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 | Richmond | Salem | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,227/mo | $1,224/mo | 0.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $308,300 | $349,500 | 11.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $59,606 | $67,540 | 11.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.4 | 102.2 | 1.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 97.7 | 122.0 | 19.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 85.2 | 100.6 | 15.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 98.7 | 1.6% higher 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 Richmond, you'd need $105,867 in Salem to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Richmond, VA is about 5.5% cheaper overall than Salem, OR, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Richmond, you'd need about $84,694 in Salem to keep the same standard of living.