Best Cities for Fundraising Managerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where fundraising 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	Rhode IslandState	1.24	$155,970	$155,194	12%
2	New YorkState	1.20	$169,510	$150,676	13%
3	New HampshireState	1.18	$157,080	$148,189	12%
4	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.13	$161,500	$142,291	19%
5	KentuckyState	1.12	$124,770	$140,983	9%
6	MassachusettsState	1.11	$151,740	$139,853	18%
7	VirginiaState	1.11	$143,730	$138,870	13%
8	OklahomaState	1.10	$122,100	$137,966	10%
9	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.09	$164,330	$136,714	23%
10	LouisianaState	1.08	$122,150	$135,572	10%
11	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.08	$130,010	$135,146	14%
12	KansasState	1.07	$121,210	$134,678	10%
13	North CarolinaState	1.06	$125,870	$133,337	12%
14	WisconsinState	1.06	$123,090	$133,359	11%
15	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.06	$127,440	$133,027	14%
16	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.06	$151,490	$132,537	17%
17	North DakotaState	1.05	$121,750	$131,479	10%
18	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.05	$127,370	$131,581	15%
19	DelawareState	1.04	$131,750	$130,446	12%
20	MinnesotaState	1.03	$126,920	$129,510	12%
21	New JerseyState	1.03	$140,500	$129,136	15%
22	WashingtonState	1.02	$137,010	$127,689	17%
23	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.02	$126,920	$127,558	14%
24	MissouriState	1.00	$111,120	$125,418	11%
25	VermontState	1.00	$129,170	$126,020	13%
26	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.00	$141,720	$125,638	17%
27	District of ColumbiaState	0.99	$141,720	$123,990	18%
28	IndianaState	0.99	$112,890	$124,740	11%
29	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	0.99	$113,360	$124,298	13%
30	CaliforniaState	0.98	$135,870	$122,737	20%
31	ColoradoState	0.98	$130,010	$123,349	17%
32	MichiganState	0.98	$113,360	$122,817	12%
33	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.97	$128,650	$121,597	16%
34	GeorgiaState	0.96	$113,050	$121,039	15%
35	MarylandState	0.95	$130,750	$119,734	15%
36	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.95	$123,840	$119,652	15%
37	TennesseeState	0.94	$107,760	$117,770	14%
38	MaineState	0.93	$116,470	$116,703	13%
39	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.93	$108,690	$117,123	14%
40	ArizonaState	0.92	$116,470	$115,431	15%
41	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.92	$106,220	$114,832	13%
42	ConnecticutState	0.91	$122,540	$113,885	15%
43	PennsylvaniaState	0.91	$111,280	$114,722	14%
44	OhioState	0.89	$101,470	$112,246	12%
45	South CarolinaState	0.89	$103,240	$112,217	15%
46	IowaState	0.88	$98,700	$110,650	12%
47	New MexicoState	0.88	$101,680	$110,522	12%
48	IllinoisState	0.87	$106,290	$109,127	15%
49	Columbus, OHMetro	0.86	$101,310	$108,353	15%
50	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.86	$125,620	$107,828	22%
51	NebraskaState	0.85	$97,230	$106,262	13%
52	NevadaState	0.85	$106,420	$106,208	16%
53	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.85	$97,800	$106,304	16%
54	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.81	$98,520	$101,358	19%
55	OregonState	0.80	$103,870	$100,845	18%
56	TexasState	0.80	$96,520	$100,962	17%
57	AlaskaState	0.79	$103,090	$98,840	16%
58	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.79	$106,790	$99,063	20%
59	MississippiState	0.78	$82,620	$97,429	13%
60	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.78	$106,060	$97,751	23%
61	AlabamaState	0.77	$83,700	$96,096	14%
62	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.77	$95,070	$96,518	22%
63	FloridaState	0.76	$97,240	$95,803	21%
64	UtahState	0.76	$95,190	$95,000	19%
65	IdahoState	0.73	$87,990	$91,181	16%
66	West VirginiaState	0.70	$74,400	$88,361	14%
67	HawaiiState	0.68	$93,910	$85,373	30%
68	ArkansasState	0.66	$71,110	$82,399	15%

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