City Wealth Comparison — Income Percentile by US Metro
How does your income compare to your city?
City Wealth Comparison
Income Percentile · Purchasing Power · 20 US Cities · Real Wealth Analysis
Results update in real time as you adjust income or city.
Results are estimates only and do not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
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See where your income ranks within your city's distribution, how your purchasing power compares across 20 US metros, and whether relocating would make you richer or poorer in real terms. The same income feels very different in Memphis versus San Francisco. The cost-of-living index converts your nominal income into its real purchasing power equivalent in every city. A $90,000 salary in Austin buys roughly the same goods and services as $108,000 in Chicago or $53,000 in San Francisco — this calculator shows those equivalents side by side. The percentile calculation uses actual income distribution data from Census ACS estimates, calibrated to each metro's p25, median, and p75 thresholds. This gives a far more accurate local picture than national percentile tables. Understanding where you stand locally — not just nationally — is the first step to making an informed relocation or salary negotiation decision. A top-25% income in Dallas is financially very different from a top-25% income in Manhattan, even if the dollar figure is identical.
- →Evaluating a job offer in a new city and comparing real compensation after cost of living
- →Deciding whether relocating from a high-COL to a low-COL city would increase your standard of living
- →Understanding where you rank economically within your local community
- →Negotiating salary by showing how a given offer compares to local income distribution
- →Planning a cross-country move and comparing purchasing power in target metros
You earn $95,000 in Seattle and receive a job offer for $80,000 in Indianapolis. Seattle's COL index is 119 vs Indianapolis at 90. Your Seattle salary's equivalent in Indianapolis is $64,000 — so the $80,000 offer is actually a meaningful raise in purchasing power. The calculator shows your percentile would jump from 53rd in Seattle to 72nd in Indianapolis, a significant lifestyle upgrade., a significant lifestyle upgrade.
What does the cost-of-living index number mean?
A COL index of 100 means a city's overall price level equals the national average. A city at 120 is 20% more expensive than average; a city at 85 is 15% cheaper. The index is calculated by comparing prices of a representative basket of goods and services — housing, groceries, transportation, healthcare — against national benchmarks from BEA Regional Price Parities data.
Why do income percentiles differ so much between cities?
Income distributions vary by industry concentration, education levels, union presence, cost of living, and local economic conditions. San Francisco has both higher incomes and a more compressed distribution at the top (higher p75 and p90), while Memphis has lower median income but also lower housing costs, making middle-class life more accessible relative to local wages.
What counts as upper class, middle class, or working class?
The tiers use percentile thresholds as proxies, not fixed dollar amounts, since what constitutes 'middle class' varies enormously by location. Top 10% earners are labeled 'Top 10%'; the 75th–90th percentile as 'Upper Class'; 60th–75th as 'Upper Middle Class'; 40th–60th as 'Middle Class'; 25th–40th as 'Lower Middle Class'; and below as 'Working Class.' These are approximate economic tiers, not official government definitions.
Should I make a major financial decision based on this calculator alone?
This tool is useful for initial comparison and context-setting, but major relocation and compensation decisions should account for factors beyond COL index: state and local taxes, industry job availability, commute costs, specific neighborhood housing prices (which vary widely within a metro), and personal factors like family proximity. Use this as a starting point for research, not a definitive answer.
Does this account for state income taxes?
No — the purchasing power comparison uses pre-tax income and a cost-of-living index for overall expenses. States with no income tax (like Texas and Washington) have a significant advantage over high-income-tax states (like California and New York) that this basic comparison doesn't fully capture. For a complete picture, adjust your after-tax take-home for each state's income tax rate.