About CostAtlas

CostAtlas is an independent reference for the cost of living across the United States. It covers all 51 US states and the District of Columbia, with each state's overall price level, median household income and median rent, plus a calculator that converts a salary between any two states. US cost of living by state — price levels, the salary you need, and side-by-side state comparisons.

What we publish

For every state we show three figures, each from an authoritative public-domain source:

• Price level — the BEA Regional Price Parity (all items), where the US average is 100. This is the headline cost-of-living index.
• Median household income — from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
• Median gross rent — also from the Census ACS.

On top of that we compute one derived figure — the salary needed to keep your standard of living when you move — using a transparent formula over the price levels. We never invent precise numbers: every figure is either published data captured as a snapshot, or a clearly documented calculation over it.

How we work

Pages are generated from a committed data snapshot and standard formulas, then reviewed before publication. See our methodology for the exact data vintages, the salary-needed formula and known limitations.

Not financial advice

Cost-of-living figures here are estimates for general information. They do not account for state taxes, your specific city or your personal budget. Always verify against the primary source before making a money decision. See our disclaimer.

Contact

Questions or corrections? Get in touch.