US Cost of Living Data by City
Compare median household income, median rent and affordability across major US metro areas. Data is sourced from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Coverage: 250 metrosSource: US Census ACSMetric: Rent as % of income
Largest US Metro Areas Comparison
Quick scan of income, rent and affordability for the biggest metros.
| Metro | Population | Median Income | Median Rent | Rent % | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY Metro | 19,908,595 | $93,610 | $1,711 | 21.9% | Affordable |
| Los Angeles, CA Metro | 13,111,917 | $89,105 | $1,892 | 25.5% | Moderate |
| Chicago, IL Metro | 9,566,955 | $85,087 | $1,310 | 18.5% | Affordable |
| Dallas, TX Metro | 7,673,379 | $83,398 | $1,409 | 20.3% | Affordable |
| Houston, TX Metro | 7,142,603 | $78,061 | $1,301 | 20.0% | Affordable |
| Washington, DC Metro | 6,346,083 | $119,803 | $1,904 | 19.1% | Affordable |
| Philadelphia, PA Metro | 6,232,894 | $85,555 | $1,347 | 18.9% | Affordable |
| Miami, FL Metro | 6,123,949 | $69,085 | $1,657 | 28.8% | Moderate |
| Atlanta, GA Metro | 6,094,752 | $82,625 | $1,446 | 21.0% | Affordable |
| Boston, MA Metro | 4,912,449 | $107,117 | $1,827 | 20.5% | Affordable |
Affordability tier is based on median rent as a percentage of median monthly household income.
What you can do here
- Browse metros by state
- Compare rent burden between metros
- Use the city pages for long-tail questions (e.g., “Is rent high in X?”)