Best Cities for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Others

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where social scientists and related workers, all others 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	VirginiaState	1.34	$140,670	$135,913	13%
2	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.21	$138,250	$122,562	17%
3	MarylandState	1.19	$131,810	$120,705	15%
4	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.19	$110,490	$120,098	14%
5	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.16	$124,590	$117,760	16%
6	NebraskaState	1.13	$104,420	$114,120	12%
7	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.13	$104,250	$114,309	14%
8	District of ColumbiaState	1.11	$128,440	$112,371	20%
9	West VirginiaState	1.11	$94,520	$112,257	11%
10	AlabamaState	1.08	$95,370	$109,495	12%
11	OhioState	1.08	$98,630	$109,104	13%
12	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.06	$104,420	$107,428	18%
13	TexasState	1.05	$101,800	$106,485	16%
14	MinnesotaState	1.04	$103,330	$105,439	15%
15	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.03	$103,330	$103,849	17%
16	IowaState	1.02	$91,560	$102,646	12%
17	IllinoisState	1.01	$99,050	$101,694	16%
18	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.01	$94,680	$102,357	15%
19	LouisianaState	1.00	$91,170	$101,188	14%
20	MississippiState	1.00	$85,550	$100,884	13%
21	PennsylvaniaState	1.00	$97,640	$100,660	16%
22	ColoradoState	0.99	$105,390	$99,991	21%
23	OklahomaState	0.99	$88,610	$100,124	13%
24	IndianaState	0.98	$89,440	$98,829	14%
25	New MexicoState	0.98	$91,170	$99,098	14%
26	ArizonaState	0.97	$99,320	$98,434	18%
27	GeorgiaState	0.97	$91,210	$97,655	19%
28	MassachusettsState	0.96	$105,640	$97,364	26%
29	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.96	$90,060	$97,047	17%
30	WashingtonState	0.95	$102,920	$95,918	22%
31	WisconsinState	0.95	$88,830	$96,241	15%
32	KansasState	0.94	$85,160	$94,622	15%
33	NevadaState	0.94	$95,620	$95,429	18%
34	South DakotaState	0.94	$86,260	$95,000	13%
35	WyomingState	0.94	$88,610	$95,280	13%
36	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.94	$90,580	$94,551	20%
37	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.93	$97,570	$94,271	20%
38	New JerseyState	0.92	$101,260	$93,070	21%
39	New YorkState	0.92	$104,770	$93,129	21%
40	OregonState	0.92	$95,900	$93,107	20%
41	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.92	$105,670	$93,101	29%
42	IdahoState	0.91	$88,610	$91,824	16%
43	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.91	$88,610	$91,539	22%
44	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.91	$105,140	$91,986	25%
45	DelawareState	0.90	$92,330	$91,416	18%
46	MichiganState	0.90	$84,260	$91,289	16%
47	MissouriState	0.90	$80,850	$91,253	15%
48	South CarolinaState	0.90	$83,780	$91,065	18%
49	UtahState	0.90	$91,560	$91,377	20%
50	Rhode IslandState	0.89	$89,960	$89,512	20%
51	ArkansasState	0.88	$76,400	$88,528	14%
52	KentuckyState	0.88	$78,850	$89,096	15%
53	Columbus, OHMetro	0.88	$83,100	$88,877	19%
54	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.88	$96,460	$89,481	22%
55	CaliforniaState	0.87	$97,900	$88,437	28%
56	TennesseeState	0.87	$80,860	$88,372	19%
57	MontanaState	0.85	$82,380	$85,456	16%
58	North CarolinaState	0.85	$81,420	$86,250	19%
59	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.85	$100,550	$86,309	27%
60	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.84	$83,460	$84,731	25%
61	HawaiiState	0.83	$92,520	$84,109	31%
62	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.83	$80,860	$84,054	23%
63	North DakotaState	0.82	$76,400	$82,505	15%
64	FloridaState	0.81	$83,460	$82,227	25%
65	New HampshireState	0.81	$86,530	$81,632	22%
66	VermontState	0.77	$79,450	$77,512	22%
67	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	0.76	$92,060	$76,589	41%
68	MaineState	0.73	$73,920	$74,068	21%

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