Best Cities for Security Guardss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where security guardss 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	1.48	$64,210	$56,177	39%
2	New MexicoState	1.24	$43,320	$47,087	29%
3	AlaskaState	1.20	$47,480	$45,523	34%
4	MissouriState	1.20	$40,390	$45,587	31%
5	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.19	$41,810	$45,054	37%
6	VermontState	1.17	$45,550	$44,439	38%
7	MinnesotaState	1.16	$43,380	$44,265	35%
8	OregonState	1.16	$45,500	$44,175	42%
9	NebraskaState	1.15	$39,840	$43,541	31%
10	WashingtonState	1.15	$47,100	$43,896	48%
11	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.15	$43,430	$43,648	41%
12	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.14	$46,820	$43,432	46%
13	ColoradoState	1.13	$45,150	$42,837	49%
14	New HampshireState	1.12	$45,200	$42,642	42%
15	North DakotaState	1.12	$39,310	$42,451	30%
16	UtahState	1.12	$42,700	$42,615	42%
17	VirginiaState	1.11	$43,640	$42,164	43%
18	WyomingState	1.11	$39,200	$42,151	30%
19	ArkansasState	1.09	$35,770	$41,448	29%
20	IowaState	1.09	$37,080	$41,570	31%
21	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.09	$47,490	$41,549	56%
22	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.09	$46,830	$41,516	51%
23	KansasState	1.08	$37,080	$41,200	33%
24	MassachusettsState	1.08	$44,670	$41,171	61%
25	OklahomaState	1.08	$36,270	$40,983	32%
26	South DakotaState	1.08	$37,150	$40,914	31%
27	IllinoisState	1.07	$39,490	$40,544	40%
28	WisconsinState	1.07	$37,440	$40,563	35%
29	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.07	$37,050	$40,625	39%
30	IndianaState	1.06	$36,490	$40,320	35%
31	MichiganState	1.06	$37,080	$40,173	36%
32	KentuckyState	1.05	$35,420	$40,023	32%
33	MontanaState	1.05	$38,480	$39,917	35%
34	IdahoState	1.04	$38,300	$39,689	38%
35	OhioState	1.04	$35,770	$39,569	35%
36	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.04	$44,990	$39,639	68%
37	CaliforniaState	1.03	$43,240	$39,061	63%
38	MaineState	1.03	$39,100	$39,178	40%
39	New YorkState	1.03	$44,240	$39,324	50%
40	TennesseeState	1.03	$36,000	$39,344	42%
41	AlabamaState	1.02	$33,720	$38,714	34%
42	HawaiiState	1.02	$42,820	$38,927	67%
43	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.02	$35,850	$38,757	39%
44	South CarolinaState	1.01	$35,460	$38,543	42%
45	Columbus, OHMetro	1.01	$35,800	$38,289	43%
46	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.01	$37,010	$38,472	50%
47	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$35,270	$38,337	44%
48	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.01	$46,250	$38,478	82%
49	ArizonaState	1.00	$38,290	$37,948	47%
50	PennsylvaniaState	1.00	$37,050	$38,196	42%
51	GeorgiaState	0.99	$34,980	$37,452	49%
52	TexasState	0.99	$35,980	$37,636	46%
53	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.99	$36,680	$37,737	52%
54	ConnecticutState	0.98	$39,920	$37,100	47%
55	NevadaState	0.98	$37,310	$37,236	47%
56	North CarolinaState	0.98	$35,010	$37,087	45%
57	Rhode IslandState	0.97	$36,940	$36,756	49%
58	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.96	$35,150	$36,312	55%
59	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.96	$35,010	$36,545	51%
60	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.96	$36,010	$36,558	57%
61	DelawareState	0.95	$36,360	$36,000	45%
62	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.95	$37,450	$36,184	51%
63	LouisianaState	0.94	$32,240	$35,782	39%
64	New JerseyState	0.94	$38,880	$35,735	55%
65	FloridaState	0.93	$35,900	$35,369	57%
66	MarylandState	0.92	$38,220	$35,000	53%
67	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.92	$36,970	$34,943	54%
68	MississippiState	0.91	$29,180	$34,410	37%
69	West VirginiaState	0.90	$28,800	$34,204	35%
70	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.90	$40,030	$34,361	68%
71	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.87	$36,040	$33,217	68%

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