The 20 Least Competitive US Cities for High-Paying Jobs

It’s been a tough year for many Americans looking for a job. Layoffs have been rampant across sectors, with tech companies and media being dealt the brunt of the blow. Economic uncertainty fills the air, causing some employers to implement hiring freezes. And then you’ve got the whole artificial intelligence thing.

Adding to the frustration of job seekers is the knowledge of competition, particularly for high-paying positions. Hiring managers are flooded with applications, and it can feel like your resume is just one of dozens or even hundreds being tossed in the slush pile. You may be wondering whether location doesn’t play somewhat of a factor. Do some cities see less competition for high-paying jobs than others?

Career.io, a career management and job search platform, analyzed various data to determine what job markets are most and least competitive for highly paid jobs. Career.io looked at publicly available data from LinkedIn to rank every U.S. state and the largest cities based on the number of daily job applicants for local highly paid jobs (or jobs that are double the local average wage). Then it identified jobs at these rates available on LinkedIn and calculated how many applications per day each of these job openings received.

Read Next: I’m a Retiree: Here’s How I Made Thousands of Dollars Doing Side Gigs on Taskrabbit

Find Out: 6 Money Moves You Must Make If You Want To Be Like the Wealthy

According to those data points, these are the 20 least competitive markets for highly paid jobs in the U.S. Note that most of these cities are in low-density states that are most focused on agriculture, which suggests there are fewer high-paying jobs available in general. Some you may have never heard of.

Also see 10 industries across the U.S. with the most open job opportunities.

Green Bay, Wisconsin

Around 107,000 people live in Green Bay, according to Data USA. The cost of living here is 10% lower than the national average, according to PayScale.

Explore More: 29 Best Games That Pay Real Money in 2024

Check Out: What the Upper Middle Class Make in Different US Cities

Earning passive income doesn’t need to be difficult. You can start this week.

Toledo, Ohio

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 270,871 people lived in Toledo in 2020. The cost of living here is 5.6% lower than the national average, according to Salary.com.

Try This: I Made $10,000 Using One of Dave Ramsey’s Best Passive Income Ideas

Shreveport, Louisiana

Story continues

In 2020, 187,593 people lived in Shreveport, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The cost of living here is 7% lower than the national average, according to PayScale.

Davenport, Iowa

World Population Review reports that in 2024, Davenport has a population of nearly 100,000. The cost of living here is 3% lower than the national average, according to PayScale.

Fargo, North Dakota

According to the city of Fargo’s website, an estimated 124,844 people live there (as of July 2018). The cost of living in Fargo is 2% lower than the national average, according to RentCafe.

Warwick, Rhode Island

In 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 82,823 people lived in Warwick. This isn’t a cheap city; the cost of living is 18% higher than the national average, according to PayScale.

Be Aware: Here’s the Salary Needed to Actually Take Home $100K in Every State

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

The total population in Hattiesburg in 2020 was 48,730, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This city sports a cost of living that is 12% lower than the national average, according to PayScale.

Bismarck, North Dakota

The current population of Bismarck is 75,541, according to World Population Review. The cost of living here is on par with the national average, according to PayScale.

Dover, Delaware

In 2020, the total population in Dover stood at 39,403, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The cost of living here is 3% lower than the national average, according to RentCafe.

Evansville, Indiana

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2020, 117,298 people lived in Evansville. The cost of living here is 7% lower than the national average, per PayScale.

Read More: How To Earn $750 a Week in Passive Income

Olathe, Kansas

The current population of Olathe is 149,419, according to World Population Review. The cost of living here is 2.6% lower than the national average, according to Salary.com.

Morgantown, West Virginia

In 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 30,347 people lived in Morgantown, where the cost of living is 9% lower than the national average, according to PayScale.

Laredo, Texas

The current population of Laredo is 258,306, according to World Population Review. The cost of living here is 15.7% lower than the national average, according to PayScale.

Dover, New Hampshire

Dover has a 2024 population of 33,721, according to World Population Review. The cost of living here is 16.3% higher than the national average, according to Salary.com.

Trending Now: 4 Ways the Middle Class Can Make an Extra $500 a Week From Home

Kearney, Nebraska

Kearney is home to a population of around 33,800 people, according to Data USA. According to Salary.com, the cost of living here is 1.3% lower than the national average.

Grand Island, Nebraska

Grand Island has a 2024 population of 52,486, according to World Population Review. The cost of living here is 1.3% lower than the national average, according to Salary.com.

Sitka, Alaska

Just 8,458 people live in Sitka, according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The cost of living here is steep — 24.1% higher than the national average, according to Salary.com.

Butte, Montana

In the Butte area, there is a population of 30,307 people, according to Census Reporter. The cost of living here is 2% higher than the national average, according to Salary.com.

Discover More: Here’s the Income Needed To Be in the Top 1% in All 50 States

Nampa, Idaho

Nampa has a 2024 population of 118,587, according to World Population Review. The cost of living here is 0.2% higher than the national average, according to Salary.com.

Parkersburg, West Virginia

The current population of Parkersburg is 28,812, according to World Population Review. The cost of living here is 7.2% lower than the national average, according to Salary.com.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The 20 Least Competitive US Cities for High-Paying Jobs