Best Cities for Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where landscaping and groundskeeping 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	MinnesotaState	1.21	$46,610	$47,561	33%
2	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.21	$47,160	$47,397	38%
3	MontanaState	1.20	$45,350	$47,044	30%
4	MaineState	1.18	$45,970	$46,062	34%
5	AlaskaState	1.17	$47,690	$45,724	34%
6	IllinoisState	1.15	$43,790	$44,959	36%
7	MassachusettsState	1.15	$48,670	$44,857	56%
8	VermontState	1.15	$46,230	$45,102	37%
9	Rhode IslandState	1.14	$44,730	$44,507	40%
10	WisconsinState	1.14	$41,230	$44,670	32%
11	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.14	$41,450	$44,666	37%
12	North DakotaState	1.13	$40,790	$44,050	29%
13	KansasState	1.12	$39,330	$43,700	32%
14	OregonState	1.12	$45,040	$43,728	42%
15	WashingtonState	1.12	$46,950	$43,756	49%
16	ColoradoState	1.11	$45,760	$43,416	48%
17	IowaState	1.11	$38,920	$43,632	29%
18	MissouriState	1.11	$38,520	$43,476	32%
19	IdahoState	1.10	$41,600	$43,109	35%
20	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.10	$49,030	$43,198	63%
21	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.10	$46,450	$43,089	46%
22	ConnecticutState	1.09	$45,740	$42,509	41%
23	District of ColumbiaState	1.09	$48,790	$42,686	52%
24	NebraskaState	1.09	$39,140	$42,776	32%
25	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.09	$38,820	$42,566	38%
26	New HampshireState	1.08	$44,890	$42,349	42%
27	OhioState	1.08	$38,220	$42,279	33%
28	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.08	$48,480	$42,415	54%
29	HawaiiState	1.07	$45,920	$41,745	62%
30	IndianaState	1.07	$38,070	$42,066	33%
31	Columbus, OHMetro	1.07	$39,100	$41,818	40%
32	ArkansasState	1.06	$35,770	$41,448	29%
33	KentuckyState	1.06	$36,670	$41,435	31%
34	CaliforniaState	1.05	$45,560	$41,156	60%
35	MichiganState	1.05	$38,120	$41,300	35%
36	WyomingState	1.05	$38,310	$41,194	31%
37	AlabamaState	1.04	$35,630	$40,907	32%
38	GeorgiaState	1.04	$37,970	$40,653	45%
39	New MexicoState	1.04	$37,560	$40,826	33%
40	PennsylvaniaState	1.04	$39,500	$40,722	39%
41	UtahState	1.04	$40,740	$40,659	44%
42	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.04	$42,130	$40,705	45%
43	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.04	$37,690	$40,746	38%
44	North CarolinaState	1.03	$37,910	$40,159	41%
45	OklahomaState	1.03	$35,770	$40,418	32%
46	TennesseeState	1.03	$37,020	$40,459	41%
47	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$38,630	$40,324	47%
48	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.03	$48,330	$40,208	78%
49	New YorkState	1.02	$44,840	$39,858	49%
50	South CarolinaState	1.02	$36,710	$39,902	41%
51	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.02	$38,500	$39,773	50%
52	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.01	$37,910	$39,407	49%
53	ArizonaState	0.99	$38,910	$38,563	46%
54	LouisianaState	0.99	$34,870	$38,701	36%
55	NevadaState	0.99	$38,820	$38,743	45%
56	South DakotaState	0.99	$35,370	$38,954	33%
57	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.99	$37,680	$38,765	50%
58	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.99	$35,630	$38,728	44%
59	TexasState	0.98	$36,740	$38,431	45%
60	West VirginiaState	0.98	$32,240	$38,290	31%
61	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.98	$44,650	$38,326	61%
62	New JerseyState	0.97	$41,360	$38,015	52%
63	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.97	$42,700	$37,855	56%
64	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.96	$39,620	$37,448	51%
65	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.96	$37,210	$37,777	55%
66	MississippiState	0.95	$31,630	$37,300	34%
67	VirginiaState	0.95	$38,410	$37,111	49%
68	DelawareState	0.94	$37,350	$36,980	44%
69	FloridaState	0.93	$37,100	$36,552	56%
70	MarylandState	0.92	$39,380	$36,062	51%
71	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.88	$37,430	$34,498	65%

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