These local guides cover 135 U.S. cities and suburbs. Each one uses American Community Survey data on income, rent, home values and commutes, adds local context written for that city, and explains how to compare written offers. Pick your city, read the short answer first, then use the free fit check if it applies.
Pick your city
Each guide pairs Census income, rent and housing numbers for the city with the borrowing situations that fit it. More cities are added in batches.
Alabama
Arizona
Colorado
- Arvada
- Aurora
- Boulder
- Broomfield
- Castle Rock
- Centennial
- Colorado Springs
- Commerce City
- Denver
- Fort Collins
- Lakewood
- Longmont
- Loveland
- Parker
- Thornton
- Westminster
Florida
- Boca Raton
- Coral Springs
- Davie
- Delray Beach
- Doral
- Fort Lauderdale
- Jacksonville
- Jupiter
- Miramar
- North Port
- Orlando
- Palm Beach Gardens
- Pembroke Pines
- Plantation
- Port St. Lucie
- St. Cloud
- St. Petersburg
- Tampa
- Wellington
- Weston
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Missouri
Nevada
Ohio
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Texas
- Allen
- Arlington
- Austin
- Carrollton
- Cedar Park
- Dallas
- Euless
- Flower Mound
- Fort Worth
- Frisco
- Garland
- Georgetown
- Grand Prairie
- Houston
- Irving
- League City
- Leander
- Lewisville
- Mansfield
- McKinney
- Midland
- Missouri City
- New Braunfels
- North Richland Hills
- Pearland
- Pflugerville
- Plano
- Richardson
- Round Rock
- Rowlett
- San Antonio
- Sugar Land
- Wylie
Virginia
How to use a city guide
A city guide is a data-backed starting point. Each page shows Census figures for income, rent, home values, commute times, age, education and the mix of jobs, then compares the city with others in the set. It adds local context, a note about the borrowing situations that come up in that place and a checklist. Use it to sanity check your own budget: if rent in your city takes a larger share of income than elsewhere, you will want a smaller payment; if commutes are long, plan for vehicle costs.
How we chose these cities
We published guides for large cities and the main suburbs of major metro areas, starting with places where our data shows stronger median household incomes. That is a decision about which pages we write first, not a rule about who may use the site. Anyone in a covered state can use the form, and the fit check looks only at the answers you give. If your city is not listed, use the closest one for context and read the national guides.
Where the numbers come from
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates, accessed through Census Reporter, and from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for county unemployment. They are estimates with margins of error. They describe a place, not you. Your own income, credit and debts decide what a lender will offer.
Where the covered cities sit on income and rent
The table below summarizes the cities we cover in each state, using the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimates for each city. Use it to see where your state's covered cities fall, then open your city to see how it compares with its neighbors. Ranges describe the cities in our set, not whole states.
| State | Cities covered | Median household income range | Median gross rent range | Average share of households earning $100,000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4 | $46,051 to $134,655 | $1,107 to $1,457 | 43% |
| Arizona | 13 | $57,073 to $141,978 | $1,145 to $2,210 | 49% |
| Colorado | 16 | $84,604 to $145,197 | $1,648 to $2,148 | 52% |
| Florida | 20 | $69,872 to $139,825 | $1,465 to $2,851 | 45% |
| Georgia | 7 | $72,725 to $160,093 | $1,586 to $2,257 | 53% |
| Illinois | 11 | $77,902 to $155,105 | $1,276 to $1,885 | 50% |
| Indiana | 4 | $83,608 to $141,505 | $1,312 to $1,712 | 54% |
| Kansas | 3 | $104,834 to $114,009 | $1,314 to $1,515 | 55% |
| Missouri | 4 | $69,166 to $110,443 | $1,238 to $1,443 | 46% |
| Nevada | 4 | $73,877 to $90,138 | $1,556 to $1,824 | 41% |
| Ohio | 3 | $40,801 to $66,082 | $945 to $1,295 | 25% |
| Oklahoma | 4 | $68,656 to $103,183 | $1,130 to $1,344 | 41% |
| Tennessee | 4 | $51,736 to $119,528 | $1,181 to $1,923 | 42% |
| Texas | 33 | $64,813 to $161,235 | $1,324 to $2,231 | 50% |
| Virginia | 5 | $64,587 to $119,681 | $1,372 to $2,089 | 46% |
Reading a city guide in five steps
- Read the answer at the top.
- Check the snapshot against what you know about your own budget.
- Read the rank and neighbor comparison to see whether your city is high or low on income, rent and home values.
- Read the local context and the situation that fits you.
- Use the calculators and checklist to run your own numbers.
Missing your city?
We add cities in batches, starting with the main suburbs of the large metros. If yours is not listed, a nearby city is probably a good guide to local costs, and the national guides apply anywhere. Tell us through the contact page which place to add.
Why the figures differ from other sources
Different sources report different numbers because they use different years, definitions and geographies. Our figures are place-level ACS five-year estimates, which smooth out noise by pooling five years of surveys. They can lag the current market, especially for rents and home values, and small places have wider margins of error.
Suggestions
If a figure on a city page looks wrong to you, tell us the page and the number and we will check it against the source.
Frequently asked questions
Why are some cities listed before others?
We publish guides first where public data shows stronger household incomes. That is about page order, not who may use the site.
Are the figures current?
They are the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates, the newest available.