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New analysis from New Geography found that local salaries often go furthest in small cities, after being adjusted for cost of living.
Big cities are the engines of the modern economy. They offer workers a range of opportunities — and employers a range of workers, customers, and infrastructure — that smaller places generally can’t match. But when it comes to what many job seekers care about most, smaller cities often are best. In particular, for most jobs, salaries are higher in smaller places after accounting for the cost of living.
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, Fort Smith, AR-OK, and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH offer the highest adjusted salaries. Among larger metros, Birmingham, Memphis, and Cincinnati come out on top. For nearly every metro, there are a few other places that offer a similar mix of jobs, but have higher adjusted salaries. (Our interactive map, below, shows where to find those places.)
For some jobs though, smaller isn’t necessarily better. Many tech and other high-paying occupations offer higher adjusted salaries in larger metros — and tech salaries are highest in Boston and Washington, DC, two big tech hubs. As always, the right city is ultimately a personal choice — it depends on what job you’re in and whether you value a higher adjusted salary above all else.
