Best Cities for Financial Managerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where financial managerss 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	New YorkState	1.17	$219,880	$195,449	10%
2	MassachusettsState	1.14	$206,760	$190,562	13%
3	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.13	$225,280	$187,421	17%
4	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.11	$209,780	$184,828	15%
5	New JerseyState	1.10	$199,110	$183,006	11%
6	DelawareState	1.08	$181,580	$179,782	9%
7	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.08	$172,760	$180,334	10%
8	GeorgiaState	1.07	$166,790	$178,576	10%
9	VirginiaState	1.07	$185,220	$178,957	10%
10	KansasState	1.06	$159,380	$177,089	8%
11	North CarolinaState	1.06	$166,780	$176,674	9%
12	South DakotaState	1.06	$159,700	$175,881	7%
13	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.06	$171,240	$176,901	11%
14	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.05	$169,200	$174,074	11%
15	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.05	$160,240	$175,702	9%
16	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.05	$162,490	$175,097	9%
17	ColoradoState	1.04	$182,690	$173,330	12%
18	TexasState	1.04	$164,860	$172,448	10%
19	IllinoisState	1.02	$165,880	$170,308	9%
20	MinnesotaState	1.00	$163,410	$166,745	9%
21	Rhode IslandState	1.00	$166,940	$166,109	11%
22	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.00	$165,620	$166,452	11%
23	District of ColumbiaState	0.99	$188,880	$165,249	13%
24	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.99	$185,270	$164,246	13%
25	CaliforniaState	0.98	$180,770	$163,297	15%
26	ConnecticutState	0.98	$174,830	$162,481	11%
27	WashingtonState	0.98	$174,840	$162,945	13%
28	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.98	$156,860	$163,056	12%
29	AlabamaState	0.97	$140,500	$161,309	8%
30	MissouriState	0.97	$143,460	$161,919	9%
31	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.97	$166,920	$161,275	11%
32	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.97	$185,550	$162,336	14%
33	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.96	$157,480	$159,878	13%
34	OhioState	0.94	$140,870	$155,830	9%
35	Columbus, OHMetro	0.94	$145,630	$155,754	11%
36	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.94	$144,710	$157,293	11%
37	TennesseeState	0.93	$141,010	$154,109	11%
38	NebraskaState	0.92	$140,360	$153,399	9%
39	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.92	$164,680	$152,764	13%
40	FloridaState	0.91	$153,280	$151,015	13%
41	MichiganState	0.91	$139,370	$150,997	10%
42	OregonState	0.91	$156,460	$151,903	12%
43	WisconsinState	0.91	$139,720	$151,376	9%
44	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.91	$164,230	$151,364	15%
45	IndianaState	0.90	$135,840	$150,099	9%
46	IowaState	0.90	$133,320	$149,462	9%
47	OklahomaState	0.90	$132,460	$149,672	9%
48	PennsylvaniaState	0.90	$145,610	$150,113	11%
49	UtahState	0.90	$150,450	$150,150	12%
50	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.90	$157,990	$149,329	13%
51	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.90	$175,310	$150,481	16%
52	KentuckyState	0.89	$130,650	$147,627	9%
53	South CarolinaState	0.89	$136,160	$148,000	11%
54	North DakotaState	0.88	$135,890	$146,749	9%
55	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.88	$136,330	$147,384	10%
56	MarylandState	0.87	$158,750	$145,375	13%
57	New MexicoState	0.87	$133,700	$145,326	9%
58	LouisianaState	0.84	$126,800	$140,733	10%
59	ArizonaState	0.83	$139,830	$138,583	13%
60	MontanaState	0.82	$131,060	$135,954	10%
61	New HampshireState	0.82	$144,730	$136,538	13%
62	ArkansasState	0.81	$116,570	$135,075	9%
63	West VirginiaState	0.81	$113,140	$134,371	9%
64	WyomingState	0.81	$124,910	$134,312	9%
65	MaineState	0.80	$133,610	$133,878	12%
66	IdahoState	0.79	$127,210	$131,824	11%
67	MississippiState	0.79	$111,390	$131,356	10%
68	NevadaState	0.79	$132,490	$132,226	13%
69	VermontState	0.75	$128,690	$125,551	13%
70	AlaskaState	0.73	$127,030	$121,793	13%
71	HawaiiState	0.73	$134,210	$122,009	21%

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