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 | Los Gatos, CA | $144,987 | 138.5 | $104,683 | #9 (-8) |
| 2 | Menlo Park, CA | $140,526 | 138.5 | $101,463 | #10 (-8) |
| 3 | Hoboken, NE | $140,293 | 90.8 | $154,507 | #1 (+2) |
| 4 | Cupertino, CA | $136,000 | 138.5 | $98,195 | #14 (-10) |
| 5 | Redmond, WA | $130,000 | 114.6 | $113,438 | #6 (-1) |
| 6 | San Jose, CA | $127,875 | 138.5 | $92,329 | #15 (-9) |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $127,725 | 138.5 | $92,220 | #16 (-9) |
| 8 | Sunnyvale, CA | $124,000 | 138.5 | $89,531 | #17 (-9) |
| 9 | Mountain View, CA | $123,000 | 138.5 | $88,809 | #18 (-9) |
| 10 | San Bruno, CA | $121,150 | 138.5 | $87,473 | #20 (-10) |
| 11 | East Palo Alto, CA | $120,903 | 138.5 | $87,294 | #21 (-10) |
| 12 | Santa Clara, CA | $120,000 | 138.5 | $86,643 | #22 (-10) |
| 13 | Redwood City, CA | $120,000 | 138.5 | $86,643 | #23 (-10) |
| 14 | East Hanover, NE | $119,309 | 90.8 | $131,398 | #2 (+12) |
| 15 | MARLBOROUGH, MA | $118,893 | 146.5 | $81,156 | #28 (-13) |
| 16 | Woodcliff Lake, NE | $118,500 | 90.8 | $130,507 | #3 (+13) |
| 17 | New York, NE | $117,400 | 90.8 | $129,295 | #4 (+13) |
| 18 | Wellesley, MA | $116,950 | 146.5 | $79,829 | #30 (-12) |
| 19 | Palo Alto, CA | $115,775 | 138.5 | $83,592 | #24 (-5) |
| 20 | Basking Ridge, NE | $115,000 | 90.8 | $126,652 | #5 (+15) |
| 21 | SAN CARLOS, CA | $115,000 | 138.5 | $83,032 | #25 (-4) |
| 22 | South San Francisco, CA | $114,700 | 138.5 | $82,816 | #26 (-4) |
| 23 | East Hanover, NJ | $114,000 | 113.7 | $100,264 | #11 (+12) |
| 24 | Ridgefield, CO | $113,984 | 105.5 | $108,042 | #7 (+17) |
| 25 | Newark, NJ | $113,500 | 113.7 | $99,824 | #12 (+13) |
| 26 | San Mateo, CA | $112,750 | 138.5 | $81,408 | #27 (-1) |
| 27 | Stamford, CO | $111,987 | 105.5 | $106,149 | #8 (+19) |
| 28 | Ridgefield, CT | $110,870 | 112.8 | $98,289 | #13 (+15) |
| 29 | Thousand Oaks, CA | $110,791 | 138.5 | $79,994 | #29 |
| 30 | Long Island City, NY | $110,000 | 125.1 | $87,930 | #19 (+11) |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Statisticians is in Los Gatos, CA at $144,987, but after cost-of-living adjustment Hoboken, NE offers the best purchasing power at $154,507 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Stamford, CO ranks #27 by nominal pay but climbs to #8 once cost of living is factored in (up 19 spots), making its $111,987 go a lot further.
- Beware: MARLBOROUGH, MA looks strong at #15 on nominal pay ($118,893) but its high cost of living drops it 13 spots to #28 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Statisticians wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.