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Most Affordable Cities for Engineers
Engineering careers offer solid salaries nationwide, but cost of living varies enormously. These metros give mechanical engineers the best bang for their buck using actual BLS local wages.
Data: BLS OEWS · Local wages · 2-bedroom HUD Fair Market Rent
Top 25 Most Affordable Cities
Cities where local Engineers salaries go furthest, ranked by lowest rent burden.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus, GA-AL | $13,056 | 7.2% | A |
| 2 | Decatur, AL | $11,532 | 9.9% | A |
| 3 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $11,136 | 10.8% | A |
| 4 | Baton Rouge, LA | $14,448 | 10.8% | A |
| 5 | Dothan, AL | $11,400 | 10.8% | A |
| 6 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $13,236 | 10.9% | A |
| 7 | Peoria, IL | $12,468 | 11.0% | A |
| 8 | San Juan-Guaynabo, PR | $7,956 | 11.4% | A |
| 9 | Charleston, WV | $12,432 | 11.6% | A |
| 10 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $12,000 | 11.8% | A |
| 11 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $12,564 | 11.9% | A |
| 12 | Logan, UT-ID | $14,892 | 11.9% | A |
| 13 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $14,028 | 12.0% | A |
| 14 | Mobile, AL | $12,996 | 12.0% | A |
| 15 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $11,676 | 12.0% | A |
| 16 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $12,612 | 12.0% | A |
| 17 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $12,528 | 12.0% | A |
| 18 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $15,132 | 12.1% | A |
| 19 | Lake Charles, LA | $14,604 | 12.2% | A |
| 20 | Cheyenne, WY | $14,088 | 12.2% | A |
| 21 | Topeka, KS | $12,684 | 12.2% | A |
| 22 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $11,892 | 12.2% | A |
| 23 | Elizabethtown, KY | $12,672 | 12.5% | A |
| 24 | Toledo, OH | $12,912 | 12.5% | A |
| 25 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $13,224 | 12.5% | 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 Engineers salaries.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $50,568 | 36.8% | D |
| 2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $31,704 | 31.7% | D |
| 3 | Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL | $29,232 | 29.4% | C |
| 4 | New York, NY | $34,920 | 29.0% | C |
| 5 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH | $35,292 | 28.9% | C |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $43,248 | 28.7% | C |
| 7 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $33,924 | 28.4% | C |
| 8 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $30,144 | 28.3% | C |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $36,012 | 28.3% | C |
| 10 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $37,488 | 27.9% | C |