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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Falls, Idaho | 82/100 | $1,075 | $73,110 | 31.7% | 4.2% | 71,785 | +9.42% | rent-friendly | standard city check | 20.3 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Los Angeles, California | 66/100 | $1,933 | $81,939 | 38.5% | 8.2% | 3,869,089 | -0.78% | rent stretched | neighborhood-level check | 33.4 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| Phoenix, Arizona | 72/100 | $1,582 | $81,332 | 33.6% | 5.0% | 1,665,481 | +3.55% | rent stretched | neighborhood-level check | 27.6 min | regional employers, healthcare, local services | medium-high |
| San Diego, California | 69/100 | $2,313 | $108,077 | 51.0% | 6.0% | 1,406,106 | +1.56% | rent stretched | neighborhood-level check | 25.4 min | government/defense | 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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