ocity
Knowledge Center

Learn About US Cities

Comprehensive guides on cost of living, salaries, housing, and relocation. Understand the data behind our city comparisons.

Cost of Living Guide

Understand how we calculate living costs using BLS and BEA data. Compare affordable vs expensive cities.

700+ cities indexed

Salary Guide

Compare median incomes across US metros. See where your salary goes furthest after taxes and living costs.

BLS OEWS data

Housing Guide

Home prices, rent trends, and price-to-rent ratios. Know when to buy vs rent in any city.

Zillow ZHVI data

Safety Guide

Crime rates per 100k residents. Violent and property crime statistics from FBI UCR.

FBI UCR data

Best Places Guide

Our methodology for ranking cities. How we weight cost, safety, jobs, and lifestyle.

43 categories

Moving Guide

Step-by-step relocation checklist. From researching cities to unpacking boxes.

Complete process

Highest Median Income

#1
Sunnyvale, CA
COL Index: 112.90
$189,443
median income
#2
Fremont, CA
COL Index: 118.20
$170,934
median income
#3
Santa Clara, CA
COL Index: 112.90
$166,228
median income
#4
Bellevue, WA
COL Index: 113.00
$158,253
median income
#5
San Mateo, CA
COL Index: 118.20
$152,913
median income

Most Affordable Cities

#1
Brownsville, TX
Median Income: $49,920
85.20
COL index
#2
Edinburg, TX
Median Income: $61,059
85.60
COL index
#3
McAllen, TX
Median Income: $60,200
85.60
COL index
#4
Topeka, KS
Median Income: $52,417
85.90
COL index
#5
Lafayette, LA
Median Income: $61,258
87.00
COL index

Our Data Sources

US Census Bureau

Population, demographics, median income

Bureau of Labor Statistics

CPI, employment, salary by occupation

FBI Crime Data

Violent & property crime rates

Zillow / HUD

Home values, fair market rents