Best Cities for Registered Nursess

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where registered nursess 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	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.85	$216,740	$180,316	17%
2	CaliforniaState	1.30	$140,270	$126,712	19%
3	OregonState	1.28	$129,010	$125,252	15%
4	HawaiiState	1.27	$136,320	$123,927	21%
5	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.24	$130,310	$120,881	17%
6	WashingtonState	1.19	$124,200	$115,750	18%
7	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.19	$135,560	$116,361	20%
8	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.15	$128,260	$112,213	21%
9	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.09	$97,280	$106,667	15%
10	AlaskaState	1.08	$109,480	$104,966	15%
11	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.07	$101,420	$104,342	19%
12	MinnesotaState	1.06	$101,510	$103,582	15%
13	NevadaState	1.06	$103,670	$103,463	17%
14	WisconsinState	1.06	$95,530	$103,499	14%
15	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.06	$100,490	$103,812	19%
16	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.06	$103,040	$103,558	17%
17	MichiganState	1.05	$94,300	$102,167	14%
18	New MexicoState	1.05	$94,340	$102,543	13%
19	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.05	$94,370	$102,576	17%
20	GeorgiaState	1.03	$93,550	$100,161	18%
21	Rhode IslandState	1.03	$100,640	$100,139	18%
22	TexasState	1.03	$95,970	$100,387	17%
23	PennsylvaniaState	1.02	$96,430	$99,412	16%
24	ArizonaState	1.01	$99,500	$98,612	18%
25	DelawareState	1.01	$99,520	$98,535	16%
26	IllinoisState	1.01	$95,990	$98,552	16%
27	New JerseyState	1.00	$106,500	$97,886	20%
28	New YorkState	1.00	$109,440	$97,280	20%
29	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.00	$101,180	$97,758	19%
30	MassachusettsState	0.99	$104,550	$96,359	26%
31	ColoradoState	0.98	$100,260	$95,123	22%
32	ConnecticutState	0.98	$102,740	$95,483	18%
33	IdahoState	0.98	$92,460	$95,813	16%
34	West VirginiaState	0.98	$80,130	$95,166	13%
35	VermontState	0.97	$97,460	$95,083	18%
36	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.97	$90,620	$94,593	20%
37	New HampshireState	0.96	$99,700	$94,057	19%
38	OklahomaState	0.96	$82,920	$93,695	14%
39	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.96	$99,550	$94,093	20%
40	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.96	$106,180	$93,551	29%
41	IndianaState	0.95	$83,500	$92,265	15%
42	MissouriState	0.95	$81,780	$92,302	15%
43	NebraskaState	0.95	$84,730	$92,601	15%
44	ArkansasState	0.94	$78,940	$91,472	13%
45	KentuckyState	0.94	$81,040	$91,571	14%
46	MarylandState	0.94	$99,790	$91,383	20%
47	OhioState	0.94	$82,510	$91,272	15%
48	MississippiState	0.93	$77,090	$90,908	14%
49	VirginiaState	0.93	$93,600	$90,435	20%
50	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.93	$102,710	$91,055	23%
51	District of ColumbiaState	0.92	$102,540	$89,711	25%
52	North CarolinaState	0.92	$84,350	$89,354	19%
53	South CarolinaState	0.92	$82,360	$89,522	18%
54	WyomingState	0.92	$83,760	$90,065	14%
55	Columbus, OHMetro	0.92	$83,900	$89,733	19%
56	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.92	$83,040	$89,483	19%
57	AlabamaState	0.91	$77,080	$88,496	15%
58	LouisianaState	0.91	$80,230	$89,046	16%
59	MontanaState	0.91	$85,280	$88,465	16%
60	TennesseeState	0.91	$81,500	$89,071	18%
61	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.91	$82,370	$89,049	17%
62	IowaState	0.90	$78,630	$88,150	15%
63	KansasState	0.90	$79,320	$88,133	16%
64	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.90	$84,040	$87,360	22%
65	MaineState	0.89	$86,990	$87,164	18%
66	North DakotaState	0.89	$80,730	$87,181	15%
67	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.89	$85,470	$86,772	24%
68	South DakotaState	0.88	$78,060	$85,969	15%
69	UtahState	0.87	$84,600	$84,431	21%
70	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.86	$91,380	$84,221	27%
71	FloridaState	0.85	$84,190	$82,946	25%

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