Nobody moves to a state

Two cities in one state is the cleanest comparison there is

Comparing two states means separating two things that move together: the tax code and the price level. It can be done — the 1,275 state pairs on this site do it — but every one of those pages carries the same confession, that the price index it uses is an average across a state where a metropolitan area and a rural county differ by more than most pairs of states do.

Between two cities in the same state that problem disappears. Federal income tax, FICA and the state income tax are identical on both sides, and in the states published here no county or city levies its own on top. Nothing in the income tax code separates them. What is left in the difference is exactly two things: what a house costs in property tax, and what everything costs at the till.

That makes the answer attributable. When one of these pages says a city leaves you $3,385 a year better off, there is no hidden variable that might be doing the work — no bracket difference, no deduction quirk, no state that taxes dividends differently. It is prices and property tax, and the page shows which of the two is doing more.

And it is the level at which people actually decide. Nobody weighs up "Texas": they weigh up Austin against Dallas, or Houston against San Antonio, and between those the difference is often larger than between two states.

Inside Florida, the gap between cities is $22,551 a year

Resolved rather than asserted: all 1,522 pairs, each on $100,000 with a $400,000 home. The median pair differs by $3,385 a year in what the salary buys, and the widest by $22,551.

By state, ordered by how far apart its own cities sit — best area against worst, same salary, same house, same tax code:

Florida cities compared — 22 metro areas, 231 comparisons. Wildwood to Miami: $22,551 a year apart.

Texas cities compared — 26 metro areas, 325 comparisons. Texarkana to Dallas: $19,116 a year apart.

Virginia cities compared — 10 metro areas, 45 comparisons. Lynchburg to Washington: $15,612 a year apart.

Minnesota cities compared — 5 metro areas, 10 comparisons. St. Cloud to Minneapolis: $13,382 a year apart.

California cities compared — 25 metro areas, 300 comparisons. El Centro to San Francisco: $12,781 a year apart.

South Carolina cities compared — 8 metro areas, 28 comparisons. Florence to Charleston: $12,031 a year apart.

Washington cities compared — 11 metro areas, 55 comparisons. Yakima to Seattle: $11,262 a year apart.

Illinois cities compared — 9 metro areas, 36 comparisons. Davenport to Chicago: $10,971 a year apart.

Arizona cities compared — 7 metro areas, 21 comparisons. Sierra Vista to Phoenix: $10,766 a year apart.

Georgia cities compared — 14 metro areas, 91 comparisons. Brunswick to Atlanta: $10,617 a year apart.

Colorado cities compared — 7 metro areas, 21 comparisons. Pueblo to Denver: $10,597 a year apart.

Louisiana cities compared — 10 metro areas, 45 comparisons. Monroe to Slidell: $9,763 a year apart.

Tennessee cities compared — 10 metro areas, 45 comparisons. Jackson to Nashville: $9,696 a year apart.

North Carolina cities compared — 15 metro areas, 105 comparisons. Pinehurst to Durham: $8,964 a year apart.

New Mexico cities compared — 4 metro areas, 6 comparisons. Farmington to Santa Fe: $8,626 a year apart.

Massachusetts cities compared — 6 metro areas, 15 comparisons. Barnstable Town to Boston: $8,023 a year apart.

Wisconsin cities compared — 13 metro areas, 78 comparisons. Eau Claire to Kenosha: $7,643 a year apart.

Idaho cities compared — 5 metro areas, 10 comparisons. Pocatello to Boise City: $7,113 a year apart.

Nebraska cities compared — 3 metro areas, 3 comparisons. Grand Island to Omaha: $6,279 a year apart.

Montana cities compared — 5 metro areas, 10 comparisons. Billings to Bozeman: $5,914 a year apart.

Arkansas cities compared — 5 metro areas, 10 comparisons. Hot Springs to Fayetteville: $5,524 a year apart.

Oklahoma cities compared — 3 metro areas, 3 comparisons. Lawton to Oklahoma City: $4,448 a year apart.

North Dakota cities compared — 4 metro areas, 6 comparisons. Grand Forks to Fargo: $4,400 a year apart.

Maine cities compared — 3 metro areas, 3 comparisons. Lewiston to Portland: $4,372 a year apart.

Utah cities compared — 5 metro areas, 10 comparisons. Logan to Salt Lake City: $4,049 a year apart.

Nevada cities compared — 3 metro areas, 3 comparisons. Carson City to Reno: $2,432 a year apart.

Wyoming cities compared — 2 metro areas, 1 comparisons. Casper to Cheyenne: $2,111 a year apart.

