Best Cities for Social Science Research Assistantss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where social science research assistantss 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	OklahomaState	1.26	$69,090	$78,068	17%
2	KansasState	1.21	$67,740	$75,267	18%
3	KentuckyState	1.21	$66,390	$75,017	17%
4	MissouriState	1.20	$65,940	$74,424	19%
5	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.19	$67,780	$73,674	23%
6	GeorgiaState	1.15	$66,620	$71,328	25%
7	South CarolinaState	1.13	$64,490	$70,098	23%
8	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.12	$67,440	$69,669	29%
9	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.12	$64,650	$69,666	24%
10	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.11	$65,740	$68,622	27%
11	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.11	$62,670	$68,717	23%
12	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.10	$66,200	$68,107	29%
13	DelawareState	1.09	$68,230	$67,554	24%
14	North CarolinaState	1.09	$63,710	$67,489	25%
15	IllinoisState	1.07	$64,890	$66,622	24%
16	IdahoState	1.05	$62,570	$64,839	23%
17	MichiganState	1.05	$60,210	$65,233	22%
18	IndianaState	1.02	$57,020	$63,006	22%
19	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.01	$75,010	$62,404	50%
20	New HampshireState	1.00	$65,690	$61,972	29%
21	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.00	$65,550	$61,957	31%
22	ArizonaState	0.99	$61,680	$61,130	29%
23	NebraskaState	0.99	$56,190	$61,410	22%
24	AlabamaState	0.98	$53,080	$60,941	22%
25	TexasState	0.98	$58,070	$60,743	29%
26	West VirginiaState	0.98	$51,140	$60,736	20%
27	MarylandState	0.97	$65,550	$60,027	31%
28	AlaskaState	0.96	$62,230	$59,664	26%
29	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.96	$61,760	$59,671	31%
30	LouisianaState	0.94	$52,600	$58,380	24%
31	MassachusettsState	0.94	$63,480	$58,507	43%
32	New JerseyState	0.93	$62,760	$57,684	34%
33	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.93	$65,330	$57,917	37%
34	District of ColumbiaState	0.92	$65,330	$57,157	39%
35	PennsylvaniaState	0.91	$54,610	$56,299	28%
36	ConnecticutState	0.90	$60,110	$55,864	31%
37	OhioState	0.90	$50,330	$55,675	25%
38	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.90	$63,480	$55,930	48%
39	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.90	$59,850	$55,519	36%
40	New MexicoState	0.89	$50,640	$55,043	25%
41	OregonState	0.89	$56,770	$55,117	34%
42	CaliforniaState	0.88	$60,250	$54,426	45%
43	New YorkState	0.88	$61,210	$54,409	36%
44	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.87	$50,070	$54,130	28%
45	WisconsinState	0.84	$48,090	$52,102	27%
46	MontanaState	0.83	$49,860	$51,722	27%
47	Rhode IslandState	0.83	$51,420	$51,164	35%
48	VirginiaState	0.83	$53,260	$51,459	35%
49	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.83	$50,700	$51,472	41%
50	MaineState	0.82	$50,650	$50,752	31%
51	TennesseeState	0.82	$46,410	$50,721	32%
52	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.82	$59,240	$50,850	46%
53	FloridaState	0.81	$50,700	$49,951	41%
54	South DakotaState	0.80	$44,820	$49,361	26%
55	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.78	$46,410	$48,243	40%
56	ColoradoState	0.77	$50,430	$47,846	44%
57	WashingtonState	0.76	$50,420	$46,990	45%
58	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.76	$50,800	$46,820	48%
59	VermontState	0.75	$47,510	$46,351	36%
60	IowaState	0.74	$40,940	$45,897	28%
61	MinnesotaState	0.74	$44,920	$45,837	34%
62	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	0.74	$45,760	$45,990	39%
63	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.71	$50,310	$44,016	52%
64	NevadaState	0.43	$26,560	$26,507	66%

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