Rock Island # 6 in nation on "Salary Value Index" list

I was half watching CNN this morning when I thought I glimpsed the words Rock Island up on the screen. Turns out I had. The report was about Salary.com coming up with a "Salary Value Index" based on the cost of living vs. average salary in cities across the U.S.

The Top Five Cities are in order; New London, CT, Huntsville, AL, Baltimore, MD, Harrisburg, PA, and Tulsa, OK.

Rock Island just missed being included in the top 5, coming in 6th, with Moline making the list in a strong 16th place. Davenport also made the list, but waaaaaay down in 101st place, only a few spots above Chicago.

Other regional cities that made the list are; Des Moines in 75th place, Rockford at 79th, and Peoria in 85th.

Here is how their web site explains their methodology;

In creating the "Salary Value" index, Salary.com correlated the latest city-by-city pay information against a "market basket" of living costs that included property values and staples such as food and energy. Unemployment rates per metro area were also considered. Metro areas of 250,000 or more residents were included. A metro area is defined as a radius around the city that is generally commutable for an employee.

View the complete list here.