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.  

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.068 

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.068

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.067

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.056

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.052

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.044

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.044

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.043

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.043

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.041

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.030

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.026

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.026

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.025

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.024

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.007

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.005

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.003

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.001

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.

• Number of job applicants per day: 0.000

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.