{"h1":"Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Southeast","faq":[{"a":"Chantilly leads the Southeast for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $192k buys at average US prices.","q":"Which city ranks first: best cities for pay after cost of living in the southeast?"},{"a":"29 cities have at least 100 openings with pay posted, so the list has 29 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":"Chantilly leads the Southeast for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $192k buys at average US prices.","minN":100,"rows":[{"n":54,"key":"VA|chantilly","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/chantilly","name":"Chantilly","rank":1,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$194k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"54"}],"value":191889.2185954501,"change":null,"employers":["CACI International","Trinzic","Peraton"],"valueLabel":"$192k"},{"n":68,"key":"VA|mc lean","sub":"VA","href":null,"name":"Mc Lean","rank":2,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$163k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"68"}],"value":160880.3165182987,"change":null,"employers":["Capital One","Booz Allen Hamilton","Sunrise Senior Living"],"valueLabel":"$161k"},{"n":153,"key":"VA|herndon","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/herndon","name":"Herndon","rank":3,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$161k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"153"}],"value":158951.5331355094,"change":null,"employers":["Amazon","AWS","Peraton"],"valueLabel":"$159k"},{"n":165,"key":"VA|reston","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/reston","name":"Reston","rank":4,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$160k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"165"}],"value":158259.1493570722,"change":null,"employers":["ICF International","CACI International","Anduril Industries"],"valueLabel":"$158k"},{"n":127,"key":"AL|huntsville","sub":"AL","href":"/places/alabama/city/huntsville","name":"Huntsville","rank":5,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$138k"},{"label":"State prices vs US 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Group"],"valueLabel":"$143k"},{"n":83,"key":"KY|frankfort","sub":"KY","href":"/places/kentucky/city/frankfort","name":"Frankfort","rank":8,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$125k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−10%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"83"}],"value":138580.9312638581,"change":null,"employers":["Lumen","Oracle","Sazerac"],"valueLabel":"$139k"},{"n":144,"key":"VA|alexandria","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/alexandria","name":"Alexandria","rank":9,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$140k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"144"}],"value":138529.6735905045,"change":null,"employers":["Kearney","Patent and Trademark Office","Analytic Services (ANSER)"],"valueLabel":"$139k"},{"n":54,"key":"VA|manassas","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/manassas","name":"Manassas","rank":10,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$139k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"54"}],"value":136993.0761622156,"change":null,"employers":["General Dynamics Mission Systems","Electra.Aero","Holder Construction"],"valueLabel":"$137k"},{"n":168,"key":"TN|nashville","sub":"TN","href":null,"name":"Nashville","rank":11,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$132k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"−4%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"168"}],"value":136941.8483904465,"change":null,"employers":["Oracle","Amazon","Vanderbilt University"],"valueLabel":"$137k"},{"n":64,"key":"VA|fort belvoir","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/fort-belvoir","name":"Fort Belvoir","rank":12,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$135k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"64"}],"value":133135.509396637,"change":null,"employers":["CACI International","Teksynap","LMI"],"valueLabel":"$133k"},{"n":752,"key":"GA|atlanta","sub":"GA","href":"/places/georgia/city/atlanta","name":"Atlanta","rank":13,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$133k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"+0%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"752"}],"value":132667.3326673327,"change":null,"employers":["Emory University","Oxford College of Emory University","Capgemini Invent"],"valueLabel":"$133k"},{"n":91,"key":"VA|vienna","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/vienna","name":"Vienna","rank":14,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$133k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"91"}],"value":131058.3580613254,"change":null,"employers":["Esri","Navy Federal Credit Union","Antithesis"],"valueLabel":"$131k"},{"n":53,"key":"VA|springfield","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/springfield","name":"Springfield","rank":15,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$132k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"53"}],"value":130217.606330366,"change":null,"employers":["CACI International","Caci Technologies","HII Mission Technologies"],"valueLabel":"$130k"},{"n":97,"key":"GA|alpharetta","sub":"GA","href":"/places/georgia/city/alpharetta","name":"Alpharetta","rank":16,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$125k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−4%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"97"}],"value":129802.6998961579,"change":null,"employers":["Morgan