Best Cities for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands 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	North DakotaState	1.23	$45,690	$49,341	26%
2	IowaState	1.21	$43,490	$48,756	26%
3	KentuckyState	1.20	$42,770	$48,328	27%
4	WisconsinState	1.20	$44,610	$48,332	29%
5	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.18	$47,320	$47,558	38%
6	MinnesotaState	1.17	$46,280	$47,224	33%
7	NebraskaState	1.17	$42,910	$46,896	29%
8	IndianaState	1.14	$41,340	$45,680	31%
9	MontanaState	1.13	$43,840	$45,477	31%
10	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.12	$41,700	$44,935	37%
11	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.12	$41,830	$45,222	34%
12	KansasState	1.11	$40,250	$44,722	31%
13	MissouriState	1.10	$39,080	$44,108	32%
14	Columbus, OHMetro	1.10	$41,200	$44,064	38%
15	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.10	$40,330	$44,221	36%
16	ArizonaState	1.09	$44,290	$43,895	41%
17	PennsylvaniaState	1.09	$42,480	$43,794	37%
18	West VirginiaState	1.09	$36,990	$43,931	27%
19	OhioState	1.08	$39,460	$43,650	32%
20	OregonState	1.08	$44,750	$43,447	43%
21	ColoradoState	1.07	$45,370	$43,046	49%
22	MississippiState	1.07	$36,400	$42,925	30%
23	South DakotaState	1.07	$38,980	$42,930	29%
24	WashingtonState	1.07	$46,190	$43,048	49%
25	AlaskaState	1.06	$44,510	$42,675	37%
26	MaineState	1.06	$42,640	$42,725	36%
27	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.06	$46,100	$42,764	47%
28	AlabamaState	1.05	$36,670	$42,101	31%
29	MichiganState	1.05	$38,860	$42,102	35%
30	UtahState	1.05	$42,370	$42,285	42%
31	OklahomaState	1.04	$36,990	$41,797	31%
32	TennesseeState	1.04	$38,160	$41,705	39%
33	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.04	$43,460	$41,990	44%
34	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.04	$47,740	$41,767	55%
35	ArkansasState	1.03	$35,920	$41,622	29%
36	IdahoState	1.03	$39,900	$41,347	36%
37	IllinoisState	1.03	$40,550	$41,632	39%
38	MassachusettsState	1.03	$44,920	$41,401	60%
39	Rhode IslandState	1.03	$41,690	$41,483	43%
40	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.03	$39,790	$41,362	47%
41	GeorgiaState	1.02	$38,480	$41,199	44%
42	WyomingState	1.02	$38,330	$41,215	31%
43	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.02	$43,250	$40,879	47%
44	ConnecticutState	1.01	$43,640	$40,558	43%
45	New MexicoState	1.01	$37,230	$40,467	34%
46	North CarolinaState	1.01	$38,230	$40,498	41%
47	South CarolinaState	1.01	$37,530	$40,793	40%
48	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.01	$38,850	$40,553	46%
49	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$37,470	$40,728	42%
50	CaliforniaState	1.00	$44,710	$40,388	61%
51	HawaiiState	1.00	$44,120	$40,109	65%
52	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.00	$39,020	$40,310	50%
53	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.00	$45,600	$40,176	67%
54	District of ColumbiaState	0.99	$45,740	$40,017	55%
55	New HampshireState	0.99	$42,110	$39,726	45%
56	New YorkState	0.99	$44,630	$39,671	50%
57	NevadaState	0.98	$39,350	$39,271	44%
58	TexasState	0.98	$37,540	$39,268	44%
59	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.98	$38,510	$39,619	49%
60	LouisianaState	0.97	$35,340	$39,223	36%
61	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	0.97	$47,060	$39,151	80%
62	VermontState	0.96	$39,390	$38,429	43%
63	MarylandState	0.95	$41,600	$38,095	48%
64	VirginiaState	0.95	$39,380	$38,048	48%
65	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.95	$37,570	$38,142	55%
66	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.94	$42,590	$37,757	56%
67	FloridaState	0.93	$38,160	$37,596	54%
68	DelawareState	0.92	$37,320	$36,950	44%
69	New JerseyState	0.90	$39,540	$36,342	55%
70	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.90	$42,390	$36,386	64%
71	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.88	$38,580	$35,558	63%

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