Mississippi cities compared — 3 metro areas, 3 comparisons. Hattiesburg to Gulfport: $1,845 a year apart.

South Dakota cities compared — 2 metro areas, 1 comparisons. Rapid City to Sioux Falls: $1,618 a year apart.

Alaska cities compared — 2 metro areas, 1 comparisons. Fairbanks to Anchorage: $1,403 a year apart.

Hawaii cities compared — 2 metro areas, 1 comparisons. Kahului to Urban Honolulu: $1,359 a year apart.

Nationally the range is wider still: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont prices at 115.613 on the Bureau of Economic Analysis index and Monroe at 83.597, where 100 is the US average.

The twenty pairs where the choice of city matters most

On $100,000 with a $400,000 home. Every one of these is two cities under one income tax code:

Miami vs Wildwood — Wildwood by $22,551 a year, in Florida. Price level 114.155 against 85.424; property tax 0.88% against 0.83%.

Dallas vs Texarkana — Texarkana by $19,116 a year, in Texas. Price level 103.09 against 84.012; property tax 1.68% against 1.02%.

Dallas vs Eagle Pass — Eagle Pass by $17,535 a year, in Texas. Price level 103.09 against 83.805; property tax 1.68% against 1.39%.

Miami vs Sebring — Sebring by $16,206 a year, in Florida. Price level 114.155 against 92.47; property tax 0.88% against 0.73%.

Houston vs Texarkana — Texarkana by $16,069 a year, in Texas. Price level 98.629 against 84.012; property tax 1.71% against 1.02%.

Homosassa Springs vs Miami — Homosassa Springs by $15,911 a year, in Florida. Price level 93.467 against 114.155; property tax 0.59% against 0.88%.

Lynchburg vs Washington — Lynchburg by $15,612 a year, in Virginia. Price level 89.363 against 108.884; property tax 0.58% against 0.90%.

Austin vs Texarkana — Texarkana by $15,167 a year, in Texas. Price level 98.066 against 84.012; property tax 1.59% against 1.02%.

Miami vs Tallahassee — Tallahassee by $14,735 a year, in Florida. Price level 114.155 against 93.919; property tax 0.88% against 0.77%.

Cape Coral vs Wildwood — Wildwood by $14,694 a year, in Florida. Price level 102.349 against 85.424; property tax 0.83% against 0.83%.

Naples vs Wildwood — Wildwood by $14,662 a year, in Florida. Price level 103.2 against 85.424; property tax 0.66% against 0.83%.

North Port vs Wildwood — Wildwood by $14,533 a year, in Florida. Price level 102.417 against 85.424; property tax 0.77% against 0.83%.

Eagle Pass vs Houston — Eagle Pass by $14,488 a year, in Texas. Price level 83.805 against 98.629; property tax 1.39% against 1.71%.

Brownsville vs Dallas — Brownsville by $14,260 a year, in Texas. Price level 85.975 against 103.09; property tax 1.62% against 1.68%.

Staunton vs Washington — Staunton by $14,080 a year, in Virginia. Price level 91.128 against 108.884; property tax 0.57% against 0.90%.

Orlando vs Wildwood — Wildwood by $13,783 a year, in Florida. Price level 101.418 against 85.424; property tax 0.77% against 0.83%.

Miami vs Ocala — Ocala by $13,714 a year, in Florida. Price level 114.155 against 95.234; property tax 0.88% against 0.75%.

Dallas vs McAllen — McAllen by $13,677 a year, in Texas. Price level 103.09 against 85.895; property tax 1.68% against 1.76%.

Punta Gorda vs Wildwood — Wildwood by $13,586 a year, in Florida. Price level 100.525 against 85.424; property tax 0.89% against 0.83%.

Austin vs Eagle Pass — Eagle Pass by $13,586 a year, in Texas. Price level 98.066 against 83.805; property tax 1.59% against 1.39%.

What is not here: 635 pairs we will not guess at

In eleven states a county, a city or a school district levies its own income tax on top of the state's, and inside one state that does not cancel — the municipality sets it, so two cities in the same state pay differently and the difference is large. In New York City it is around $3,000 a year on $100,000.

The trouble is that those taxes are levied by jurisdictions which do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. All 128 affected areas were tested against their principal city and their three largest counties, and only 29 resolved. Assigning the rest a rate by proximity would mean inventing it.