Stanley","Fiserv","Landis+Gyr"],"valueLabel":"$130k"},{"n":415,"key":"NC|charlotte","sub":"NC","href":"/places/north-carolina/city/charlotte","name":"Charlotte","rank":17,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$121k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"−3%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"415"}],"value":124822.7132579651,"change":null,"employers":["Truist Financial","Scout Motors","SMBC Americas"],"valueLabel":"$125k"},{"n":62,"key":"VA|tysons","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/tysons","name":"Tysons","rank":18,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$126k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"62"}],"value":124629.0801186944,"change":null,"employers":["M.C. Dean","Alarm.com Holdings","LMI"],"valueLabel":"$125k"},{"n":205,"key":"NC|raleigh","sub":"NC","href":"/places/north-carolina/city/raleigh","name":"Raleigh","rank":19,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$115k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−6%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"205"}],"value":121489.9257688229,"change":null,"employers":["First Citizens Bank","Dewberry","MaintainX"],"valueLabel":"$121k"},{"n":239,"key":"FL|miami","sub":"FL","href":"/places/florida/city/miami","name":"Miami","rank":20,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$133k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"+14%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"239"}],"value":116625.6567425569,"change":null,"employers":["University Of Miami","Royal Caribbean Cruises","Princess Cruises / Holland America Line"],"valueLabel":"$117k"},{"n":476,"key":"KY|louisville","sub":"KY","href":"/places/kentucky/city/louisville","name":"Louisville","rank":21,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$103k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"−10%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"476"}],"value":114642.4611973392,"change":null,"employers":["BrightSpring Health Services","Norton Healthcare","GE Appliances"],"valueLabel":"$115k"},{"n":79,"key":"FL|tallahassee","sub":"FL","href":"/places/florida/city/tallahassee","name":"Tallahassee","rank":22,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$107k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+3%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"79"}],"value":103578.33655706,"change":null,"employers":["State of Florida","L3HARRIS Technologies","Florida"],"valueLabel":"$104k"},{"n":71,"key":"VA|norfolk","sub":"VA","href":"/places/virginia/city/norfolk","name":"Norfolk","rank":23,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted 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posted","value":"198"}],"value":98911.96834817014,"change":null,"employers":["Mckesson","Capital One","Genworth Financial"],"valueLabel":"$99k"},{"n":78,"key":"FL|jacksonville","sub":"FL","href":"/places/florida/city/jacksonville","name":"Jacksonville","rank":26,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$100k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+3%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"78"}],"value":96711.79883945841,"change":null,"employers":["Confidential","Intercontinental Exchange","UF Health"],"valueLabel":"$97k"},{"n":227,"key":"FL|tampa","sub":"FL","href":"/places/florida/city/tampa","name":"Tampa","rank":27,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$98k"},{"label":"Local prices vs US average","value":"+1%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"227"}],"value":96630.32705649156,"change":null,"employers":["DTCC","University of South Florida","Tampa Electric"],"valueLabel":"$97k"},{"n":70,"key":"FL|fort lauderdale","sub":"FL","href":"/places/florida/city/fort-lauderdale","name":"Fort Lauderdale","rank":28,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$98k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+3%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"70"}],"value":94777.56286266925,"change":null,"employers":["North Broward Hospital District (Broward Health)","Autonation","Town & Country Credit Union"],"valueLabel":"$95k"},{"n":51,"key":"FL|boca raton","sub":"FL","href":"/places/florida/city/boca-raton","name":"Boca Raton","rank":29,"stats":[{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$95k"},{"label":"State prices vs US average","value":"+3%"},{"label":"Openings with pay posted","value":"51"}],"value":91876.20889748549,"change":null,"employers":["Compass","Baptist Health South Florida","SBA Communications"],"valueLabel":"$92k"}],"slug":"best-cities-for-pay-vs-cost-of-living-in-the-southeast","unit":"openings","scope":{"id":"southeast","kind":"region","name":"Southeast"},"title":"Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Southeast","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":"2026-11-02T22:01:52.820Z","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 Chantilly, VA: $192k","#2 Mc Lean, VA: $161k","#3 Herndon, VA: $159k","29 cities ranked in the Southeast","Data as of November 2026"],"placeNoun":"cities","commentary":["The top ten is tightly packed: Chantilly leads on $192k, and #10 Manassas is at $137k.","Chantilly reaches #1 on a sample of 54 openings with pay posted, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.","Arlington is the largest market in the top ten, with 475 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-southeast"}