Best Cities for Healthcare Support Workers, All Others

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where healthcare support 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	District of ColumbiaState	1.33	$73,590	$64,383	34%
2	KansasState	1.26	$54,830	$60,922	23%
3	AlaskaState	1.21	$61,300	$58,773	27%
4	WashingtonState	1.19	$62,040	$57,819	37%
5	DelawareState	1.18	$57,760	$57,188	28%
6	New MexicoState	1.17	$52,170	$56,707	24%
7	OklahomaState	1.17	$49,940	$56,429	23%
8	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.17	$64,540	$56,465	41%
9	IndianaState	1.14	$49,900	$55,138	25%
10	IdahoState	1.12	$52,160	$54,052	28%
11	South CarolinaState	1.12	$49,730	$54,054	30%
12	MassachusettsState	1.11	$58,340	$53,770	46%
13	WyomingState	1.11	$49,940	$53,699	24%
14	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.11	$60,760	$53,533	50%
15	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.11	$49,620	$53,935	32%
16	TennesseeState	1.08	$47,940	$52,393	31%
17	KentuckyState	1.07	$46,020	$52,000	25%
18	NevadaState	1.05	$50,790	$50,689	34%
19	North DakotaState	1.05	$47,010	$50,767	25%
20	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.05	$49,430	$51,064	39%
21	IowaState	1.04	$44,720	$50,135	26%
22	New YorkState	1.04	$56,510	$50,231	39%
23	GeorgiaState	1.03	$46,750	$50,054	36%
24	IllinoisState	1.03	$48,360	$49,651	33%
25	North CarolinaState	1.03	$47,080	$49,873	33%
26	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$47,830	$49,927	38%
27	ArizonaState	1.02	$49,940	$49,495	36%
28	MaineState	1.02	$49,100	$49,198	32%
29	Columbus, OHMetro	1.02	$46,060	$49,262	34%
30	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.02	$48,190	$49,578	39%
31	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.02	$55,770	$49,441	43%
32	South DakotaState	1.01	$44,610	$49,130	26%
33	OhioState	1.00	$43,620	$48,252	29%
34	WisconsinState	1.00	$44,850	$48,592	29%
35	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.00	$48,200	$48,442	37%
36	Rhode IslandState	0.98	$47,600	$47,363	38%
37	TexasState	0.98	$45,250	$47,333	37%
38	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.98	$43,920	$47,328	35%
39	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	0.98	$57,000	$47,421	66%
40	MinnesotaState	0.97	$45,930	$46,867	33%
41	PennsylvaniaState	0.96	$45,160	$46,557	34%
42	UtahState	0.96	$46,800	$46,707	38%
43	OregonState	0.95	$47,510	$46,126	40%
44	VermontState	0.95	$47,370	$46,215	36%
45	West VirginiaState	0.95	$38,740	$46,010	26%
46	New JerseyState	0.94	$49,600	$45,588	44%
47	ColoradoState	0.93	$47,330	$44,905	47%
48	FloridaState	0.93	$45,700	$45,025	45%
49	MissouriState	0.93	$39,940	$45,079	31%
50	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.93	$46,420	$44,850	41%
51	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.93	$41,660	$45,038	34%
52	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.93	$48,670	$45,148	44%
53	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.93	$44,440	$45,117	46%
54	CaliforniaState	0.92	$49,130	$44,381	55%
55	VirginiaState	0.92	$46,060	$44,502	41%
56	ArkansasState	0.91	$38,040	$44,079	28%
57	HawaiiState	0.91	$48,620	$44,200	59%
58	MichiganState	0.90	$40,280	$43,640	33%
59	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	0.90	$39,550	$43,366	37%
60	MontanaState	0.89	$41,410	$42,956	33%
61	New HampshireState	0.89	$45,460	$42,887	42%
62	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.89	$46,770	$43,106	52%
63	NebraskaState	0.88	$39,140	$42,776	32%
64	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.88	$41,060	$42,682	45%
65	AlabamaState	0.87	$36,760	$42,204	31%
66	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.87	$49,130	$42,172	55%
67	ConnecticutState	0.85	$44,550	$41,403	42%
68	MississippiState	0.85	$34,900	$41,156	31%
69	MarylandState	0.83	$43,680	$40,000	46%
70	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.79	$40,540	$38,318	50%
71	LouisianaState	0.78	$34,040	$37,780	37%

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