Best Cities for Software Developers After Cost of Living (2026)
Looking for the best cities for developers after cost of living? We ranked all 301 US cities by purchasing-power-adjusted tech salary to show where developers actually keep the most money.
Direct Answer
Bakersfield, CA is the best modeled city for developers after cost of living, with $146,988 in purchasing-power-adjusted salary. Abilene, TX ranks weakest in this set because local costs reduce the value of nominal pay.
Finding the best cities for developers means looking beyond nominal salary. A tech professional earning $146,988 in Bakersfield keeps more purchasing power than someone earning the same in a high-cost metro, because Bakersfield's cost index (100) is 0% above the national baseline.
This ranking adjusts raw developers salaries using each city's cost-of-living index, derived from BLS Consumer Expenditure data, Census Bureau income statistics, and HUD housing cost metrics. The result: a purchasing-power salary that shows what your paycheck actually buys locally.
📊 Key Takeaways
- Bakersfield tops the list with an adjusted salary of $146,988
- The gap between #1 and #25 is $14,357 in purchasing power
- Best region: west
- Abilene ranks last — high costs erode the nominal salary by -22.0%
How to Use This Career Ranking
Top 25 Cities for Software Developers (Salary-Adjusted)
| Rank | City | Raw Salary | Cost Index | Adjusted Salary | Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bakersfield, CA | $146,988 | 100 | $146,988 | 100% |
| 2 | Trenton, NJ | $148,693 | 105 | $141,612 | 96% |
| 3 | Modesto, CA | $149,974 | 106 | $141,485 | 96% |
| 4 | Tucson, AZ | $131,390 | 93 | $141,280 | 96% |
| 5 | Scottsdale, AZ | $166,150 | 118 | $140,805 | 96% |
| 6 | Fresno, CA | $145,211 | 104 | $139,626 | 95% |
| 7 | Gilbert, AZ | $150,007 | 108 | $138,895 | 94% |
| 8 | Manchester, NH | $152,735 | 110 | $138,850 | 94% |
| 9 | Hartford, CT | $149,815 | 108 | $138,718 | 94% |
| 10 | Peoria, AZ | $141,411 | 102 | $138,638 | 94% |
| 11 | Idaho Falls, ID | $123,833 | 90 | $137,592 | 94% |
| 12 | Cranston, RI | $145,492 | 106 | $137,257 | 93% |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $139,513 | 102 | $136,777 | 93% |
| 14 | Waco, TX | $111,986 | 82 | $136,568 | 93% |
| 15 | Aurora, CO | $152,081 | 112 | $135,787 | 92% |
| 16 | Allentown, PA | $130,312 | 96 | $135,742 | 92% |
| 17 | Moreno Valley, CA | $159,715 | 118 | $135,352 | 92% |
| 18 | Billings, MT | $129,487 | 96 | $134,882 | 92% |
| 19 | Burlington, VT | $158,780 | 118 | $134,559 | 92% |
| 20 | Joliet, IL | $128,249 | 96 | $133,593 | 91% |
| 21 | Great Falls, MT | $117,310 | 88 | $133,307 | 91% |
| 22 | Ithaca, NY | $139,893 | 105 | $133,231 | 91% |
| 23 | Chandler, AZ | $139,810 | 105 | $133,152 | 91% |
| 24 | El Paso, TX | $114,499 | 86 | $133,138 | 91% |
| 25 | Providence, RI | $143,242 | 108 | $132,631 | 90% |
Best City by Region
Where Software Developers Lose the Most to Cost of Living
These cities may offer competitive nominal salaries, but high living costs significantly reduce purchasing power.
| Rank | City | Raw Salary | Cost Index | Adjusted Salary | Power Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Abilene, TX | $60,500 | 82 | $73,780 | --22% |
| 300 | Jackson, MS | $60,500 | 80 | $75,625 | --25% |
| 299 | Mobile, AL | $64,180 | 83 | $77,325 | --20% |
| 298 | Pierre, SD | $71,280 | 90 | $79,200 | --11% |
| 297 | Fargo, ND | $75,856 | 94 | $80,698 | --6% |
| 296 | Birmingham, AL | $68,942 | 85 | $81,108 | --18% |
| 295 | Norfolk, VA | $79,519 | 96 | $82,832 | --4% |
| 294 | Lansing, MI | $69,613 | 84 | $82,873 | --19% |
| 293 | Sarasota, FL | $92,956 | 112 | $82,996 | -11% |
| 292 | Biloxi, MS | $70,081 | 84 | $83,430 | --19% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate the adjusted salary?
We take the average tech salary in each city (sourced from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics) and divide it by the city's cost-of-living index, then multiply by 100. This produces a "purchasing power equivalent" — what the salary would be worth at national average prices. A city with a $90,000 salary and a cost index of 120 has an adjusted salary of $75,000.
What data sources are used?
Salary data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. Cost-of-living indices are calculated using BLS Consumer Expenditure data, Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) income data, HUD Fair Market Rents, and EIA energy cost data. All data is from the most recent available vintage (2024-2025 releases).
Why might a city with lower nominal salary rank higher?
Because cost of living varies dramatically across US cities. A tech professional earning $70,000 in a city with a cost index of 80 has more purchasing power ($87,500 adjusted) than someone earning $100,000 in a city with a cost index of 150 ($66,667 adjusted). The adjusted salary captures what your paycheck actually buys in each local economy.