Best Cities for Private Detectives and Investigatorss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where private detectives and investigatorss 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	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.50	$73,430	$76,649	25%
2	OregonState	1.45	$76,480	$74,252	25%
3	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.42	$78,330	$72,662	27%
4	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.38	$70,220	$70,573	25%
5	ConnecticutState	1.36	$75,010	$69,712	25%
6	VermontState	1.29	$67,910	$66,254	25%
7	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.29	$75,670	$66,203	35%
8	District of ColumbiaState	1.24	$72,720	$63,622	35%
9	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.23	$61,460	$63,230	31%
10	IllinoisState	1.21	$60,210	$61,817	26%
11	New HampshireState	1.20	$65,370	$61,670	29%
12	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.20	$56,760	$61,696	28%
13	ArizonaState	1.18	$61,030	$60,486	29%
14	WashingtonState	1.17	$64,080	$59,720	36%
15	MinnesotaState	1.15	$57,880	$59,061	27%
16	WyomingState	1.14	$54,310	$58,398	22%
17	UtahState	1.13	$57,910	$57,794	31%
18	NebraskaState	1.10	$51,750	$56,557	24%
19	North CarolinaState	1.09	$52,890	$56,028	30%
20	South CarolinaState	1.09	$51,530	$56,011	29%
21	ArkansasState	1.08	$47,750	$55,330	22%
22	CaliforniaState	1.08	$61,250	$55,330	44%
23	DelawareState	1.08	$55,710	$55,158	29%
24	West VirginiaState	1.08	$46,410	$55,119	22%
25	Columbus, OHMetro	1.08	$51,780	$55,380	30%
26	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.08	$62,300	$55,230	38%
27	Rhode IslandState	1.06	$54,620	$54,348	33%
28	TexasState	1.06	$51,810	$54,195	32%
29	VirginiaState	1.06	$56,160	$54,261	34%
30	AlabamaState	1.05	$46,810	$53,743	25%
31	KentuckyState	1.05	$47,650	$53,842	24%
32	TennesseeState	1.05	$49,360	$53,945	31%
33	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.05	$60,910	$53,665	50%
34	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.05	$49,810	$53,849	28%
35	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.04	$64,060	$53,295	59%
36	MichiganState	1.03	$48,650	$52,709	28%
37	New YorkState	1.03	$59,140	$52,569	37%
38	PennsylvaniaState	1.03	$51,200	$52,784	30%
39	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.03	$61,680	$52,944	44%
40	OhioState	1.02	$47,200	$52,212	27%
41	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.02	$47,690	$52,292	31%
42	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.02	$51,390	$52,173	40%
43	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.01	$53,680	$51,865	36%
44	AlaskaState	1.00	$53,440	$51,237	31%
45	KansasState	0.98	$45,260	$50,289	27%
46	New JerseyState	0.98	$54,710	$50,285	39%
47	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.98	$54,720	$50,433	45%
48	FloridaState	0.97	$50,640	$49,892	41%
49	IdahoState	0.97	$47,910	$49,648	30%
50	MontanaState	0.96	$47,430	$49,201	29%
51	South DakotaState	0.96	$44,840	$49,383	26%
52	GeorgiaState	0.94	$45,060	$48,244	38%
53	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.94	$44,640	$48,103	35%
54	North DakotaState	0.93	$44,310	$47,851	26%
55	MissouriState	0.92	$41,600	$46,953	30%
56	LouisianaState	0.91	$41,950	$46,559	30%
57	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.91	$45,080	$46,570	43%
58	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.91	$44,890	$46,663	42%
59	ColoradoState	0.90	$48,730	$46,233	45%
60	IndianaState	0.90	$41,830	$46,221	30%
61	IowaState	0.90	$41,110	$46,087	28%
62	MassachusettsState	0.90	$50,240	$46,304	54%
63	MississippiState	0.90	$39,060	$46,061	27%
64	WisconsinState	0.89	$41,850	$45,341	31%
65	New MexicoState	0.88	$41,600	$45,217	30%
66	OklahomaState	0.88	$39,680	$44,836	29%
67	MaineState	0.86	$43,830	$43,918	35%
68	HawaiiState	0.81	$45,750	$41,591	63%

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