Best Cities for Optometristss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where optometristss 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 CarolinaState	1.25	$161,560	$171,144	10%
2	AlabamaState	1.22	$145,090	$166,579	8%
3	AlaskaState	1.20	$170,310	$163,289	10%
4	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.20	$157,210	$164,102	11%
5	MinnesotaState	1.19	$158,700	$161,939	10%
6	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.18	$159,790	$160,593	11%
7	DelawareState	1.17	$161,270	$159,673	10%
8	South CarolinaState	1.16	$145,950	$158,641	10%
9	New MexicoState	1.15	$144,660	$157,239	9%
10	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.15	$142,690	$156,458	10%
11	KansasState	1.13	$138,580	$153,978	9%
12	MaineState	1.13	$154,110	$154,419	10%
13	MarylandState	1.11	$165,840	$151,868	12%
14	MissouriState	1.11	$133,810	$151,027	9%
15	WisconsinState	1.11	$139,720	$151,376	9%
16	IndianaState	1.10	$135,500	$149,724	9%
17	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.10	$144,260	$149,958	13%
18	FloridaState	1.09	$151,670	$149,429	14%
19	IllinoisState	1.09	$145,620	$149,507	11%
20	OhioState	1.09	$134,850	$149,170	9%
21	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.09	$138,580	$149,332	11%
22	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.09	$153,980	$148,773	12%
23	MichiganState	1.08	$135,650	$146,966	10%
24	WashingtonState	1.08	$157,560	$146,841	14%
25	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.08	$167,810	$146,815	16%
26	KentuckyState	1.07	$128,860	$145,605	9%
27	New JerseyState	1.07	$159,040	$146,176	14%
28	TennesseeState	1.07	$134,170	$146,634	11%
29	ArkansasState	1.06	$124,470	$144,229	8%
30	ColoradoState	1.06	$152,000	$144,213	15%
31	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.06	$140,790	$144,846	14%
32	New YorkState	1.05	$161,140	$143,236	14%
33	North DakotaState	1.04	$132,110	$142,667	9%
34	Columbus, OHMetro	1.04	$133,370	$142,642	12%
35	HawaiiState	1.03	$154,620	$140,564	19%
36	IowaState	1.03	$125,380	$140,561	9%
37	West VirginiaState	1.03	$118,010	$140,154	9%
38	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.03	$129,900	$140,432	11%
39	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.03	$138,130	$140,234	15%
40	ConnecticutState	1.02	$150,340	$139,721	13%
41	MassachusettsState	1.02	$151,730	$139,843	18%
42	PennsylvaniaState	1.02	$135,400	$139,588	11%
43	GeorgiaState	1.01	$128,830	$137,934	13%
44	NebraskaState	1.00	$125,040	$136,656	10%
45	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.00	$144,270	$136,361	14%
46	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.00	$154,970	$136,537	20%
47	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.00	$154,690	$137,137	15%
48	NevadaState	0.99	$135,650	$135,379	13%
49	Rhode IslandState	0.98	$134,520	$133,851	13%
50	VermontState	0.98	$137,290	$133,941	12%
51	TexasState	0.97	$126,000	$131,799	13%
52	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.97	$128,830	$133,089	15%
53	LouisianaState	0.96	$118,060	$131,032	11%
54	OregonState	0.94	$132,020	$128,175	14%
55	MississippiState	0.93	$108,070	$127,441	10%
56	VirginiaState	0.93	$131,570	$127,121	14%
57	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.93	$136,250	$126,391	16%
58	CaliforniaState	0.90	$136,300	$123,126	20%
59	ArizonaState	0.89	$122,250	$121,160	15%
60	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.89	$111,780	$121,500	14%
61	WyomingState	0.88	$111,400	$119,785	11%
62	New HampshireState	0.87	$125,560	$118,453	15%
63	UtahState	0.87	$119,070	$118,832	15%
64	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.87	$138,940	$119,262	20%
65	District of ColumbiaState	0.86	$134,840	$117,970	19%
66	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.85	$125,530	$115,696	19%
67	South DakotaState	0.83	$102,320	$112,687	11%
68	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	0.82	$135,330	$112,587	28%
69	OklahomaState	0.81	$97,350	$110,000	12%
70	MontanaState	0.79	$104,280	$108,174	13%
71	IdahoState	0.78	$103,390	$107,140	14%

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