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Top 5 Cities to Build Wealth
Maura Pallera / Monster
Is your paycheck not stretching far enough? Are you considering moving to a new town? Are you just looking to change jobs? If so, it may be time to look at one of the cities at the top of Salary.com’s 2008 Salary Value Index. The compensation experts at Salary.com uncovered the top US cities for building personal net worth by taking into account local salaries, cost of living and unemployment relative to the national average.
This year’s list also factors in qualitative measures, including diversity of industry, education level of the cities’ population, proximity to post-secondary institutions, percent of the population below the poverty level and median travel time to work.
Below are the top five Salary Value Index cities with links to salary ranges for an accountant, administrative assistant, nurse and software developer in each city. Compare the differences between the cities and use the Salary Wizard to see what you could earn in these locales or others.
1. Plano, Texas
Located within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area, Plano is the ninth-largest city in Texas. A frequent destination for business travelers, it is home to many corporate headquarters, including JCPenney, Frito-Lay and Perot Systems. The city has a reputation for being one of the best places in the country for employers to do business and for families to live and work. Plano has a nationally acclaimed public education system and well-educated, diverse residents.
See Salaries in Plano:
Entry-level accountant
Administrative assistant
Staff nurse
Software developer2. Aurora, Colorado
Aurora is part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area and is the third most-populous city in Colorado. Once a budding frontier town of farmers and ranchers, Aurora is now a largely suburban city with over 450 neighborhoods. Aurora has a booming economy and is a business leader in such key growth industries as biotechnology, aerospace and high technology.
See Salaries in Aurora:
Entry-level accountant
Administrative assistant
Staff nurse
Software developer
cdderusha
about 1 month ago
48 comments
I shock to find out about these cities, but very helpful information.
promokate
3 months ago
2 comments
Plano Texas is filled with yuppies, and it doesn't surprise me one bit that it is considered a great place to grow financially. The Dallas art scene is also very energetic, always popping up with new art galleries dedicated to all walks of life and genres of art.
danieltyler
3 months ago
10 comments
Denver/Aurora is not as bad as I once believed. They're actually quite a bit worse. If you are a fan of stale, plastic, pre-fab, bedroom stretched of suburban wasteland as far as the eye can see, by all means, move to Denver! Again, this is a frigid climate, any time of the year due to the racing winds sweeping across the Great Plains of Kansas, which smack into downtown Denver as hard as any hurricane on the Gulf Coast, and while they somehow tout being "a Mile-High" as a good thing, the air is thin and what little of it is there is polluted. There has been an ongoing "competition" of sorts between Denver, Salt Lake City, Houston, and Los Angeles for the worst air quality in the past decade, and Denver has none of the semi-redeeming features of the other three: Salt Lake has low crime and low unemployment; Los Angeles is within an hour of the beach, mountains, or desert and is the Entertainment Capital of the World; and Houston, well, Houston reeks of oil money and corruption, but at least they have that Southern Hospitality-thing going for it.
danieltyler
3 months ago
10 comments
I know nothing about Plano, so I am not qualified to comment. However, Texas, in general, tends to be a conservative and dangerous place to raise a family. (Does anyone recall that VP Dick Cheney SHOT his hunting buddy in the face, and they just laughed it off?!?!?) Texas is firmly Bush/Bush country--and their motto is "It's like a whole other country" I suspect there is a great deal of underlying truth to be learned of Texas by watching "King of the Hill"
danieltyler
3 months ago
10 comments
Omaha, Nebraska is an insurance and banking hub for the midwest. Rents are low, but so is property value in comparison to other parts of the United States. There is a certain percentage of migratory, illegal immigrants, but otherwise very little racial or cultural diversity. It is painfully cold in the winter, and sweltering hot in the summer with a great deal of the local economy supported by the military bases surrounding the area. If you are straight, old-fashioned/conservative, Republican, white, and lower-middle class, Omaha is the place for you!
danieltyler
3 months ago
10 comments
I am told Minneapolis/St. Paul has a very diverse and burgeoning art scene. However, it also is subject to high unemployment as well as an unskilled workforce. Plus , it's really cold! Caveat emptor...
danieltyler
3 months ago
10 comments
Albuquerque has proportionally the highest violent crime rate of any city in the United States. I cannot imagine a worse place to make a living. It is likely true there is a lot of money to be made--in drugs, small arms, and the sex trade.