Best Cities for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Others

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where food preparation and serving related workers, all others 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	NebraskaState	1.41	$46,170	$50,459	27%
2	IndianaState	1.18	$38,160	$42,166	33%
3	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.17	$40,370	$41,965	46%
4	TennesseeState	1.12	$36,640	$40,044	41%
5	IllinoisState	1.11	$38,880	$39,918	40%
6	HawaiiState	1.10	$43,540	$39,582	66%
7	New MexicoState	1.10	$36,250	$39,402	35%
8	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.08	$35,820	$38,599	43%
9	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.07	$35,100	$38,487	42%
10	MichiganState	1.06	$35,100	$38,028	38%
11	OregonState	1.06	$39,080	$37,942	49%
12	IowaState	1.05	$33,480	$37,534	34%
13	ArizonaState	1.04	$37,600	$37,265	48%
14	UtahState	1.04	$37,180	$37,106	48%
15	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.04	$44,720	$37,205	84%
16	ArkansasState	1.02	$31,660	$36,686	33%
17	MississippiState	1.01	$30,600	$36,085	35%
18	New HampshireState	1.01	$38,210	$36,047	50%
19	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.99	$37,390	$35,340	54%
20	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.99	$38,430	$35,649	56%
21	OklahomaState	0.98	$31,200	$35,254	37%
22	VirginiaState	0.97	$35,870	$34,657	53%
23	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.97	$32,290	$34,908	44%
24	MarylandState	0.96	$37,500	$34,341	54%
25	WyomingState	0.96	$31,840	$34,237	37%
26	ColoradoState	0.95	$35,710	$33,880	62%
27	PennsylvaniaState	0.95	$33,040	$34,062	47%
28	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.95	$38,590	$34,211	62%
29	ConnecticutState	0.94	$36,320	$33,755	52%
30	District of ColumbiaState	0.94	$38,580	$33,753	65%
31	FloridaState	0.94	$34,200	$33,695	60%
32	WisconsinState	0.94	$31,240	$33,846	42%
33	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.94	$38,210	$33,665	80%
34	CaliforniaState	0.93	$36,910	$33,342	74%
35	DelawareState	0.93	$33,840	$33,505	48%
36	New JerseyState	0.93	$36,290	$33,355	59%
37	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.93	$32,320	$33,251	59%
38	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.92	$31,440	$32,818	57%
39	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.92	$34,190	$33,034	56%
40	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.92	$30,280	$32,913	52%
41	MassachusettsState	0.91	$35,300	$32,535	77%
42	MissouriState	0.90	$28,600	$32,280	43%
43	WashingtonState	0.90	$34,650	$32,293	66%
44	North CarolinaState	0.89	$30,160	$31,949	52%
45	NevadaState	0.88	$31,510	$31,447	55%
46	TexasState	0.88	$30,210	$31,600	55%
47	VermontState	0.88	$32,420	$31,629	53%
48	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.88	$36,810	$31,597	74%
49	Rhode IslandState	0.87	$31,200	$31,045	58%
50	MontanaState	0.86	$29,720	$30,830	46%
51	New YorkState	0.85	$34,340	$30,524	65%
52	OhioState	0.85	$27,540	$30,465	46%
53	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.85	$34,650	$30,315	76%
54	Columbus, OHMetro	0.81	$27,080	$28,963	57%
55	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.80	$31,080	$28,645	79%
56	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.79	$27,280	$28,182	71%
57	GeorgiaState	0.77	$25,740	$27,559	66%
58	AlabamaState	0.74	$22,990	$26,395	50%
59	West VirginiaState	0.72	$21,640	$25,701	46%
60	North DakotaState	0.71	$23,410	$25,281	50%
61	LouisianaState	0.68	$21,820	$24,218	58%
62	South CarolinaState	0.67	$22,230	$24,163	68%

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