Cost of living comparison
ACS median gross rent, median household income, and rent-to-income signals are live; utilities, insurance, and tax inputs remain queued.
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Comparison
Compare cities for a first post-college move
This comparison layer combines verified Census population estimates, ACS city/place estimates, BLS state unemployment, and transparent young-grad fit signals. Crime, school-boundary, live wage, and live listing metrics remain separately sourced before they become hard scores.
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| City | Grad fit | Median rent | Median income | Bachelor's+ | City unemployment | 2025 population | Growth | Cost | Safety check | Commute | Career sectors | Source confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, West Virginia | 62/100 | $908 | $65,812 | 45.2% | 6.5% | 46,117 | -5.52% | rent-friendly | standard city check | 18.4 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Houston, Texas | 69/100 | $1,361 | $64,813 | 36.6% | 6.9% | 2,397,315 | +4.25% | rent stretched | neighborhood-level check | 29.5 min | healthcare/education, energy | medium-high |
| San Antonio, Texas | 80/100 | $1,324 | $65,056 | 29.0% | 6.2% | 1,548,422 | +8.03% | rent stretched | neighborhood-level check | 26.4 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Dallas, Texas | 71/100 | $1,472 | $70,518 | 38.2% | 4.9% | 1,329,491 | +1.93% | rent stretched | neighborhood-level check | 28.0 min | finance/media, logistics, energy | medium-high |
Salary comparison
Use BLS wage and offer-specific salary before deciding; salary equivalency calculator is queued.
Data layer queuedRent comparison
ACS median gross rent is live; HUD fair market rent and live market rent remain queued.
Data layer queuedHome price comparison
ACS owner-occupied median home value is live; listing prices, property tax, insurance, and mortgage layers remain queued.
Data layer queuedCrime comparison
No city is ranked by crime until FBI CDE and local-agency caveats are verified.
Data layer queuedWeather comparison
NOAA climate normals and hazard history are queued for climate charts.
Data layer queuedCommute comparison
ACS commute-time buckets are live as approximate city commute estimates; route-level commute checks remain queued.
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