Best Cities for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workerss 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	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.30	$47,020	$51,557	31%
2	North DakotaState	1.22	$44,710	$48,283	26%
3	District of ColumbiaState	1.21	$54,860	$47,997	46%
4	MichiganState	1.19	$43,630	$47,270	31%
5	Columbus, OHMetro	1.19	$44,050	$47,112	35%
6	West VirginiaState	1.17	$39,030	$46,354	26%
7	MinnesotaState	1.16	$44,950	$45,867	34%
8	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.16	$45,600	$45,829	39%
9	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.16	$55,100	$45,840	68%
10	ArizonaState	1.14	$45,560	$45,154	39%
11	Rhode IslandState	1.14	$45,240	$45,015	40%
12	WisconsinState	1.14	$41,600	$45,070	31%
13	OhioState	1.12	$39,980	$44,226	31%
14	AlaskaState	1.11	$45,740	$43,854	36%
15	UtahState	1.11	$44,210	$44,122	40%
16	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.11	$40,850	$44,019	38%
17	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.10	$41,630	$43,455	43%
18	ColoradoState	1.09	$45,610	$43,273	49%
19	IowaState	1.09	$38,690	$43,374	30%
20	New HampshireState	1.09	$45,760	$43,170	42%
21	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.09	$41,590	$43,233	45%
22	PennsylvaniaState	1.08	$41,500	$42,784	37%
23	WashingtonState	1.08	$46,080	$42,945	49%
24	HawaiiState	1.06	$46,320	$42,109	62%
25	MissouriState	1.06	$37,110	$41,885	33%
26	OregonState	1.06	$43,300	$42,039	44%
27	South CarolinaState	1.06	$38,480	$41,826	39%
28	TennesseeState	1.06	$38,490	$42,066	39%
29	AlabamaState	1.05	$36,140	$41,493	32%
30	KansasState	1.05	$37,430	$41,589	33%
31	KentuckyState	1.05	$37,000	$41,808	31%
32	MississippiState	1.05	$35,440	$41,792	30%
33	VermontState	1.05	$42,630	$41,590	40%
34	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.05	$44,920	$41,670	48%
35	ConnecticutState	1.04	$44,370	$41,236	42%
36	IndianaState	1.04	$37,470	$41,403	34%
37	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.04	$42,630	$41,188	45%
38	IdahoState	1.03	$39,250	$40,674	37%
39	IllinoisState	1.03	$39,730	$40,791	40%
40	MontanaState	1.03	$39,430	$40,902	34%
41	North CarolinaState	1.03	$38,700	$40,996	40%
42	CaliforniaState	1.02	$44,670	$40,352	61%
43	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.02	$39,130	$40,424	50%
44	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.02	$45,760	$40,317	67%
45	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.02	$37,540	$40,584	38%
46	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.02	$46,190	$40,411	57%
47	DelawareState	1.01	$40,530	$40,129	40%
48	LouisianaState	1.01	$36,160	$40,133	35%
49	New MexicoState	1.01	$36,950	$40,163	34%
50	OklahomaState	1.01	$35,530	$40,147	33%
51	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.01	$42,370	$40,047	48%
52	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$36,830	$40,033	43%
53	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.01	$45,260	$40,124	53%
54	MaineState	1.00	$39,520	$39,599	39%
55	GeorgiaState	0.99	$36,640	$39,229	46%
56	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.99	$38,250	$39,352	50%
57	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.99	$38,470	$39,056	54%
58	ArkansasState	0.98	$33,630	$38,969	31%
59	MassachusettsState	0.98	$42,200	$38,894	64%
60	NebraskaState	0.98	$35,480	$38,776	35%
61	New YorkState	0.98	$43,870	$38,996	51%
62	TexasState	0.98	$37,000	$38,703	45%
63	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.98	$45,190	$38,790	60%
64	FloridaState	0.96	$38,710	$38,138	53%
65	MarylandState	0.96	$41,630	$38,123	48%
66	New JerseyState	0.96	$41,230	$37,895	52%
67	VirginiaState	0.95	$38,890	$37,575	49%
68	NevadaState	0.92	$36,610	$36,537	48%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.91	$38,990	$35,935	63%
70	WyomingState	0.85	$31,260	$33,613	38%

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