Ten original city records paired with employer and commute questions that must be verified.
The old article ranked cities using an unsupported satisfaction figure. Ocity does not have a comparable city-level work-life survey. Cost and housing can influence stress, but they cannot measure schedule control, workload, leave, commute or personal satisfaction.
| # | City | COL Index | $50K → Buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayetteville, AR | 91 | $54,945 |
| 2 | Broken Arrow, OK | 90 | $55,866 |
| 3 | Pocatello, ID | 88 | $56,948 |
| 4 | Idaho Falls, ID | 90 | $55,617 |
| 5 | Caldwell, ID | 93 | $53,533 |
| 6 | Ann Arbor, MI | 98 | $51,020 |
| 7 | Fishers, IN | 95 | $52,854 |
| 8 | Hamilton, OH | 94 | $53,135 |
| 9 | Carmel, IN | 95 | $52,854 |
| 10 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | 99 | $50,302 |
Source: C2ER/ACCRA Cost of Living Index, US Census ACS. US Average COL = 100. Higher "Buys" = more purchasing power.
Pop. 101,694
Pop. 119,666
Pop. 57,152
Pop. 67,996
Pop. 68,339
| City | COL | 1BR rent | Income | Home price | Walkability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, AR | 91.0 | $924 | $51,513 | $383,580 | 45 |
| Broken Arrow, OK | 89.5 | $760 | $84,374 | $305,000 | 45 |
| Pocatello, ID | 87.8 | $751 | $57,931 | $310,000 | 35 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | 89.9 | $903 | $63,049 | $358,900 | 35 |
| Caldwell, ID | 93.4 | $1,074 | $67,117 | $405,000 | 35 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 98.0 | $1,234 | $76,207 | $510,000 | 45 |
| Fishers, IN | 94.6 | $898 | $121,382 | $430,000 | 45 |
| Hamilton, OH | 94.1 | $919 | $54,293 | $210,000 | 35 |
| Carmel, IN | 94.6 | $1,145 | $143,676 | $630,000 | 45 |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 99.4 | $1,042 | $70,845 | $592,500 | 35 |
The table provides economic context only. Ann Arbor has the highest walkability field in this cohort; several Idaho and Arkansas examples show lower stored cost indexes. These differences may matter to a household but do not predict work-life satisfaction.
Pop. 119,380
Pop. 101,789
Pop. 63,124
Pop. 102,091
Pop. 55,558
Score only factors you can verify:
Weight each factor according to household priorities, document the source and rerun the matrix if the job or housing option changes. Employer conditions can dominate small differences in city averages.
This article uses $50K as a benchmark, but your situation is unique. Use our free tools to calculate your exact purchasing power in any of these cities.
Displayed values come from Ocity’s production cities snapshot exported July 12, 2026. Walkability is a stored broad city field; it is not a transit score and does not measure route coverage, frequency, reliability, accessibility or the experience at a specific address. Ocity does not currently store a verified work-life satisfaction survey or a universal urban-versus-suburban transport-cost dataset.
This article therefore avoids satisfaction percentages, invented composite scores, universal lifestyle verdicts and trend claims. Users must verify service maps, schedules, employer policies and household costs.
Use the city table to identify questions and the worksheet to make a household-specific decision. No city type guarantees affordability, mobility or balance.
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