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The 20 Least Competitive US Cities for High-Paying Jobs

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The 20 Least Competitive US Cities for High-Paying Jobs

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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.

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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.

Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock.comJacob Boomsma / Shutterstock.com

Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock.com

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.

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Ron and Patty Thomas / Getty Images/iStockphotoRon and Patty Thomas / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Ron and Patty Thomas / Getty Images/iStockphoto

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.

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©Shutterstock.com©Shutterstock.com

©Shutterstock.com

Shreveport, Louisiana

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.

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphotoDenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

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.

Guy RD / Shutterstock.comGuy RD / Shutterstock.com

Guy RD / Shutterstock.com

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.

©Shutterstock.com©Shutterstock.com

©Shutterstock.com

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.

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DenisTangneyJr / iStock.comDenisTangneyJr / iStock.com

DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com

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.

Nagel Photography / Shutterstock.comNagel Photography / Shutterstock.com

Nagel Photography / Shutterstock.com

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.

Jon Bilous / Shutterstock.comJon Bilous / Shutterstock.com

Jon Bilous / Shutterstock.com

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.

DenisTangneyJr / iStock.comDenisTangneyJr / iStock.com

DenisTangneyJr / iStock.com

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.

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Ichabod / Wikimedia CommonsIchabod / Wikimedia Commons

Ichabod / Wikimedia Commons

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.

ChrisBoswell / Getty Images/iStockphotoChrisBoswell / Getty Images/iStockphoto

ChrisBoswell / Getty Images/iStockphoto

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.

Not Home / Wikimedia CommonsNot Home / Wikimedia Commons

Not Home / Wikimedia Commons

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.

Jon Platek / Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-3Jon Platek / Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-3

Jon Platek / Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-3

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.

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marekuliasz / Getty Imagesmarekuliasz / Getty Images

marekuliasz / Getty Images

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.

©Shutterstock.com©Shutterstock.com

©Shutterstock.com

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.

Roman Sorokin / Shutterstock.comRoman Sorokin / Shutterstock.com

Roman Sorokin / Shutterstock.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.

Christopher Boswell / Shutterstock.comChristopher Boswell / Shutterstock.com

Christopher Boswell / Shutterstock.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.

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Charles Knowles / Shutterstock.comCharles Knowles / Shutterstock.com

Charles Knowles / Shutterstock.com

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.

matejphoto / iStock.commatejphoto / iStock.com

matejphoto / iStock.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.

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