Income by City Comparison Calculator: A Comprehensive Guide
Welcome to our interactive income by city comparison calculator, designed to help you navigate the diverse income landscape across various metropolitan areas in the United States for the year 2024. This tool enables you to explore statistics such as average income by city and median income by city, covering a total of 260 metro areas and providing summary data for residents outside these urban centers. Whether you’re curious about your financial standing or looking to relocate, this calculator allows you to compare or filter on individual or household income effortlessly.
Below the calculator, you will find summary statistics that estimate the population, number of workers, number of households, and selected income brackets for 2024. Our platform provides updated tools and filterable tables containing detailed statistics on both household and individual gross income (pre-tax). You’ll also find insights on the 25%, 75%, and 90% income percentiles for each city, making it easier to understand where you fall within the income distribution.
Income Percentile by City Calculator
Our household and individual income by city percentile calculator is a user-friendly tool that allows you to input your annual income and see how it compares with various metro areas across the country. To start, simply click or tap in the “Compare Cities” entry field. This feature allows you to add multiple metropolitan areas, providing you with a comprehensive view of income breakdowns across different locations.
Important Note: Some cities may not have sufficient data to display all income percentiles; in such cases, only deciles may be available. This limitation is vital to keep in mind as you explore the data.
Using the Income Percentile by City Calculator
Here’s a simple guide to make the most of our calculator:
- First: Decide whether you want to compare individual income or household income. This choice will align your input with the appropriate data.
- Next: Select the city or metro area that is closest to your current location or interest. You can also search by state abbreviation for easier navigation.
- Optionally: Feel free to add any other metro areas you wish to compare. This feature enhances your understanding of how your income stands against various locations.
Understanding Input Options for the Calculator
Let’s break down the specifics of the metro area calculator for better clarity:
- Income: This refers to gross, pre-tax income earned by either an individual or a household. Income can come from various sources, giving you a comprehensive overview.
- Individual or Household: Select whether you wish to compare individual income or household income. This selection is essential to match the input you provide.
- City: Choose the metro area where you want to compare your income. This will help tailor the results to your specific location.
- Compare Cities: This optional feature allows you to add additional metro areas, enriching your comparison experience.
Warning: If a city is marked with ˟, it indicates a lack of sufficient data to provide all income percentiles. Even cities presenting the top 1% figures may not be entirely reliable, so consider these results as approximations rather than exact values.
Outputs of the Income Percentile by City Tool
When you use the calculator, you will receive two primary outputs:
- A visual representation of income distribution in your chosen city and any additional areas you have selected.
- An estimated income percentile (or decile for cities with limited survey responses), helping you see where you stand compared to others.
Individual Income Percentile by City Statistics
In this section, you can find tables containing summary statistics specifically for individual income by city. This data is pre-tax and reflects earnings made between January and December 2023. You can discover details such as average income by city, median income by city, population, number of workers, and selected income brackets. Cities with sufficient data will also display the top 1% individual income figures.
Household Income Percentile by City Statistics
This section features a filterable table with summary statistics for household income by city. All figures represent gross, pre-tax income earned during the same period. Here, you can find average income, median income, and selected income brackets for each metro area in the United States. Additionally, you can view the population and number of metro households if you opt to enable those columns. Cities with adequate data will also showcase top 1% household income.
Source and Methodology for the 2024 Income Percentile by City Calculator
The data powering our income percentile by city calculator comes from the IPUMS-CPS dataset, which is a collaborative effort from numerous researchers. The dataset is meticulously maintained, with the latest version being 11.0 from 2023. For detailed methodology on income definitions and worker classifications, you can explore the source articles provided:
- Average household income (including a definition of household as per Census guidelines).
- Average individual income
Understanding Metro Area and City Definitions
It’s essential to clarify the definitions we use in our calculations:
- A city in our context refers to a metropolitan area as defined by IPUMS.
Bear in mind that there is a degree of uncertainty in the income statistics. For lower-resolution income distribution estimates, the sample sizes tend to be adequate, and average and median figures should be quite accurate. However, caution is advised, especially for smaller metropolitan areas with populations under 500,000, as these estimates may carry higher variability. In our tools, we’ve established a minimum threshold of 300 data points for showing the top 1% estimates. Always check the number of data points used in the tables to assess the reliability of the estimates presented.
Past Results: For your reference, you can also explore income statistics from previous years:
- 2023 Income by City
- 2022 Income by City
- 2021 Income by City
- 2020 Income by City
- 2019 Income by City
- 2018 Income by City
We hope you find this calculator and the accompanying statistics helpful in understanding the income landscape in your city and beyond!