25 Best Cities for Data Scientists in 2026
Data scientists command strong salaries almost everywhere, but the best cities combine high incomes with active analytics and research communities, manageable housing costs, and stable employment. We weighted income heavily while penalizing high rent burdens and unemployment, since demand for data roles can vary more than pure software engineering.
Methodology
Scoring weights: median income (35%), unemployment rate (25%, inverted), rent-to-income ratio (25%, inverted), violent crime rate (15%, inverted).
Laconia
New Hampshire
Median Income
$97,692
Median Rent
$1,037/mo
Unemployment
2.1%
Violent Crime
107/100k
Heber
Utah
Median Income
$134,986
Median Rent
$2,434/mo
Unemployment
2.5%
Violent Crime
232/100k
Lexington Park
Maryland
Median Income
$116,297
Median Rent
$1,718/mo
Unemployment
2.0%
Violent Crime
426/100k
Manchester-Nashua
New Hampshire
Median Income
$103,727
Median Rent
$1,668/mo
Unemployment
2.4%
Violent Crime
107/100k
Concord
New Hampshire
Median Income
$92,110
Median Rent
$1,398/mo
Unemployment
2.0%
Violent Crime
107/100k
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
California
Median Income
$153,202
Median Rent
$2,773/mo
Unemployment
3.6%
Violent Crime
508/100k
Burlington-South Burlington
Vermont
Median Income
$95,497
Median Rent
$1,604/mo
Unemployment
1.6%
Violent Crime
210/100k
Keene
New Hampshire
Median Income
$89,314
Median Rent
$1,259/mo
Unemployment
2.3%
Violent Crime
107/100k
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury
Connecticut
Median Income
$111,058
Median Rent
$1,862/mo
Unemployment
3.1%
Violent Crime
150/100k
Bismarck
North Dakota
Median Income
$83,440
Median Rent
$951/mo
Unemployment
2.0%
Violent Crime
267/100k
Ogden
Utah
Median Income
$100,461
Median Rent
$1,528/mo
Unemployment
2.5%
Violent Crime
232/100k
Portland-South Portland
Maine
Median Income
$92,117
Median Rent
$1,551/mo
Unemployment
2.2%
Violent Crime
102/100k
Kapaa
Hawaii
Median Income
$103,564
Median Rent
$1,816/mo
Unemployment
2.6%
Violent Crime
187/100k
Torrington
Connecticut
Median Income
$91,020
Median Rent
$1,141/mo
Unemployment
3.0%
Violent Crime
150/100k
Provo-Orem-Lehi
Utah
Median Income
$100,791
Median Rent
$1,556/mo
Unemployment
2.7%
Violent Crime
232/100k
Lebanon-Claremont
New Hampshire
Median Income
$78,937
Median Rent
$1,218/mo
Unemployment
1.9%
Violent Crime
107/100k
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
Minnesota
Median Income
$95,102
Median Rent
$1,427/mo
Unemployment
2.6%
Violent Crime
261/100k
Watertown-Fort Atkinson
Wisconsin
Median Income
$82,864
Median Rent
$953/mo
Unemployment
2.5%
Violent Crime
289/100k
Appleton
Wisconsin
Median Income
$83,966
Median Rent
$1,087/mo
Unemployment
2.3%
Violent Crime
289/100k
Urban Honolulu
Hawaii
Median Income
$103,131
Median Rent
$2,033/mo
Unemployment
2.6%
Violent Crime
187/100k
Sioux Falls
South Dakota
Median Income
$76,226
Median Rent
$988/mo
Unemployment
1.7%
Violent Crime
350/100k
Logan
Utah
Median Income
$85,111
Median Rent
$1,253/mo
Unemployment
2.4%
Violent Crime
232/100k
Charlottesville
Virginia
Median Income
$92,265
Median Rent
$1,540/mo
Unemployment
2.5%
Violent Crime
236/100k
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford
Connecticut
Median Income
$92,176
Median Rent
$1,397/mo
Unemployment
3.2%
Violent Crime
150/100k
Putnam
Connecticut
Median Income
$88,806
Median Rent
$1,217/mo
Unemployment
3.3%
Violent Crime
150/100k
Frequently Asked Questions
Which industries hire the most data scientists?
Finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and tech are the biggest employers. Cities with major hospital systems or financial institutions often have strong, stable demand for data professionals.
Do data scientists need to live near major tech hubs?
Less than before. Remote-friendly data roles have expanded beyond the coasts. However, cities with university research programs and corporate analytics teams offer the richest in-person networking.
How does cost of living affect a data scientist's real income?
A $130k salary in Chicago or Dallas delivers dramatically more purchasing power than the same salary in San Francisco or New York. Rent-to-income ratio is often a better indicator of financial wellbeing than raw salary.