Loading MoverMath…
Rankings · Money
Cost-of-living adjusted income.
Median income restated in national-average dollars: income divided by the cost of living index. It answers what a paycheck is actually worth locally, so a lower salary in a cheap area can outrank a higher one in an expensive area. Cost of living is published statewide only, so county figures pair county income with the state index.
Utah has the highest published adjusted income in this comparison, at $94,577. The next states shown are Colorado ($94,560) and Minnesota ($92,090).
The table orders 51 states by cost-of-living adjusted income. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.
Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Median income restated in national-average dollars: income divided by the cost of living index. It answers what a paycheck is actually worth locally, so a lower salary in a cheap area can outrank a higher one in an expensive area. Cost of living is published statewide only, so county figures pair county income with the state index.
Free to use. The chart names its source and links back, so it stays honest wherever it ends up.
<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/adjusted-income" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Cost-of-living adjusted income by state"></iframe>Source: Derived from Census ACS and MERIC/C2ER. · How this is built