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Most Affordable Cities for Nurses
Nurses are in demand across the country, but housing costs vary wildly by metro. These cities offer the best salary-to-rent ratio for registered nurses using actual BLS local wages.
Data: BLS OEWS · Local wages · 2-bedroom HUD Fair Market Rent
Top 25 Most Affordable Cities
Cities where local Nurses salaries go furthest, ranked by lowest rent burden.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuba City, CA | $18,600 | 12.7% | A |
| 2 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $17,628 | 12.8% | A |
| 3 | Lawton, OK | $12,012 | 13.2% | A |
| 4 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $17,796 | 13.6% | A |
| 5 | Modesto, CA | $21,096 | 13.7% | A |
| 6 | Flint, MI | $12,396 | 13.8% | A |
| 7 | Bay City, MI | $12,360 | 13.8% | A |
| 8 | Florence, SC | $13,404 | 13.8% | A |
| 9 | Binghamton, NY | $13,236 | 14.0% | A |
| 10 | Mansfield, OH | $11,676 | 14.0% | A |
| 11 | El Centro, CA | $16,344 | 14.1% | A |
| 12 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $11,676 | 14.1% | A |
| 13 | Jefferson City, MO | $10,920 | 14.1% | A |
| 14 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $11,904 | 14.3% | A |
| 15 | Eagle Pass, TX | $11,676 | 14.3% | A |
| 16 | Cheyenne, WY | $14,088 | 14.3% | A |
| 17 | Merced, CA | $18,036 | 14.3% | A |
| 18 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $13,992 | 14.3% | A |
| 19 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $13,332 | 14.4% | A |
| 20 | Montgomery, AL | $12,192 | 14.4% | A |
| 21 | Guayama, PR | $5,700 | 14.4% | A |
| 22 | Las Cruces, NM | $12,504 | 14.4% | A |
| 23 | Saginaw, MI | $13,404 | 14.5% | A |
| 24 | Chico, CA | $19,500 | 14.6% | A |
| 25 | Mankato, MN | $14,052 | 14.6% | 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 Nurses salaries.
| # | City | 2BR Rent / yr | Rent Burden | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL | $29,232 | 31.7% | D |
| 2 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $50,568 | 31.7% | D |
| 3 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH | $35,292 | 30.5% | D |
| 4 | New York, NY | $34,920 | 30.2% | D |
| 5 | Portland, ME | $25,560 | 29.0% | C |
| 6 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $37,488 | 28.4% | C |
| 7 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $30,132 | 27.7% | C |
| 8 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $23,496 | 27.6% | C |
| 9 | Barnstable Town, MA | $29,064 | 27.4% | C |
| 10 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $23,664 | 27.4% | C |