Best Cities for Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricatorss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where miscellaneous assemblers and fabricatorss 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	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.33	$54,990	$59,256	28%
2	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.31	$56,400	$58,628	33%
3	IowaState	1.23	$48,920	$54,843	23%
4	KentuckyState	1.21	$47,950	$54,181	24%
5	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.21	$49,240	$53,991	30%
6	MissouriState	1.17	$46,480	$52,460	27%
7	North DakotaState	1.14	$47,250	$51,026	25%
8	IndianaState	1.13	$45,550	$50,331	28%
9	KansasState	1.13	$45,220	$50,244	27%
10	OhioState	1.13	$45,720	$50,575	27%
11	LouisianaState	1.12	$45,070	$50,022	28%
12	NebraskaState	1.11	$45,470	$49,694	28%
13	South CarolinaState	1.11	$45,500	$49,457	33%
14	WisconsinState	1.11	$45,670	$49,480	29%
15	Columbus, OHMetro	1.11	$46,540	$49,775	33%
16	AlabamaState	1.10	$42,700	$49,024	27%
17	NevadaState	1.10	$49,050	$48,952	36%
18	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.10	$45,610	$49,308	31%
19	TennesseeState	1.09	$44,630	$48,776	34%
20	MichiganState	1.08	$44,690	$48,418	30%
21	MinnesotaState	1.07	$46,920	$47,878	33%
22	South DakotaState	1.07	$43,240	$47,621	27%
23	AlaskaState	1.06	$49,390	$47,354	33%
24	West VirginiaState	1.06	$39,850	$47,328	25%
25	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.06	$47,200	$47,437	38%
26	MontanaState	1.04	$44,940	$46,618	30%
27	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.04	$44,660	$46,618	40%
28	IdahoState	1.03	$44,210	$45,813	33%
29	MaineState	1.03	$45,970	$46,062	34%
30	MississippiState	1.03	$39,070	$46,073	27%
31	OklahomaState	1.03	$40,600	$45,876	29%
32	OregonState	1.02	$46,910	$45,544	41%
33	PennsylvaniaState	1.02	$44,160	$45,526	35%
34	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.02	$41,910	$45,554	37%
35	HawaiiState	1.01	$49,630	$45,118	58%
36	IllinoisState	1.01	$44,140	$45,318	36%
37	WashingtonState	1.01	$48,260	$44,977	47%
38	ArizonaState	1.00	$45,080	$44,678	40%
39	District of ColumbiaState	0.99	$50,330	$44,033	50%
40	New HampshireState	0.99	$46,940	$44,283	41%
41	ColoradoState	0.98	$46,150	$43,786	48%
42	UtahState	0.98	$44,040	$43,952	41%
43	WyomingState	0.98	$40,720	$43,785	29%
44	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.98	$47,180	$43,766	46%
45	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	0.98	$52,360	$43,561	72%
46	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.98	$50,150	$43,876	53%
47	CaliforniaState	0.97	$47,720	$43,107	57%
48	DelawareState	0.97	$43,770	$43,337	37%
49	VirginiaState	0.97	$44,900	$43,382	42%
50	ArkansasState	0.96	$36,990	$42,862	28%
51	MassachusettsState	0.96	$46,720	$43,060	58%
52	New MexicoState	0.96	$39,340	$42,761	32%
53	North CarolinaState	0.96	$40,330	$42,722	39%
54	VermontState	0.96	$43,980	$42,907	39%
55	ConnecticutState	0.94	$45,170	$41,980	42%
56	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.94	$47,860	$42,167	64%
57	MarylandState	0.93	$45,450	$41,621	44%
58	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.93	$43,970	$41,560	46%
59	GeorgiaState	0.92	$38,310	$41,017	44%
60	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.92	$46,400	$41,135	52%
61	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.91	$42,240	$40,812	45%
62	Rhode IslandState	0.90	$40,590	$40,388	44%
63	TexasState	0.90	$38,320	$40,084	43%
64	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.90	$38,960	$40,248	50%
65	New YorkState	0.89	$44,580	$39,627	50%
66	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.89	$46,190	$39,648	59%
67	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.88	$38,340	$39,444	50%
68	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.86	$37,930	$38,508	54%
69	FloridaState	0.85	$38,410	$37,842	54%
70	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.78	$38,010	$35,032	64%
71	New JerseyState	0.77	$37,620	$34,577	57%

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