Best Cities for Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologistss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologistss 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	OregonState	1.56	$57,580	$55,903	33%
2	WashingtonState	1.55	$59,510	$55,461	38%
3	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.55	$59,610	$55,297	36%
4	South DakotaState	1.53	$49,800	$54,846	23%
5	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.46	$59,810	$52,327	44%
6	District of ColumbiaState	1.33	$54,570	$47,743	46%
7	VermontState	1.33	$48,650	$47,463	35%
8	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.30	$46,310	$46,543	38%
9	MaineState	1.23	$44,000	$44,088	35%
10	ConnecticutState	1.16	$44,620	$41,468	42%
11	New MexicoState	1.15	$37,750	$41,033	33%
12	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.15	$38,100	$41,189	37%
13	North CarolinaState	1.14	$38,410	$40,689	41%
14	West VirginiaState	1.14	$34,480	$40,950	29%
15	IowaState	1.12	$35,700	$40,022	32%
16	MinnesotaState	1.12	$39,170	$39,969	39%
17	OhioState	1.12	$36,260	$40,111	35%
18	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.12	$38,530	$40,219	47%
19	MontanaState	1.10	$38,000	$39,419	36%
20	WisconsinState	1.10	$36,230	$39,252	36%
21	Columbus, OHMetro	1.08	$36,260	$38,781	43%
22	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.07	$34,960	$38,333	42%
23	PennsylvaniaState	1.06	$36,790	$37,928	42%
24	MichiganState	1.05	$34,820	$37,725	39%
25	NebraskaState	1.05	$34,320	$37,508	37%
26	North DakotaState	1.05	$34,850	$37,635	34%
27	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.04	$43,500	$37,339	62%
28	GeorgiaState	1.03	$34,560	$37,002	49%
29	IdahoState	1.03	$35,480	$36,767	41%
30	ArizonaState	1.02	$36,810	$36,482	49%
31	South CarolinaState	1.02	$33,700	$36,630	45%
32	IndianaState	1.01	$32,830	$36,276	39%
33	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.01	$37,320	$36,058	51%
34	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.01	$43,410	$36,115	87%
35	ColoradoState	1.00	$37,690	$35,759	59%
36	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.00	$34,640	$35,785	56%
37	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.00	$34,430	$35,790	54%
38	CaliforniaState	0.98	$38,660	$34,923	70%
39	IllinoisState	0.98	$34,040	$34,949	46%
40	UtahState	0.98	$35,140	$35,070	51%
41	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.98	$33,960	$34,938	56%
42	MissouriState	0.97	$30,750	$34,707	40%
43	MassachusettsState	0.96	$37,290	$34,369	73%
44	TennesseeState	0.96	$31,310	$34,219	48%
45	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.96	$36,370	$34,376	55%
46	DelawareState	0.95	$34,350	$34,010	47%
47	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.95	$31,520	$33,966	49%
48	AlabamaState	0.94	$29,150	$33,467	39%
49	KentuckyState	0.94	$29,840	$33,718	39%
50	NevadaState	0.94	$33,840	$33,772	51%
51	OklahomaState	0.94	$29,650	$33,503	39%
52	ArkansasState	0.93	$28,830	$33,407	37%
53	MarylandState	0.93	$36,420	$33,352	55%
54	New JerseyState	0.93	$36,150	$33,226	60%
55	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.93	$30,460	$33,109	51%
56	KansasState	0.92	$29,710	$33,011	42%
57	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.92	$37,430	$32,978	82%
58	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.92	$37,020	$32,819	65%
59	MississippiState	0.91	$27,560	$32,500	39%
60	New HampshireState	0.91	$34,650	$32,689	55%
61	TexasState	0.90	$30,680	$32,092	54%
62	HawaiiState	0.89	$35,040	$31,855	82%
63	New YorkState	0.89	$35,760	$31,787	62%
64	WyomingState	0.88	$29,170	$31,366	41%
65	Rhode IslandState	0.87	$31,200	$31,045	58%
66	AlaskaState	0.86	$32,150	$30,825	51%
67	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.84	$29,520	$29,970	70%
68	FloridaState	0.81	$29,530	$29,094	70%
69	LouisianaState	0.81	$26,030	$28,890	48%
70	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.77	$29,790	$27,456	82%

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