mrmetroresearchDATA ON AMERICA’S METRO AREASCompare cities ↗
U.S. metro areas / CompareMOVING? HIRING? NEGOTIATING?

Compare two U.S. metro areas

See how incomes, rents and home values differ between any two of 393 U.S. metros, and what income would keep your rent share the same after a move.

HOW IT WORKS

Plain numbers, official source.

How does the metro comparison work?+

It uses official Census figures for median rent and median household income in each metro area. Your income is scaled by the difference in rent (to keep the same share of income on rent) and by the difference in typical incomes.

Is this a cost-of-living calculator?+

Not a complete one. Housing is the biggest and most variable cost between U.S. metros, so rent is a useful guide, but taxes, groceries, transport and childcare also differ.

Which year is the data from?+

The 2025 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, the most recent annual Census data for metro areas.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates (released September 2026), with 2024 and 2021 for trends. Figures are survey estimates with margins of error; small differences between metros may not be meaningful. Metro areas use the official Metropolitan Statistical Area boundaries. Compiled and analyzed by Metro Research. Methodology.