You can get much more bang for your buck in some locales than others.
While salaries may be highest in San Jose and San Francisco, for example, the cost of living is highest there too. But when salaries are adjusted for cost of living, the smaller metros tend to be where residents see their paychecks stretch the furthest.
The Indeed Blog recently analyzed salary data between August 2016 and July 2017 as well as local cost of living data to find where salaries stretch the most in the nation. The cities that topped this year’s list are:
- Birmingham-Hoover, Ala.: $86,196 (average salary adjusted for cost of living)
- Jackson, Miss.: $84,995
- Fresno, Calif.: $84,604
- St. Louis, Mo.-Ill.: $84,511
- El Paso, Texas: $84,498
- Cincinnati, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.: $84,306
- Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark.: $84,102
- Bakersfield, Calif.: $83,904
- Wichita, Kan.: $83,566
- Toledo, Ohio: $83,435
Source: “Bang for Your Buck? The Cities Where a Paycheck Goes the Furthest in 2017,” Indeed Blog (Aug. 24, 2017)
