Best Cities for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselorss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselorss 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	New MexicoState	1.36	$74,100	$80,543	17%
2	AlaskaState	1.30	$80,770	$77,440	20%
3	North DakotaState	1.25	$68,630	$74,114	17%
4	OregonState	1.22	$74,590	$72,417	26%
5	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.18	$75,420	$69,963	29%
6	NebraskaState	1.17	$63,770	$69,694	20%
7	IowaState	1.15	$60,880	$68,251	19%
8	WisconsinState	1.14	$62,220	$67,411	21%
9	WyomingState	1.14	$62,980	$67,720	19%
10	MichiganState	1.13	$61,690	$66,836	22%
11	OklahomaState	1.13	$59,350	$67,062	20%
12	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.12	$60,890	$66,765	24%
13	IdahoState	1.11	$63,360	$65,658	23%
14	KansasState	1.11	$59,470	$66,078	21%
15	TexasState	1.10	$62,630	$65,513	27%
16	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.10	$60,690	$65,399	25%
17	ArizonaState	1.09	$65,300	$64,718	28%
18	OhioState	1.09	$58,360	$64,558	21%
19	Rhode IslandState	1.09	$65,120	$64,796	28%
20	MissouriState	1.08	$56,910	$64,233	22%
21	WashingtonState	1.08	$68,910	$64,222	33%
22	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.08	$62,560	$64,362	30%
23	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.08	$59,180	$64,326	26%
24	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.08	$73,580	$64,374	36%
25	UtahState	1.07	$63,890	$63,762	28%
26	Columbus, OHMetro	1.07	$59,370	$63,497	26%
27	GeorgiaState	1.06	$58,960	$63,126	29%
28	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.06	$60,880	$62,893	32%
29	IllinoisState	1.05	$60,730	$62,351	26%
30	KentuckyState	1.03	$54,190	$61,232	21%
31	MontanaState	1.03	$59,000	$61,203	23%
32	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.03	$60,770	$61,075	29%
33	VermontState	1.02	$61,810	$60,302	28%
34	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.02	$72,550	$60,358	52%
35	ArkansasState	1.01	$51,580	$59,768	20%
36	MaineState	1.01	$59,970	$60,090	26%
37	MinnesotaState	1.01	$58,780	$59,980	26%
38	ColoradoState	1.00	$62,390	$59,194	36%
39	ConnecticutState	1.00	$63,590	$59,099	30%
40	IndianaState	1.00	$53,760	$59,403	24%
41	South DakotaState	1.00	$53,650	$59,086	21%
42	North CarolinaState	0.99	$55,490	$58,782	28%
43	West VirginiaState	0.99	$49,430	$58,705	20%
44	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.99	$56,130	$58,591	32%
45	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.99	$54,290	$58,692	26%
46	New JerseyState	0.97	$62,820	$57,739	34%
47	VirginiaState	0.97	$59,880	$57,855	32%
48	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.97	$65,270	$57,863	37%
49	NevadaState	0.96	$57,210	$57,096	30%
50	South CarolinaState	0.96	$52,370	$56,924	29%
51	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.95	$58,140	$56,174	33%
52	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.95	$55,570	$56,416	37%
53	FloridaState	0.94	$56,790	$55,951	36%
54	DelawareState	0.93	$56,020	$55,465	29%
55	MassachusettsState	0.93	$59,890	$55,198	45%
56	MississippiState	0.93	$46,990	$55,413	23%
57	AlabamaState	0.92	$47,310	$54,317	24%
58	HawaiiState	0.92	$60,090	$54,627	48%
59	MarylandState	0.92	$59,530	$54,515	34%
60	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.92	$57,750	$54,584	35%
61	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.92	$62,130	$54,740	49%
62	TennesseeState	0.91	$49,580	$54,186	30%
63	CaliforniaState	0.90	$59,250	$53,523	46%
64	PennsylvaniaState	0.90	$52,010	$53,619	30%
65	District of ColumbiaState	0.89	$60,450	$52,887	42%
66	New YorkState	0.89	$59,450	$52,844	37%
67	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.89	$57,290	$52,802	43%
68	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.89	$50,810	$52,817	37%
69	New HampshireState	0.87	$54,840	$51,736	35%
70	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.75	$51,910	$44,558	52%
71	LouisianaState	0.71	$37,910	$42,075	33%

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