MODELED MONTHLY SURPLUS
Top 20 cities for Software Developers
This ranking uses a modeled monthly surplus, not salary alone. It estimates take-home pay, housing, and local standard expenses so you can compare the same defined measure across cities.
Direct BLS match to SOC 15-1252 Software Developers.
What the modeled surplus includes
Modeled 2026 monthly surplus = modeled monthly take-home pay - estimated mortgage - fixed standard expenses ($2,200/month in every metro). It is a comparison model, not your personal cash-after-rent result.