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Most Affordable Cities for Doctors
Even six-figure physician salaries can feel constrained in high cost-of-living metros. These cities offer the best salary-to-rent ratio for doctors using actual local BLS wages.
Data: BLS OEWS · Local wages · 2-bedroom HUD Fair Market Rent
Top 25 Most Affordable Cities
Cities where local Doctors salaries go furthest, ranked by lowest rent burden.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $13,992 | 3.0% | A |
| 2 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $11,904 | 3.1% | A |
| 3 | Mansfield, OH | $11,676 | 3.2% | A |
| 4 | Dothan, AL | $11,400 | 3.4% | A |
| 5 | Green Bay, WI | $13,968 | 3.4% | A |
| 6 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $13,788 | 3.8% | A |
| 7 | Fayetteville, NC | $15,012 | 3.9% | A |
| 8 | Fargo, ND-MN | $13,344 | 3.9% | A |
| 9 | St. Cloud, MN | $14,472 | 3.9% | A |
| 10 | Bismarck, ND | $14,100 | 3.9% | A |
| 11 | Owensboro, KY | $13,320 | 4.0% | A |
| 12 | Amarillo, TX | $13,272 | 4.0% | A |
| 13 | Baton Rouge, LA | $14,448 | 4.0% | A |
| 14 | Appleton, WI | $14,832 | 4.1% | A |
| 15 | Casper, WY | $12,984 | 4.1% | A |
| 16 | Florence, SC | $13,404 | 4.1% | A |
| 17 | Albany, GA | $13,548 | 4.1% | A |
| 18 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $13,224 | 4.1% | A |
| 19 | Las Cruces, NM | $12,504 | 4.1% | A |
| 20 | Dubuque, IA | $12,924 | 4.1% | A |
| 21 | Hattiesburg, MS | $12,564 | 4.1% | A |
| 22 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $12,852 | 4.2% | A |
| 23 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $11,676 | 4.2% | A |
| 24 | Springfield, IL | $14,436 | 4.2% | A |
| 25 | Wausau, WI | $13,764 | 4.2% | 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 Doctors salaries.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $41,796 | 22.5% | B |
| 2 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $37,488 | 18.6% | A |
| 3 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA | $31,212 | 18.3% | A |
| 4 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $50,568 | 18.3% | A |
| 5 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $33,924 | 17.0% | A |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $43,248 | 16.2% | A |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH | $35,292 | 16.2% | A |
| 8 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $32,316 | 15.7% | A |
| 9 | Salinas, CA | $32,208 | 15.0% | A |
| 10 | New Haven, CT | $23,628 | 14.7% | A |