Best Cities for Teachers After Cost of Living (2026)
Looking for the best cities for teachers after cost of living? We ranked all 301 US cities by purchasing-power-adjusted education salary to show where teachers actually keep the most money.
Direct Answer
Reading, PA is the best modeled city for teachers after cost of living, with $74,912 in purchasing-power-adjusted salary. Frisco, TX ranks weakest in this set because local costs reduce the value of nominal pay.
Finding the best cities for teachers means looking beyond nominal salary. A education professional earning $64,424 in Reading keeps more purchasing power than someone earning the same in a high-cost metro, because Reading's cost index (86) is 14% below the national baseline.
This ranking adjusts raw teachers 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
- Reading tops the list with an adjusted salary of $74,912
- The gap between #1 and #25 is $8,738 in purchasing power
- Best region: northeast
- Frisco ranks last — high costs erode the nominal salary by +3.8%
How to Use This Career Ranking
Top 25 Cities for Teachers (Salary-Adjusted)
| Rank | City | Raw Salary | Cost Index | Adjusted Salary | Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading, PA | $64,424 | 86 | $74,912 | 100% |
| 2 | Twin Falls, ID | $65,918 | 90 | $73,242 | 98% |
| 3 | St. Joseph, MO | $56,749 | 78 | $72,755 | 97% |
| 4 | Flint, MI | $55,143 | 76 | $72,557 | 97% |
| 5 | Albany, NY | $70,389 | 98 | $71,826 | 96% |
| 6 | Tucson, AZ | $66,512 | 93 | $71,518 | 95% |
| 7 | Rochester, NY | $63,525 | 90 | $70,583 | 94% |
| 8 | San Juan, PR | $58,000 | 83 | $69,880 | 93% |
| 9 | Idaho Falls, ID | $62,522 | 90 | $69,469 | 93% |
| 10 | Beaumont, TX | $56,716 | 82 | $69,166 | 92% |
| 11 | Brownsville, TX | $55,330 | 80 | $69,163 | 92% |
| 12 | Columbia, MO | $60,709 | 88 | $68,988 | 92% |
| 13 | Dayton, OH | $56,524 | 82 | $68,932 | 92% |
| 14 | Provo, UT | $72,840 | 106 | $68,717 | 92% |
| 15 | Buffalo, NY | $60,811 | 89 | $68,327 | 91% |
| 16 | St. Louis, MO | $59,274 | 87 | $68,131 | 91% |
| 17 | Carson City, NV | $70,684 | 104 | $67,965 | 91% |
| 18 | Waco, TX | $55,685 | 82 | $67,909 | 91% |
| 19 | Medford, OR | $69,119 | 102 | $67,764 | 90% |
| 20 | Helena, MT | $65,797 | 98 | $67,140 | 90% |
| 21 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $69,721 | 104 | $67,039 | 89% |
| 22 | Erie, PA | $54,901 | 82 | $66,952 | 89% |
| 23 | Shreveport, LA | $54,723 | 82 | $66,735 | 89% |
| 24 | Scranton, PA | $57,219 | 86 | $66,534 | 89% |
| 25 | Tyler, TX | $55,586 | 84 | $66,174 | 88% |
Best City by Region
Where Teachers 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 | Frisco, TX | $38,316 | 104 | $36,842 | -4% |
| 300 | Bloomington, IL | $36,204 | 90 | $40,227 | --11% |
| 299 | Boston, MA | $62,134 | 152 | $40,878 | -34% |
| 298 | Minneapolis, MN | $43,566 | 106 | $41,100 | -6% |
| 297 | Jersey City, NJ | $55,853 | 135 | $41,373 | -26% |
| 296 | Arlington, TX | $39,771 | 96 | $41,428 | --4% |
| 295 | Key West, FL | $64,364 | 155 | $41,525 | -35% |
| 294 | Huntington Beach, CA | $66,086 | 158 | $41,827 | -37% |
| 293 | Fort Worth, TX | $39,416 | 94 | $41,932 | --6% |
| 292 | San Francisco, CA | $102,982 | 244 | $42,206 | -59% |
Compare Other Professions
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate the adjusted salary?
We take the average education 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 education 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.