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Most Affordable Cities for Electricians
Electricians are essential in every market, but their wages and local housing costs tell very different stories by city. These metros offer the best value using actual BLS local wages.
Data: BLS OEWS · Local wages · 2-bedroom HUD Fair Market Rent
Top 25 Most Affordable Cities
Cities where local Electricians salaries go furthest, ranked by lowest rent burden.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decatur, IL | $12,756 | 14.4% | A |
| 2 | Ponce, PR | $6,456 | 14.5% | A |
| 3 | Arecibo, PR | $6,120 | 14.8% | A |
| 4 | Peoria, IL | $12,468 | 15.5% | A |
| 5 | Decatur, AL | $11,532 | 15.9% | A |
| 6 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $13,464 | 16.3% | A |
| 7 | Joplin, MO | $11,364 | 16.5% | A |
| 8 | Jefferson City, MO | $10,920 | 16.8% | A |
| 9 | Kokomo, IN | $13,476 | 16.9% | A |
| 10 | Aguadilla, PR | $6,768 | 16.9% | A |
| 11 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $12,924 | 17.0% | A |
| 12 | Flint, MI | $12,396 | 17.0% | A |
| 13 | Johnstown, PA | $12,420 | 17.2% | A |
| 14 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $11,892 | 17.3% | A |
| 15 | Mankato, MN | $14,052 | 17.3% | A |
| 16 | Rockford, IL | $14,100 | 17.6% | A |
| 17 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $18,000 | 17.9% | A |
| 18 | Terre Haute, IN | $13,128 | 18.0% | A |
| 19 | St. Cloud, MN | $14,472 | 18.0% | A |
| 20 | Lawton, OK | $12,012 | 18.1% | A |
| 21 | Binghamton, NY | $13,236 | 18.1% | A |
| 22 | Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $11,676 | 18.1% | A |
| 23 | Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $14,820 | 18.1% | A |
| 24 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $13,992 | 18.3% | A |
| 25 | Sheboygan, WI | $13,392 | 18.3% | 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 Electricians salaries.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $50,568 | 63.3% | F |
| 2 | Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL | $29,232 | 51.0% | F |
| 3 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $37,488 | 48.3% | F |
| 4 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $23,496 | 44.0% | F |
| 5 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $23,532 | 43.8% | F |
| 6 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $36,012 | 43.7% | F |
| 7 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $23,664 | 43.5% | F |
| 8 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $23,724 | 42.6% | F |
| 9 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $32,316 | 42.5% | F |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH | $35,292 | 42.3% | F |