{"h1":"Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Midwest","faq":[{"a":"Ann Arbor leads the Midwest for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $159k buys at average US prices.","q":"Which city ranks first: best cities for pay after cost of living in the midwest?"},{"a":"20 cities have at least 100 openings with pay posted, so the list has 20 entries.","q":"How many cities are ranked?"},{"a":"The score is a city's median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) divided by its local price level, with the United States at 100. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the city's metro area, or its state where no metro figure exists. Only cities with at least 50 listings that post a salary are ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.","q":"How is the ranking calculated?"},{"a":"Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.","q":"How often is it updated?"}],"lead":"Ann Arbor leads the Midwest for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $159k buys at average US prices.","minN":100,"rows":[{"n":133,"bar":1,"key":"MI|ann arbor","sub":"MI","href":"/places/michigan/city/ann-arbor","name":"Ann Arbor","rank":1,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$153k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−4%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"133"}],"value":158523.9085239085,"change":null,"employers":["May Mobility","Torc Robotics","Thomson Reuters"],"valueLabel":"$159k"},{"n":56,"bar":0.9286269091452257,"key":"IA|des moines","sub":"IA","href":"/places/iowa/city/des-moines","name":"Des Moines","rank":2,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$129k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−12%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"56"}],"value":147209.5671981777,"change":null,"employers":["Principal Financial Group","OpenLoop","Olsson"],"valueLabel":"$147k"},{"n":82,"bar":0.8889695075316729,"key":"MN|eden prairie","sub":"MN","href":"/places/minnesota/city/eden-prairie","name":"Eden Prairie","rank":3,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$139k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"82"}],"value":140922.9208924949,"change":null,"employers":["Unitedhealth Group","LHC Group","Illinois Tool Works"],"valueLabel":"$141k"},{"n":2163,"bar":0.8530679156908665,"key":"IL|chicago","sub":"IL","href":"/places/illinois/city/chicago","name":"Chicago","rank":4,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$140k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"+4%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"2,163"}],"value":135231.6602316602,"change":null,"employers":["Publicis Groupe","Confidential","Mars"],"valueLabel":"$135k"},{"n":80,"bar":0.8437213114754099,"key":"IL|mundelein","sub":"IL","href":"/places/illinois/city/mundelein","name":"Mundelein","rank":5,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$134k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+0%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"80"}],"value":133750,"change":null,"employers":["Coda Search│Staffing"],"valueLabel":"$134k"},{"n":168,"bar":0.8352985504190608,"key":"IN|indianapolis","sub":"IN","href":"/places/indiana/city/indianapolis","name":"Indianapolis","rank":6,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$124k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−7%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"168"}],"value":132414.7909967846,"change":null,"employers":["Eli Lilly and Company","State of Indiana","Masco"],"valueLabel":"$132k"},{"n":50,"bar":0.8234473925946864,"key":"OH|dayton","sub":"OH","href":"/places/ohio/city/dayton","name":"Dayton","rank":7,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$121k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−7%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"50"}],"value":130536.099137931,"change":null,"employers":["University of Dayton","Modern Technology Solutions","Odyssey Systems Consulting"],"valueLabel":"$131k"},{"n":76,"bar":0.7918264877498652,"key":"MI|detroit","sub":"MI","href":"/places/michigan/city/detroit","name":"Detroit","rank":8,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$126k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"+0%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"76"}],"value":125523.4297108674,"change":null,"employers":["Wayne State University","Henry Ford Health System","Accident Fund"],"valueLabel":"$126k"},{"n":113,"bar":0.7885245901639344,"key":"MO|kansas city","sub":"MO","href":"/places/missouri/city/kansas-city","name":"Kansas City","rank":9,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$116k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"−7%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"113"}],"value":125000,"change":null,"employers":["JE Dunn Construction","Catalent Pharma Solutions","Commerce Bank"],"valueLabel":"$125k"},{"n":104,"bar":0.7869475409836065,"key":"IL|springfield","sub":"IL","href":"/places/illinois/city/springfield","name":"Springfield","rank":10,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$125k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+0%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"104"}],"value":124750,"change":null,"employers":["State of Illinois","Army National Guard Units","Hshs Medical Group"],"valueLabel":"$125k"},{"n":303,"bar":0.7845067263171067,"key":"MN|minneapolis","sub":"MN","href":"/places/minnesota/city/minneapolis","name":"Minneapolis","rank":11,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$130k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"+5%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"303"}],"value":124363.072519084,"change":null,"employers":["Mortenson","Ameriprise