CitiesCompare gives anyone a clear, data-backed picture of how far their paycheck actually goes — before they sign a lease or accept a job offer in a new city.
Moving to a new city — or evaluating a job offer in one — requires making a genuinely difficult financial calculation. A $120,000 salary in San Francisco and a $90,000 salary in Austin can leave you with nearly the same amount of money after taxes and rent. Most people don't know that until after they've already moved.
CitiesCompare exists to close that information gap. We combine annual salary data, government rent benchmarks, regional cost-of-living indices, and current tax brackets into a single, free tool that anyone can use. No account required. No paywall. No complicated spreadsheet.
We cover 2,622 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas — from the largest coastal metros to mid-size regional cities that are often overlooked. Our goal is to make the numbers accessible to a nurse weighing a travel assignment, a software engineer considering a remote relocation, a teacher comparing offers from school districts in different states, or a recent graduate deciding where to start their career.
The salary, rent, cost-of-living, and school data on CitiesCompare comes from U.S. government agencies. We do not use crowdsourced salary reports or self-reported figures.
Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS)
Annual median wage data by occupation and metro area. Updated every May with data from the prior reference period. Powers the salary baseline used in all take-home pay calculations.
View sourceFair Market Rents (FMR)
Annual rent estimates by metro area and unit size (studio through 4-bedroom). Published each fiscal year. The rent figures on CitiesCompare represent the HUD FMR for a 2-bedroom apartment, annualised.
View sourceRegional Price Parities (RPP)
A cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average. Values above 100 mean a metro is more expensive than average; below 100 means cheaper. Covers prices for goods, services, and rents across all regions.
View sourceCommon Core of Data & IPEDS
K-12 school counts, total enrollment, and pupil-to-teacher ratios from the Common Core of Data. College and university counts, average in-state tuition, and enrollment from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
View sourceCitiesCompare is a comparison tool, not a financial planning service. The figures are designed to be consistent and comparable across cities — not a precise prediction of your individual situation.
All take-home pay calculations start from a configurable annual gross salary (default $70,000). You can adjust this on any city or comparison page. The default represents roughly the U.S. median household income and gives a consistent apples-to-apples comparison across cities.
We apply current-year federal and state progressive income tax brackets to the gross salary, minus the standard deduction, to estimate annual income tax liability. The calculation covers federal income tax and state income tax only — it does not include FICA (Social Security and Medicare), local income taxes, or other payroll deductions. The result is an approximation suitable for city-to-city comparison, not a substitute for professional tax advice.
Rent is the HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in the metro area, converted to an annual figure (monthly FMR × 12). HUD FMRs represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units in the local housing market. We show the 2-bedroom as the primary benchmark because it covers the broadest range of household sizes.
The index is the BEA Regional Price Parity for the metro area, where 100 equals the national average. A score of 115 means prices in that metro are roughly 15% higher than the U.S. average; a score of 88 means 12% cheaper. Not all metro areas have an RPP — where the BEA does not publish data, the index is shown as unavailable.
Displayed as gross salary minus estimated income taxes minus annual rent. This is not disposable income — it does not account for food, transport, healthcare, childcare, or other expenses. It is a standardised metric for comparing how much of your paycheck remains after your two largest expenses: taxes and housing.
The underlying dataset is rebuilt annually as government sources publish new releases. The current build uses BLS OEWS May 2024 wages, HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rents, BEA 2022 Regional Price Parities, and NCES 2022–23 school and college data. Tax brackets reflect the current tax year.
The take-home pay estimates are illustrative, not definitive. They do not account for FICA taxes, local income taxes, 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, or any other payroll deductions specific to your employer or situation. Tax brackets are simplified and do not reflect every state's nuances (e.g. city-level income taxes in New York City or Philadelphia). Rent figures are HUD benchmarks — your actual rent will vary based on neighbourhood, unit condition, and current market conditions. Always verify figures with a tax professional before making major financial decisions.
Found an error in our data? Have a suggestion for a new feature or city? We'd love to hear from you.
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