Methodology

Last updated June 2026

Primary data sources

BLS Regional Price Parities (RPP)

Regional Price Parities are published annually by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) as part of the Local Area Personal Income and Employment data release. The LARPP dataset covers all metropolitan statistical areas and states.

• Base year: U.S. average = 100 for each year
• Coverage year used: 2022 (most recent available as of June 2026)
• Components extracted: Overall RPP, housing RPP, goods RPP, other services RPP
• Official source: bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/...

HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)

Fair Market Rents are published annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FMRs represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard quality housing units recently occupied by movers in the local area.

• Bedroom count used: 2-bedroom (standard family unit)
• Coverage year used: FY2024
• Official source: huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html

Equivalent-salary formula

The equivalent salary formula converts a salary in one metro to its purchasing-power equivalent in another:

Equivalent salary = current salary x (destination RPP / origin RPP)

Example: $100,000 in a city with RPP 100 moving to a city with RPP 125: $100,000 x (125/100) = $125,000 needed to maintain the same purchasing power.

This formula captures the overall price level difference but does not account for state income tax differences or individual spending patterns that deviate from the national average basket.

Verification process (DATA-GATE)

Every metro entry in our database has a verification status:

• verified: true — RPP and FMR values have been cross-checked against the official BEA and HUD source files. The entry includes the exact source citation and review date.
• verified: false — The entry is a knowledge estimate. These pages are marked noindex and excluded from our sitemap until source-verified.

Current coverage: 20 of 67 metros source-verified.

Limitations

• RPP data has a 1-2 year publication lag. Rapidly changing markets may not reflect current conditions.
• RPP covers the overall metro MSA. Neighborhoods within a metro can vary significantly.
• The equivalent-salary formula does not account for state/local income tax differences.
• HUD FMR represents the 40th percentile rent — actual rents in specific neighborhoods may be higher or lower.
• Moving cost estimates are national averages; actual quotes from movers will vary.

Partners and affiliate relationships

ReloMath may earn referral fees from partner services (moving companies, renters insurance providers). These relationships are clearly disclosed on every page where a partner link appears. No partner pays to influence our data, rankings, or editorial content.

Current partner relationships: none active. All CTAs on the site are placeholder information links (monetized: false) until a live affiliate agreement is established.