City Wealth Comparison — Income Percentile by US Metro
How does your income compare to your city?
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.
City Wealth Comparison
Income Percentile · Purchasing Power · 20 US Cities · Real Wealth Analysis
Results update in real time as you adjust income or city.
About This Calculator
This city wealth comparison calculator estimates your household income percentile in any of 20 major US metro areas using piecewise linear interpolation through the 25th, 50th, and 75th income percentile milestones for each city, sourced from US Census Bureau American Community Survey data. Purchasing power equivalents are calculated by adjusting income by the ratio of cost of living indices. A COL index of 127 (New York) vs 108 (Austin) means $90,000 in Austin has the same real purchasing power as $105,556 in New York. All results update in real time as you adjust income or city.
The Overview tab renders a 5-axis radar chart (percentile, vs median, affordability, earning level, tier score) and a bar chart of income bracket context (25th, 50th, 75th percentile and your income in your home city) plus a COL progress bar. The Purchasing Power tab shows a horizontal bar chart of equivalent income across all 20 cities sorted by COL (green bars = cheaper than home, red = more expensive), plus a scatter plot of COL index (x) vs equivalent income (y) with your city as the larger highlighted dot. The All Cities tab shows a vertical bar chart of your percentile in all 20 cities (sorted by COL, colour-coded by income tier), plus a full comparison table.
Income tiers are assigned based on local percentile: Working Class (under 25th), Lower Middle Class (25th–40th), Middle Class (40th–60th), Upper Middle Class (60th–75th), Upper Class (75th–90th), Top 10% (above 90th). Dynamic accent colour changes with tier: purple (Top 10%), indigo (Upper Class), emerald (Upper Middle Class), blue (Middle Class), amber (Lower Middle Class), grey (Working Class). The two inputs (income and city) both recalculate everything instantly. Cities span all major US regions: Northeast, South, Midwest, and West, covering COL indices from 88 (Memphis) to 134 (San Francisco).
Results are estimates only and do not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.