Where to live in the United States: ten city guides
Ten U.S. metro areas, each with the same sourced figures: cost of living, public schools and EB-5 attorneys with offices there. For EB-5 investors and families deciding where to settle.
Cities are listed in alphabetical order. This is not a ranking, and nothing here is a recommendation.
Atlanta
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan area
- All items: 100.1
- Housing (rents): 111.0
Austin
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan area
- All items: 98.1
- Housing (rents): 120.4
Chicago
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area
- All items: 103.6
- Housing (rents): 112.0
Dallas
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan area
- All items: 103.1
- Housing (rents): 117.9
Houston
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area
- All items: 98.6
- Housing (rents): 104.5
Los Angeles
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area
- All items: 113.6
- Housing (rents): 170.4
Miami
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metropolitan area
- All items: 114.2
- Housing (rents): 155.6
New York
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area
- All items: 112.6
- Housing (rents): 148.6
San Francisco Bay Area
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area
- All items: 115.6
- Housing (rents): 194.7
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area
- All items: 110.4
- Housing (rents): 211.9
Seattle
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area
- All items: 111.1
- Housing (rents): 151.3
Regional price parities compare local prices with the U.S. average, which is set at 100. The housing figure is based on rents.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, statistics for 2024, released February 19, 2026