What these numbers are
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are published every year by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. They measure how the price level of goods and services in a place compares with the national average, which is set to 100. An RPP of 115 means prices are 15% above the US average; 90 means 10% below. Housing rents drive most of the difference; prices of goods vary much less between places.
Salary needed in B = salary in A × RPP(B) ÷ RPP(A)
Moving from a metro with an RPP of 104 to one with 98 on an $80,000 salary: 80,000 × 98 ÷ 104 = $75,385 buys the same basket of goods and services.
All metro areas
| # | Metro area | Price level | $100 buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | 115.6 | $86.50 |
| 2 | Miami, FL | 114.2 | $87.60 |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | 113.6 | $88.05 |
| 4 | New York, NY | 112.6 | $88.84 |
| 5 | San Diego, CA | 111.9 | $89.38 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | 111.1 | $89.98 |
| 7 | Honolulu, HI | 111.0 | $90.12 |
| 8 | San Jose, CA | 110.4 | $90.56 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | 108.9 | $91.84 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | 108.3 | $92.37 |
| 11 | Sacramento, CA | 106.7 | $93.75 |
| 12 | Riverside, CA | 106.4 | $93.95 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | 105.8 | $94.53 |
| 14 | Portland, OR | 105.4 | $94.86 |
| 15 | Minneapolis, MN | 104.8 | $95.40 |
| 16 | Baltimore, MD | 104.5 | $95.71 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | 103.6 | $96.53 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | 103.3 | $96.79 |
| 19 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 103.1 | $97.00 |
| 20 | Hartford, CT | 102.7 | $97.33 |
| 21 | Philadelphia, PA | 102.6 | $97.51 |
| 22 | Providence, RI | 101.8 | $98.26 |
| 23 | Orlando, FL | 101.4 | $98.60 |
| 24 | Tampa, FL | 100.9 | $99.12 |
| 25 | Salt Lake City, UT | 100.9 | $99.14 |
| 26 | Detroit, MI | 100.3 | $99.70 |
| 27 | Las Vegas, NV | 100.2 | $99.79 |
| 28 | Atlanta, GA | 100.1 | $99.94 |
| 29 | Jacksonville, FL | 99.5 | $100.52 |
| 30 | Houston, TX | 98.6 | $101.39 |
| 31 | Boise, ID | 98.4 | $101.64 |
| 32 | Raleigh, NC | 98.2 | $101.88 |
| 33 | Austin, TX | 98.1 | $101.97 |
| 34 | Virginia Beach, VA | 97.9 | $102.10 |
| 35 | Richmond, VA | 97.9 | $102.19 |
| 36 | Charlotte, NC | 97.3 | $102.72 |
| 37 | Milwaukee, WI | 96.9 | $103.16 |
| 38 | Tucson, AZ | 96.9 | $103.20 |
| 39 | Nashville, TN | 96.3 | $103.80 |
| 40 | Buffalo, NY | 95.8 | $104.34 |
| 41 | Indianapolis, IN | 95.7 | $104.50 |
| 42 | Albuquerque, NM | 95.5 | $104.66 |
| 43 | Columbus, OH | 95.5 | $104.75 |
| 44 | Cincinnati, OH | 95.4 | $104.85 |
| 45 | St. Louis, MO | 95.1 | $105.17 |
| 46 | San Antonio, TX | 94.7 | $105.58 |
| 47 | Pittsburgh, PA | 94.7 | $105.63 |
| 48 | Louisville, KY | 93.1 | $107.44 |
| 49 | Cleveland, OH | 93.0 | $107.47 |
| 50 | New Orleans, LA | 92.6 | $107.99 |
| 51 | Kansas City, MO | 92.5 | $108.06 |
| 52 | Memphis, TN | 92.2 | $108.48 |
| 53 | Birmingham, AL | 91.6 | $109.12 |
| 54 | Oklahoma City, OK | 90.4 | $110.61 |
What the price level leaves out
Taxes. State and local income taxes range from zero in states such as Texas, Florida, Washington and Nevada to over 10% at the top in California and New York. A move can change take-home pay by several percent on its own; check it with our income tax calculator.
Your own spending. RPPs weight categories by average spending. If you already own your home, or plan to rent something smaller, housing matters less for you. If you will buy, compare local home prices and property tax directly with the affordability calculator.
Pay levels. Wages are usually higher where prices are higher, but not always enough to make up for it. Remote workers who keep their salary gain the most from moving somewhere cheaper.