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 | Potomac | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,584/mo | $2,526/mo | 2.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,044,900 | $1,149,600 | 9.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $218,710 | $136,010 | 60.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 104.8 | 1.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 103.1 | 147.2 | 29.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.8 | 101.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 101.4 | 1.3% 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 Potomac, you'd need $116,812 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Potomac, MD is about 14.4% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Potomac than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in Potomac, you'd need about $93,450 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.