Nominal salary tells you how much money you receive. Cost-of-living-adjusted salary tells you how much that money can actually buy. A $200,000 salary in San Francisco and a $140,000 salary in Austin can provide nearly identical purchasing power. Tax differences are not included.
Where Should I Live?
Nominal vs COL-Adjusted Salary
| # | Location | Median (Nominal) | COL Index | Adjusted | COL Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DALLAS, TX | $142,300 | 92.7 | $153,506 | #1 |
| 2 | New York, NE | $136,000 | 90.8 | $149,780 | #2 |
| 3 | SANTA MONICA, CA | $132,950 | 138.5 | $95,993 | #11 (-8) |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $126,491 | 105.5 | $119,897 | #5 (-1) |
| 5 | Menlo Park, CA | $125,000 | 138.5 | $90,253 | #15 (-10) |
| 6 | Thousand Oaks, CA | $120,000 | 138.5 | $86,643 | #19 (-13) |
| 7 | New York, NY | $120,000 | 125.1 | $95,923 | #12 (-5) |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | $119,001 | 138.5 | $85,921 | #20 (-12) |
| 9 | Oakland, CA | $115,375 | 138.5 | $83,303 | #22 (-13) |
| 10 | Charlotte, NC | $115,000 | 95.7 | $120,167 | #4 (+6) |
| 11 | White Plains, NY | $115,000 | 125.1 | $91,926 | #14 (-3) |
| 12 | Houston, TX | $113,805 | 92.7 | $122,767 | #3 (+9) |
| 13 | Palo Alto, CA | $113,110 | 138.5 | $81,668 | #23 (-10) |
| 14 | Seattle, WA | $110,500 | 114.6 | $96,422 | #10 (+4) |
| 15 | San Francisco, CA | $110,000 | 138.5 | $79,422 | #25 (-10) |
| 16 | Washington, DC | $109,866 | 146.0 | $75,250 | #27 (-11) |
| 17 | Arlington, VA | $107,500 | 100.7 | $106,753 | #7 (+10) |
| 18 | BERKELEY, CA | $105,000 | 138.5 | $75,812 | #26 (-8) |
| 19 | Plano, TX | $104,000 | 92.7 | $112,190 | #6 (+13) |
| 20 | McLean, VA | $103,900 | 100.7 | $103,178 | #8 (+12) |
| 21 | Richmond, VA | $100,901 | 100.7 | $100,200 | #9 (+12) |
| 22 | Boston, MA | $100,000 | 146.5 | $68,259 | #29 (-7) |
| 23 | Wilmington, DE | $90,650 | 101.1 | $89,664 | #17 (+6) |
| 24 | Los Angeles, CA | $90,000 | 138.5 | $64,982 | #30 (-6) |
| 25 | Chicago, IL | $85,500 | 92.3 | $92,633 | #13 (+12) |
| 26 | Princeton, NJ | $83,513 | 113.7 | $73,450 | #28 (-2) |
| 27 | Mettawa, IL | $83,000 | 92.3 | $89,924 | #16 (+11) |
| 28 | Glen Allen, VA | $82,000 | 100.7 | $81,430 | #24 (+4) |
| 29 | Minneapolis, MN | $81,235 | 94.6 | $85,872 | #21 (+8) |
| 30 | Atlanta, GA | $81,098 | 91.0 | $89,118 | #18 (+12) |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Economists is in DALLAS, TX at $142,300, but after cost-of-living adjustment DALLAS, TX offers the best purchasing power at $153,506 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Plano, TX ranks #19 by nominal pay but climbs to #6 once cost of living is factored in (up 13 spots), making its $104,000 go a lot further.
- Beware: Thousand Oaks, CA looks strong at #6 on nominal pay ($120,000) but its high cost of living drops it 13 spots to #19 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
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Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.