.94	$99,090	$96,673	17%
43	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.94	$105,160	$96,922	23%
44	New MexicoState	0.93	$87,630	$95,250	14%
45	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.93	$108,330	$96,037	22%
46	KansasState	0.92	$84,860	$94,289	15%
47	ArkansasState	0.91	$81,110	$93,986	13%
48	FloridaState	0.91	$94,490	$93,094	22%
49	MississippiState	0.91	$79,580	$93,844	13%
50	NebraskaState	0.91	$85,320	$93,246	15%
51	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.91	$98,880	$93,459	20%
52	ArizonaState	0.90	$93,540	$92,706	19%
53	District of ColumbiaState	0.90	$105,780	$92,546	24%
54	KentuckyState	0.90	$81,660	$92,271	14%
55	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.90	$95,400	$92,174	20%
56	MarylandState	0.89	$100,370	$91,914	20%
57	UtahState	0.89	$91,370	$91,188	20%
58	IndianaState	0.88	$81,760	$90,343	15%
59	OklahomaState	0.88	$79,640	$89,989	15%
60	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.87	$82,530	$89,222	17%
61	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.87	$82,120	$89,261	19%
62	MaineState	0.86	$88,320	$88,497	18%
63	PennsylvaniaState	0.85	$84,460	$87,072	18%
64	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.85	$102,260	$87,777	27%
65	HawaiiState	0.84	$94,640	$86,036	30%
66	LouisianaState	0.82	$75,680	$83,996	17%
67	North DakotaState	0.82	$78,170	$84,417	15%
68	NevadaState	0.81	$83,430	$83,263	21%
69	West VirginiaState	0.80	$69,030	$81,983	15%
70	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.79	$79,910	$81,127	26%
71	New HampshireState	0.76	$82,520	$77,849	23%

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