Best Cities for Insurance Underwriterss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where insurance underwriterss 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	WisconsinState	1.30	$97,370	$105,493	13%
2	NevadaState	1.24	$101,440	$101,238	17%
3	MassachusettsState	1.21	$106,640	$98,286	25%
4	New HampshireState	1.21	$103,940	$98,057	18%
5	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.21	$95,430	$98,585	20%
6	MaineState	1.18	$95,510	$95,701	16%
7	ArkansasState	1.17	$82,130	$95,168	13%
8	ColoradoState	1.17	$100,640	$95,484	22%
9	ConnecticutState	1.15	$100,690	$93,578	19%
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.15	$106,170	$93,542	29%
11	WashingtonState	1.14	$99,400	$92,637	23%
12	GeorgiaState	1.13	$85,980	$92,056	20%
13	IllinoisState	1.13	$89,620	$92,012	18%
14	South DakotaState	1.13	$83,130	$91,553	14%
15	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.12	$84,800	$91,379	18%
16	KentuckyState	1.11	$79,830	$90,203	14%
17	MissouriState	1.11	$80,040	$90,339	16%
18	New JerseyState	1.09	$96,220	$88,438	22%
19	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.09	$93,510	$88,384	22%
20	OhioState	1.08	$79,260	$87,677	16%
21	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.08	$80,180	$87,917	18%
22	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.08	$100,130	$87,603	26%
23	CaliforniaState	1.06	$95,320	$86,107	29%
24	New YorkState	1.06	$97,450	$86,622	23%
25	South CarolinaState	1.06	$79,570	$86,489	19%
26	TennesseeState	1.06	$78,840	$86,164	19%
27	IndianaState	1.05	$77,440	$85,569	16%
28	KansasState	1.05	$77,070	$85,633	16%
29	IowaState	1.04	$75,160	$84,260	15%
30	LouisianaState	1.04	$76,540	$84,950	16%
31	MarylandState	1.04	$92,120	$84,359	22%
32	Rhode IslandState	1.04	$84,720	$84,299	21%
33	Columbus, OHMetro	1.04	$79,370	$84,888	20%
34	MichiganState	1.03	$77,380	$83,835	17%
35	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$80,080	$83,591	22%
36	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.03	$97,870	$84,009	28%
37	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.03	$77,760	$84,065	18%
38	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.02	$82,980	$83,397	21%
39	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.02	$79,870	$83,025	23%
40	MinnesotaState	1.01	$80,700	$82,347	19%
41	NebraskaState	1.01	$75,120	$82,098	17%
42	TexasState	1.01	$78,890	$82,521	21%
43	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.01	$79,590	$81,883	24%
44	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$75,750	$82,337	21%
45	North CarolinaState	1.00	$77,120	$81,695	20%
46	PennsylvaniaState	1.00	$78,950	$81,392	20%
47	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.00	$84,580	$81,720	23%
48	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.99	$90,990	$80,665	26%
49	North DakotaState	0.98	$74,130	$80,054	16%
50	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	0.98	$95,830	$79,725	39%
51	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.98	$78,350	$79,543	26%
52	VirginiaState	0.97	$81,870	$79,101	23%
53	AlaskaState	0.96	$81,620	$78,255	20%
54	ArizonaState	0.95	$77,740	$77,047	23%
55	FloridaState	0.95	$78,720	$77,557	26%
56	OregonState	0.94	$79,200	$76,893	24%
57	VermontState	0.94	$77,990	$76,088	22%
58	OklahomaState	0.93	$66,770	$75,446	17%
59	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.90	$79,460	$73,235	31%
60	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.90	$79,080	$73,358	27%
61	UtahState	0.89	$72,730	$72,585	25%
62	AlabamaState	0.88	$62,220	$71,435	18%
63	District of ColumbiaState	0.88	$82,070	$71,802	31%
64	MississippiState	0.86	$59,250	$69,870	18%
65	New MexicoState	0.85	$64,000	$69,565	20%
66	HawaiiState	0.82	$73,260	$66,600	39%
67	WyomingState	0.82	$62,290	$66,978	19%
68	IdahoState	0.80	$62,530	$64,798	23%
69	MontanaState	0.80	$63,140	$65,498	21%

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