City Affordability Rankings by Profession
Where does your salary go furthest? We rank U.S. metros by salary-to-rent ratio using real local wages from BLS OEWS 2024 — so you can find cities where your actual paycheck stretches.
Most Affordable Cities for Tech Workers
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using real local BLS OEWS 2024 wages.
Most Affordable Cities for Software Engineers
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using real local BLS OEWS 2024 wages.
Most Affordable Cities for Nurses
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using real local BLS OEWS 2024 wages.
Most Affordable Cities for Teachers
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using real local BLS OEWS 2024 wages.
Most Affordable Cities for Doctors
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using real local physician wages from BLS OEWS 2024.
Most Affordable Cities for Lawyers
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using real local attorney wages from BLS OEWS 2024.
Most Affordable Cities for Engineers
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using real local mechanical engineer wages from BLS OEWS 2024.
Most Affordable Cities for Accountants
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using real local accountant wages from BLS OEWS 2024.
Most Affordable Cities for Electricians
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using real local electrician wages from BLS OEWS 2024.
Most Affordable Cities (Median Salary)
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using the $70,000 U.S. median salary.
Most Affordable Cities for Entry-Level Workers
Ranked by salary-to-rent ratio using a $45,000 entry-level benchmark.
How We Calculate Affordability
Our affordability score uses the salary-to-rent ratio: we divide the local wage for your profession by the annual cost of a 2-bedroom apartment in each metro. Most rankings use real local wages from BLS OEWS 2024 rather than national benchmarks. Cities where your salary covers rent many times over score higher. Housing costs use HUD Fair Market Rent data.