Certificate","U.S. Bank"],"valueLabel":"$124k"},{"n":87,"bar":0.7752492268812556,"key":"MN|st paul","sub":"MN","href":"/places/minnesota/city/st-paul","name":"St. Paul","rank":12,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$121k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"87"}],"value":122895.537525355,"change":null,"employers":["George Konik Associates","Thomson Reuters","Mortenson"],"valueLabel":"$123k"},{"n":73,"bar":0.7718964356543732,"key":"NE|omaha","sub":"NE","href":"/places/nebraska/city/omaha","name":"Omaha","rank":13,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$110k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−10%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"73"}],"value":122364.0399556049,"change":null,"employers":["Conagra Brands","Valmont","First National Bank of Omaha"],"valueLabel":"$122k"},{"n":104,"bar":0.770927335760701,"key":"WI|milwaukee","sub":"WI","href":"/places/wisconsin/city/milwaukee","name":"Milwaukee","rank":14,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$115k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−6%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"104"}],"value":122210.4144527099,"change":null,"employers":["Michels","Rockwell Automation","Molson Coors Beverage"],"valueLabel":"$122k"},{"n":309,"bar":0.7596257831945755,"key":"OH|columbus","sub":"OH","href":"/places/ohio/city/columbus","name":"Columbus","rank":15,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$115k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"−5%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"309"}],"value":120418.8481675393,"change":null,"employers":["State of Ohio","Nationwide","American Electric Power"],"valueLabel":"$120k"},{"n":145,"bar":0.7273602089562498,"key":"OH|cincinnati","sub":"OH","href":"/places/ohio/city/cincinnati","name":"Cincinnati","rank":16,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$110k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"−5%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"145"}],"value":115303.9832285115,"change":null,"employers":["Medpace Holdings","Procter & Gamble","Western & Southern Financial Group"],"valueLabel":"$115k"},{"n":53,"bar":0.707242034110904,"key":"WI|madison","sub":"WI","href":"/places/wisconsin/city/madison","name":"Madison","rank":17,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$106k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−6%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"53"}],"value":112114.7715196599,"change":null,"employers":["Universities of Wisconsin [UW_Madison]","Creative Financial Staffing","Catalent Pharma Solutions"],"valueLabel":"$112k"},{"n":73,"bar":0.6939016393442623,"key":"IL|schaumburg","sub":"IL","href":"/places/illinois/city/schaumburg","name":"Schaumburg","rank":18,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$110k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+0%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"73"}],"value":110000,"change":null,"employers":["Motorola Solutions","Fictiv","Zurich"],"valueLabel":"$110k"},{"n":126,"bar":0.6902284911482305,"key":"MO|st louis","sub":"MO","href":"/places/missouri/city/st-louis","name":"St. Louis","rank":19,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$104k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"−5%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"126"}],"value":109417.7181913775,"change":null,"employers":["Stifel Charitable","BJC HealthCare","Kforce"],"valueLabel":"$109k"},{"n":172,"bar":0.6797625777275297,"key":"OH|cleveland","sub":"OH","href":"/places/ohio/city/cleveland","name":"Cleveland","rank":20,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$100k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−7%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"172"}],"value":107758.6206896552,"change":null,"employers":["Flexjet","Sherwin Williams","KeyBank"],"valueLabel":"$108k"}],"slug":"best-cities-for-pay-vs-cost-of-living-in-the-midwest","unit":"openings","scope":{"id":"midwest","kind":"region","name":"Midwest"},"title":"Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Midwest","family":"Pay","method":["The score is a city's median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) divided by its local price level, with the United States at 100.","Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the city's metro area, or its state where no metro figure exists. Only cities with at least 50 listings that post a salary are ranked.","A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score."],"builtAt":"2026-11-04T03:37:37.436Z","edition":"2026-11","measure":"paycost","sources":["NextChapter job data: posted annual salary ranges","Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024 (metro areas and states)"],"baseline":{"label":"the typical city in our data","valueLabel":"$128k"},"keyFacts":["#1 Ann Arbor, MI: $159k","#2 Des Moines, IA: $147k","#3 Eden Prairie, MN: $141k","20 cities ranked in the Midwest","Data as of November 2026"],"placeNoun":"cities","commentary":["The top ten is tightly packed: Ann Arbor leads on $159k, and #10 Springfield is at $125k.","Dayton reaches #7 on a sample of 50 openings with pay posted, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.","Chicago is the largest market in the top ten, with 2,163 openings with pay posted behind its figure.","Cities with fewer than 100 openings with pay posted are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful."],"license":"Free to use and share with a link to https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-pay-vs-cost-of-living-in-the-midwest"}