Best Cities for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary Schools

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools 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	WashingtonState	1.36	$95,040	$88,574	24%
2	CaliforniaState	1.35	$97,170	$87,778	28%
3	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.35	$100,150	$87,620	26%
4	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.33	$78,980	$86,601	19%
5	District of ColumbiaState	1.32	$97,910	$85,661	26%
6	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.32	$97,410	$85,824	31%
7	MassachusettsState	1.29	$91,350	$84,194	30%
8	Rhode IslandState	1.29	$84,300	$83,881	21%
9	New MexicoState	1.28	$76,420	$83,065	16%
10	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.28	$96,970	$83,236	28%
11	OhioState	1.26	$73,970	$81,825	17%
12	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.26	$98,640	$82,063	38%
13	MichiganState	1.24	$74,600	$80,823	18%
14	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.24	$77,960	$80,537	25%
15	Columbus, OHMetro	1.24	$75,710	$80,973	21%
16	IllinoisState	1.23	$77,960	$80,041	20%
17	GeorgiaState	1.20	$72,880	$78,030	23%
18	AlaskaState	1.18	$80,230	$76,922	20%
19	ConnecticutState	1.18	$82,950	$77,091	23%
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.18	$81,140	$76,692	25%
21	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.18	$76,320	$76,704	23%
22	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.18	$83,140	$77,124	26%
23	OregonState	1.16	$77,700	$75,437	25%
24	PennsylvaniaState	1.15	$72,680	$74,928	21%
25	AlabamaState	1.14	$64,520	$74,076	18%
26	MarylandState	1.11	$78,850	$72,207	26%
27	New YorkState	1.11	$81,260	$72,231	27%
28	VermontState	1.11	$74,200	$72,390	23%
29	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.10	$74,290	$71,778	26%
30	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.09	$79,880	$70,816	30%
31	ColoradoState	1.08	$74,290	$70,484	30%
32	New JerseyState	1.08	$76,660	$70,460	28%
33	MinnesotaState	1.06	$67,620	$69,000	23%
34	NebraskaState	1.05	$62,420	$68,219	20%
35	TennesseeState	1.05	$62,560	$68,372	24%
36	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.05	$63,200	$68,324	22%
37	IowaState	1.04	$60,440	$67,758	19%
38	KentuckyState	1.04	$60,060	$67,864	19%
39	South CarolinaState	1.04	$62,360	$67,783	24%
40	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.04	$65,170	$67,744	29%
41	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.04	$62,230	$67,641	25%
42	KansasState	1.02	$59,970	$66,633	21%
43	WisconsinState	1.02	$61,520	$66,652	21%
44	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.02	$64,830	$66,698	29%
45	IdahoState	1.01	$63,610	$65,917	23%
46	VirginiaState	1.01	$67,740	$65,449	28%
47	WyomingState	1.01	$60,930	$65,516	19%
48	DelawareState	1.00	$65,990	$65,337	25%
49	IndianaState	1.00	$58,760	$64,928	22%
50	LouisianaState	1.00	$58,800	$65,261	21%
51	NevadaState	1.00	$65,110	$64,980	27%
52	TexasState	1.00	$62,330	$65,199	27%
53	MissouriState	0.99	$57,260	$64,628	22%
54	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.99	$59,970	$64,623	26%
55	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.98	$61,050	$63,727	30%
56	ArkansasState	0.97	$54,290	$62,908	19%
57	North DakotaState	0.96	$57,950	$62,581	20%
58	MaineState	0.95	$61,880	$62,004	25%
59	North CarolinaState	0.95	$58,260	$61,716	27%
60	New HampshireState	0.94	$65,160	$61,472	29%
61	UtahState	0.94	$61,290	$61,168	29%
62	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.93	$59,670	$60,579	35%
63	MississippiState	0.92	$50,570	$59,634	21%
64	MontanaState	0.92	$57,630	$59,782	23%
65	West VirginiaState	0.92	$50,380	$59,834	20%
66	FloridaState	0.89	$58,850	$57,980	35%
67	OklahomaState	0.88	$50,630	$57,209	23%
68	South DakotaState	0.86	$51,090	$56,267	23%
69	ArizonaState	0.85	$56,030	$55,530	32%
70	HawaiiState	0.85	$60,940	$55,400	47%
71	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.75	$53,250	$49,078	46%

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