A transparent peer screen replacing the unsupported claim that one city is universally better than Austin.
“Better” depends on salary, housing, mobility and household priorities. This version preserves the comparison intent while replacing verdict language with measurable trade-offs.
This refresh removes unsupported satisfaction scores, infrastructure judgments, vacancy claims, causal explanations and personal insults. It uses only the current Ocity production snapshot exported July 12, 2026. The table is a reproducible screen, not a prediction of quality of life.
| # | City | COL Index | $50K → Buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho Falls, ID | 90 | $55,617 |
| 2 | Caldwell, ID | 93 | $53,533 |
| 3 | Nampa, ID | 93 | $53,533 |
| 4 | Meridian, ID | 93 | $53,533 |
| 5 | Boise City, ID | 93 | $53,533 |
| 6 | Lehi, UT | 95 | $52,632 |
| 7 | Provo, UT | 95 | $52,632 |
| 8 | Sandy, UT | 96 | $51,867 |
| 9 | Tallahassee, FL | 95 | $52,466 |
| 10 | West Valley City, UT | 96 | $51,867 |
Source: C2ER/ACCRA Cost of Living Index, US Census ACS. US Average COL = 100. Higher "Buys" = more purchasing power.
Pop. 67,996
Pop. 68,339
Pop. 114,261
Pop. 134,794
Pop. 235,416
| City | COL | 1BR rent | Income | Home price | Rent/income | Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 97.6 | $1,650 | $91,501 | $520,000 | 21.6% | 65 |
| Boise City, ID | 93.4 | $1,139 | $79,977 | $491,800 | 17.1% | 55 |
| Provo, UT | 95.0 | $1,093 | $62,556 | $500,000 | 21.0% | 45 |
| Lehi, UT | 95.0 | $1,282 | $129,274 | $619,000 | 11.9% | 35 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 95.3 | $1,183 | $56,146 | $280,000 | 25.3% | 55 |
Boise and Provo show lower stored rents than Austin; Lehi shows much higher median income but a higher home price; Tallahassee has the lowest home price in the set. Austin’s walkability field is highest. These are separate dimensions and should remain separate.
The rent ratio annualizes the stored one-bedroom rent and divides it by median household income. The home ratio, discussed where relevant, divides median home price by median household income. Neither ratio represents a specific household, neighborhood or loan approval.
Pop. 90,229
Pop. 113,355
Pop. 91,934
Pop. 202,222
Pop. 134,466
Citywide values do not capture neighborhood variation, housing condition, taxes, insurance, commute reliability, cultural preferences, family needs or an individual job offer. Walkability is a broad city field, not a guarantee that a particular address is walkable. Similar values may also reflect shared metro or state-level source series.
A city is not objectively “over,” “better,” “cheap for a reason,” or “overrated.” Those labels compress different household priorities into a single unsupported conclusion.
This article uses $50K as a benchmark, but your situation is unique. Use our free tools to calculate your exact purchasing power in any of these cities.
All displayed city values come from the Ocity production cities snapshot exported July 12, 2026. Eligible peers were taken from the original article’s structured cohort or explicitly named comparison cities. Calculations use rent × 12 ÷ median household income. No external satisfaction, vacancy, water-quality, transit-cost or causal dataset is asserted.
Use the comparison to identify trade-offs and questions. The correct choice depends on an actual offer, actual housing, the exact neighborhood and household priorities—not a provocative label.
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