City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Palmdale | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,625/mo | $2,526/mo | 35.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $397,500 | $1,149,600 | 65.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $78,414 | $136,010 | 42.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 106.0 | 114.4 | 7.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 128.1 | 141.7 | 9.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 108.4 | 125.8 | 13.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 109.1 | 132.6 | 17.7% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Palmdale, you'd need $132,916 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Palmdale, CA is about 24.8% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 36% lower in Palmdale than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Palmdale, you'd need about $106,333 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.