Best Cities for Preschool Teachers, Except Special Educations

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where preschool teachers, except special educations 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	District of ColumbiaState	1.43	$62,150	$54,374	41%
2	KansasState	1.39	$47,750	$53,056	26%
3	NebraskaState	1.35	$47,040	$51,410	27%
4	South DakotaState	1.28	$44,500	$49,009	26%
5	VermontState	1.27	$49,730	$48,517	34%
6	New MexicoState	1.26	$44,070	$47,902	29%
7	GeorgiaState	1.23	$43,920	$47,024	39%
8	AlaskaState	1.16	$46,130	$44,228	36%
9	HawaiiState	1.16	$48,780	$44,345	59%
10	MinnesotaState	1.16	$43,430	$44,316	35%
11	New JerseyState	1.16	$48,220	$44,320	45%
12	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.16	$43,960	$44,181	40%
13	MaineState	1.15	$43,890	$43,978	35%
14	OregonState	1.15	$45,140	$43,825	42%
15	ColoradoState	1.13	$45,500	$43,169	49%
16	CaliforniaState	1.12	$47,400	$42,818	57%
17	MississippiState	1.12	$36,250	$42,748	30%
18	North DakotaState	1.12	$39,720	$42,894	30%
19	WashingtonState	1.12	$45,660	$42,554	50%
20	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.12	$51,190	$42,587	74%
21	ConnecticutState	1.11	$45,740	$42,509	41%
22	LouisianaState	1.11	$38,020	$42,198	33%
23	MassachusettsState	1.11	$45,890	$42,295	59%
24	IllinoisState	1.10	$40,910	$42,002	38%
25	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.10	$45,310	$42,032	47%
26	New YorkState	1.08	$46,520	$41,351	48%
27	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.08	$39,870	$41,188	49%
28	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.08	$37,500	$41,118	39%
29	MarylandState	1.07	$44,600	$40,842	45%
30	MissouriState	1.07	$36,090	$40,734	34%
31	IndianaState	1.06	$36,650	$40,497	35%
32	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.06	$46,030	$40,555	67%
33	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.06	$37,400	$40,302	41%
34	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.06	$46,380	$40,577	57%
35	MichiganState	1.05	$37,110	$40,206	36%
36	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.05	$46,600	$40,000	58%
37	ArkansasState	1.04	$34,190	$39,618	31%
38	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.04	$44,660	$39,592	54%
39	WisconsinState	1.03	$36,160	$39,177	36%
40	NevadaState	1.02	$38,870	$38,792	45%
41	OhioState	1.02	$35,180	$38,916	36%
42	West VirginiaState	1.01	$32,480	$38,575	31%
43	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.01	$35,650	$38,541	40%
44	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.00	$36,480	$38,079	49%
45	IowaState	0.99	$33,830	$37,926	34%
46	MontanaState	0.99	$36,540	$37,905	37%
47	North CarolinaState	0.99	$35,710	$37,828	44%
48	Columbus, OHMetro	0.99	$35,370	$37,829	44%
49	South CarolinaState	0.98	$34,500	$37,500	44%
50	TennesseeState	0.98	$34,280	$37,464	44%
51	New HampshireState	0.97	$39,350	$37,123	48%
52	PennsylvaniaState	0.97	$36,050	$37,165	43%
53	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.97	$39,280	$37,127	51%
54	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.97	$34,210	$37,185	46%
55	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.97	$36,270	$36,822	57%
56	Rhode IslandState	0.96	$36,830	$36,647	49%
57	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.95	$35,190	$36,204	54%
58	ArizonaState	0.94	$36,300	$35,976	50%
59	DelawareState	0.94	$36,360	$36,000	45%
60	OklahomaState	0.94	$31,790	$35,921	37%
61	VirginiaState	0.94	$37,140	$35,884	51%
62	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.94	$34,510	$35,873	54%
63	FloridaState	0.93	$35,860	$35,330	58%
64	TexasState	0.93	$33,860	$35,418	49%
65	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.93	$36,750	$35,507	52%
66	UtahState	0.92	$35,010	$34,940	51%
67	IdahoState	0.89	$32,800	$33,990	44%
68	KentuckyState	0.88	$29,780	$33,650	39%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.88	$36,380	$33,530	67%
70	AlabamaState	0.85	$28,310	$32,503	41%
71	WyomingState	0.84	$29,930	$32,183	39%

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