Best Cities for Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Others

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where life, physical, and social science technicians, 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	OklahomaState	1.57	$86,260	$97,469	13%
2	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.45	$87,180	$90,062	22%
3	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.27	$76,250	$79,262	24%
4	KentuckyState	1.24	$68,230	$77,096	17%
5	North DakotaState	1.20	$69,350	$74,892	17%
6	GeorgiaState	1.19	$69,320	$74,218	24%
7	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.19	$86,450	$74,206	31%
8	KansasState	1.16	$65,270	$72,522	19%
9	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.15	$80,600	$71,454	30%
10	CaliforniaState	1.14	$78,350	$70,777	35%
11	West VirginiaState	1.14	$59,750	$70,962	17%
12	MississippiState	1.13	$59,490	$70,153	18%
13	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.13	$69,440	$70,497	30%
14	District of ColumbiaState	1.11	$79,230	$69,318	32%
15	Rhode IslandState	1.11	$69,630	$69,284	26%
16	WyomingState	1.11	$64,510	$69,366	18%
17	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.11	$83,160	$69,185	45%
18	AlabamaState	1.10	$59,500	$68,312	19%
19	ArkansasState	1.10	$59,310	$68,725	18%
20	WashingtonState	1.10	$73,530	$68,527	31%
21	AlaskaState	1.09	$70,700	$67,785	23%
22	TennesseeState	1.09	$62,050	$67,814	24%
23	MaineState	1.07	$66,730	$66,864	23%
24	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	1.06	$71,540	$65,935	34%
25	VirginiaState	1.04	$67,240	$64,966	28%
26	MichiganState	1.03	$59,100	$64,030	23%
27	South CarolinaState	1.03	$58,960	$64,087	26%
28	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$61,730	$64,436	29%
29	MarylandState	1.01	$68,390	$62,628	29%
30	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.01	$57,420	$62,961	25%
31	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.01	$64,840	$62,647	30%
32	ConnecticutState	1.00	$66,710	$61,998	28%
33	FloridaState	1.00	$63,180	$62,246	33%
34	VermontState	0.99	$63,460	$61,912	27%
35	IllinoisState	0.98	$59,410	$60,996	26%
36	New MexicoState	0.98	$56,420	$61,326	22%
37	ColoradoState	0.97	$63,760	$60,493	35%
38	New HampshireState	0.97	$64,250	$60,613	30%
39	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.96	$63,560	$60,076	32%
40	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.96	$55,660	$59,978	28%
41	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.96	$68,510	$59,939	38%
42	LouisianaState	0.95	$53,360	$59,223	24%
43	OregonState	0.95	$60,810	$59,039	31%
44	PennsylvaniaState	0.95	$57,680	$59,464	27%
45	UtahState	0.95	$59,290	$59,172	30%
46	MassachusettsState	0.94	$63,820	$58,820	42%
47	ArizonaState	0.93	$58,240	$57,721	31%
48	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.93	$65,780	$57,956	47%
49	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.93	$62,660	$58,126	34%
50	IowaState	0.91	$50,480	$56,592	23%
51	MissouriState	0.91	$50,410	$56,896	25%
52	New YorkState	0.91	$63,810	$56,720	35%
53	South DakotaState	0.91	$51,630	$56,861	22%
54	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.89	$51,490	$55,665	27%
55	MontanaState	0.87	$52,260	$54,212	26%
56	NevadaState	0.87	$54,070	$53,962	32%
57	OhioState	0.87	$49,210	$54,436	25%
58	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.87	$49,630	$53,946	32%
59	IndianaState	0.86	$48,650	$53,757	26%
60	NebraskaState	0.85	$48,640	$53,158	26%
61	IdahoState	0.84	$50,600	$52,435	28%
62	North CarolinaState	0.84	$49,200	$52,119	32%
63	Columbus, OHMetro	0.84	$48,840	$52,235	32%
64	New JerseyState	0.83	$55,980	$51,452	39%
65	TexasState	0.82	$48,960	$51,213	34%
66	WisconsinState	0.82	$47,210	$51,148	28%
67	MinnesotaState	0.81	$49,410	$50,418	31%
68	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.81	$48,960	$50,370	39%
69	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	0.80	$49,410	$49,658	36%
70	HawaiiState	0.74	$50,880	$46,255	56%

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