For minimum wage employees, ten bucks in Tucson, Ariz., goes much further than $13 in Sunnyvale, Calif.
SmartAsset found the cities with the best and worst real minimum wage rates, adjusting for the cost of living.
Richmond, Calif., topped the list, as a $12.30 statutory minimum wage equates to $13.06 after adjusting for the cost of living. Kalamazoo, Mich., Pueblo, Colo., and Phoenix also had adjusted minimum wages above $10.
Washington has it made. Last year, four of the cities on our top 10 list were Washington cities. This year, five Washington cities made the cut. That means half of the cities with the highest real minimum wage are in the Evergreen State.
On the other end, workers in Honolulu are struggling to get by. A $9.25 minimum wage only comes out to $4.87 after cost of living is factored in.