Best Cities for Graphic Designerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where graphic designerss 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	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.29	$97,360	$80,998	39%
2	Rhode IslandState	1.24	$78,220	$77,831	23%
3	District of ColumbiaState	1.22	$87,920	$76,920	29%
4	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.20	$85,420	$75,727	28%
5	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.14	$75,790	$71,635	27%
6	MassachusettsState	1.12	$76,710	$70,700	35%
7	VirginiaState	1.11	$72,310	$69,865	26%
8	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.11	$75,650	$70,176	28%
9	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.10	$78,270	$68,960	39%
10	MarylandState	1.09	$75,120	$68,791	27%
11	New YorkState	1.09	$77,340	$68,747	29%
12	Columbus, OHMetro	1.09	$64,000	$68,449	24%
13	CaliforniaState	1.08	$75,130	$67,868	36%
14	New JerseyState	1.08	$73,790	$67,822	29%
15	WashingtonState	1.08	$72,710	$67,763	31%
16	ConnecticutState	1.07	$72,700	$67,565	26%
17	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.07	$76,720	$67,122	34%
18	OhioState	1.06	$60,080	$66,460	21%
19	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.05	$60,210	$66,020	24%
20	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.05	$65,610	$65,940	27%
21	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.04	$63,780	$65,617	30%
22	MinnesotaState	1.03	$63,860	$65,163	24%
23	WisconsinState	1.03	$59,900	$64,897	22%
24	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.03	$62,680	$64,752	31%
25	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.03	$59,990	$64,644	26%
26	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.03	$59,710	$64,902	26%
27	GeorgiaState	1.02	$60,250	$64,507	28%
28	IllinoisState	1.02	$62,560	$64,230	25%
29	MissouriState	1.02	$56,750	$64,052	22%
30	OregonState	1.02	$66,040	$64,117	29%
31	VermontState	1.02	$65,690	$64,088	26%
32	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.01	$62,900	$63,858	33%
33	ColoradoState	1.00	$66,330	$62,932	33%
34	NevadaState	1.00	$62,890	$62,764	28%
35	TexasState	1.00	$60,150	$62,918	28%
36	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.00	$60,370	$62,755	31%
37	MichiganState	0.99	$57,350	$62,134	23%
38	PennsylvaniaState	0.99	$60,730	$62,608	26%
39	South CarolinaState	0.99	$57,170	$62,141	26%
40	TennesseeState	0.99	$57,270	$62,590	26%
41	UtahState	0.99	$62,310	$62,186	29%
42	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.99	$59,810	$62,432	30%
43	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.99	$72,400	$62,146	38%
44	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.99	$57,830	$62,519	24%
45	NebraskaState	0.98	$56,700	$61,967	22%
46	New MexicoState	0.98	$56,730	$61,663	22%
47	North CarolinaState	0.98	$58,450	$61,917	27%
48	IndianaState	0.97	$55,480	$61,304	23%
49	North DakotaState	0.97	$56,470	$60,983	21%
50	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.97	$63,090	$60,957	30%
51	FloridaState	0.96	$61,660	$60,749	33%
52	MaineState	0.96	$60,030	$60,150	26%
53	OklahomaState	0.96	$53,630	$60,599	22%
54	AlaskaState	0.95	$62,570	$59,990	26%
55	DelawareState	0.95	$60,130	$59,535	27%
56	KansasState	0.95	$53,630	$59,589	23%
57	KentuckyState	0.95	$52,960	$59,842	22%
58	MontanaState	0.94	$56,890	$59,015	24%
59	AlabamaState	0.93	$51,070	$58,634	23%
60	ArizonaState	0.92	$58,510	$57,988	31%
61	New HampshireState	0.91	$60,490	$57,066	31%
62	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.91	$61,870	$57,023	40%
63	IowaState	0.90	$50,310	$56,401	23%
64	LouisianaState	0.88	$49,910	$55,394	25%
65	ArkansasState	0.85	$46,220	$53,557	23%
66	MississippiState	0.85	$45,640	$53,821	24%
67	South DakotaState	0.85	$48,390	$53,293	24%
68	HawaiiState	0.84	$58,070	$52,791	49%
69	IdahoState	0.83	$50,350	$52,176	29%
70	WyomingState	0.77	$45,150	$48,548	26%
71	West VirginiaState	0.76	$40,350	$47,922	25%

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