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Most Affordable Cities for Accountants
Accountants work in every metro, but their local salaries vary significantly. These cities offer the best salary-to-rent ratio for accounting professionals using actual BLS wages.
Data: BLS OEWS · Local wages · 2-bedroom HUD Fair Market Rent
Top 25 Most Affordable Cities
Cities where local Accountants salaries go furthest, ranked by lowest rent burden.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $11,136 | 11.8% | A |
| 2 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $11,244 | 14.2% | A |
| 3 | Decatur, IL | $12,756 | 14.6% | A |
| 4 | Eagle Pass, TX | $11,676 | 14.7% | A |
| 5 | Toledo, OH | $12,912 | 14.7% | A |
| 6 | Midland, MI | $14,316 | 14.7% | A |
| 7 | Dothan, AL | $11,400 | 15.0% | A |
| 8 | Casper, WY | $12,984 | 15.0% | A |
| 9 | Sheboygan, WI | $13,392 | 15.0% | A |
| 10 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $13,140 | 15.1% | A |
| 11 | Decatur, AL | $11,532 | 15.2% | A |
| 12 | Binghamton, NY | $13,236 | 15.3% | A |
| 13 | Guayama, PR | $5,700 | 15.3% | A |
| 14 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $11,676 | 15.5% | A |
| 15 | Joplin, MO | $11,364 | 15.5% | A |
| 16 | Montgomery, AL | $12,192 | 15.5% | A |
| 17 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $12,852 | 15.5% | A |
| 18 | Enid, OK | $12,324 | 15.5% | A |
| 19 | Alexandria, LA | $11,928 | 15.6% | A |
| 20 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $13,236 | 15.7% | A |
| 21 | Wausau, WI | $13,764 | 15.7% | A |
| 22 | Peoria, IL | $12,468 | 15.8% | A |
| 23 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $12,612 | 15.9% | A |
| 24 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $12,528 | 15.9% | A |
| 25 | Greenville, NC | $13,140 | 15.9% | A |
How We Calculate the Affordability Grade
We use actual local wages from BLS OEWS for each metro, then divide the annual 2-bedroom HUD Fair Market Rent by that local salary to get a rent burden percentage. Financial advisors recommend keeping housing under 30% of gross income (the "30% rule"). Grades: A <20% · B 20–25% · C 25–30% · D 30–40% · F >40%
10 Least Affordable Cities
Cities where rent puts the biggest strain on Accountants salaries.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $50,568 | 54.3% | F |
| 2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $31,704 | 41.5% | F |
| 3 | Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | $31,488 | 38.9% | D |
| 4 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $37,488 | 38.6% | D |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $43,248 | 36.1% | D |
| 6 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $36,012 | 34.4% | D |
| 7 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $33,924 | 34.2% | D |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH | $35,292 | 34.1% | D |
| 9 | Salinas, CA | $32,208 | 33.5% | D |
| 10 | Napa, CA | $33,276 | 33.1% | D |