So a pair is published only when the local income tax is fully determined on both sides. The rest are declared rather than deleted, because "we have not looked" and "it cannot be known" are different claims:

Pennsylvania — 120 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Pennsylvania levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Michigan — 105 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Michigan levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Ohio — 78 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Ohio levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

New York — 78 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in New York levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Alabama — 66 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Alabama levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Indiana — 66 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Indiana levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Oregon — 28 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Oregon levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Missouri — 28 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Missouri levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Iowa — 21 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Iowa levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

West Virginia — 15 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in West Virginia levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Kentucky — 15 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Kentucky levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Maryland — 6 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Maryland levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

Kansas — 6 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in Kansas levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

New Jersey — 3 pairs. Counties, cities or school districts in New Jersey levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. Assigning a rate would mean inventing the mapping.

And 4 metropolitan areas the Bureau of Economic Analysis prices but this site does not publish at all, for a different reason: Connecticut replaced its counties with nine planning regions in 2022. The Census delineation uses the new regions; the county property tax data is published for the eight former counties, and the two are not the same geography, so no rate can be assigned without inventing the mapping.

Cross-state pairs — Austin against Denver — are a separate matter. They make sense and they will come; they are not here yet because the income tax stops cancelling and the comparison becomes the harder one the state pages already do.

Where the numbers come from

Three sources, joined by code and not by name:

US Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State and Metro Area, 2024 (released 19 February 2026) — read 2026-09-10. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

US Census Bureau — Core Based Statistical Areas delineation file, 2023 (which counties form each metropolitan area) — read 2026-09-10. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/demo/metro-micro/delineation-files.html

US Census Bureau, American Community Survey — county effective property tax rates and housing units — read 2026-08-31. https://data.census.gov/

The joins are where this kind of page usually breaks, so they are stated:

— The metropolitan area price index and the counties that form each area are published by two different agencies, and joined here by CBSA code rather than by name — there are thirty "Washington County" in the United States and a join on names would have produced silent errors.

— A metropolitan area's property tax rate is the housing-unit-weighted average of its counties. Property tax is paid by a house, so a county with twice the homes counts twice; a simple average would give a rural county of 4,000 homes the same weight as an urban one of 800,000.

— Where a metropolitan area crosses a state line — 43 of the 380 do — the state income tax is computed on the state holding most of its housing, and the page says which state that is and what share sits outside it.

And what none of these comparisons model:

— The cost of living index is the BEA's Regional Price Parity for 2024, the most recent published. It is not extrapolated to the current year, and it is a state-wide average — inside a state, a metro area and a rural county differ by more than most state pairs do.

— Moving costs, state transfer taxes on buying a home, and the cost of selling the one you have are not included. On a short stay they can outweigh every annual difference on this page.

— Sales tax is not modelled. It is inside the BEA index — that is what a price parity measures — but it is not broken out separately here.

— The comparison assumes the same salary in both places unless you change it. In practice a job in a high-cost state usually pays more, which is exactly what the break-even figure is for.

— Health insurance, childcare and car insurance vary enormously by state and are only inside the index as averages. If any of the three is a large part of your budget, it deserves its own arithmetic.

Questions

Why compare cities in the same state rather than any two cities?

Because it isolates the variable. Two cities in one state share the income tax code entirely — federal, FICA and state are identical on both sides — so the whole of the difference is property tax and the price level, and the answer can be attributed rather than guessed at. It is also the comparison people actually make: nobody moves "to Texas", they move to Austin or to Houston.

How much does cost of living vary inside a single state?

More than most people expect. Across the 1,522 pairs published here the median pair differs by $3,385 a year in what a $100,000 salary buys, and in Florida the gap between the best and worst metropolitan area is $22,551 — under one tax code.

Where does the property tax rate for a city come from?

From US Census Bureau county data on tax actually paid over home value, averaged across the counties that make up each metropolitan area and weighted by housing units. Property tax is paid by a house, so a county with twice the homes counts twice; a simple average would give a rural county of a few thousand homes the same weight as an urban one of several hundred thousand.

Why are New York, Ohio and Maryland cities missing?

Because counties, cities or school districts in those states levy their own income tax, and the jurisdictions that levy it do not line up with metropolitan area boundaries. 635 pairs across 14 states are affected. They are declared rather than quietly dropped: assigning a rate by proximity would mean inventing the mapping, and an invented figure is worse than a missing one.

Which is the most expensive city in the United States?

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, at 115.613 on the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity index where 100 is the national average, against 83.597 in Monroe at the other end. That is the all-items index; housing swings considerably further than goods or utilities do.

Can I compare cities in different states?

Not yet on these pages. Between two states the income tax stops cancelling, which is the harder comparison the 1,275 state-to-state pages on this site already make — including at county level for property tax. Start there for a cross-state move.