Cost of living by state
Weighing a move? Compare any two states side by side — cost of living, taxes, and demographics — then pick your specialty to see what that salary is really worth once it's adjusted for local prices. Green means cheaper or better; red means pricier or worse.
Overall cost of living
Minnesota is 2.1% cheaper overall than Arizona.
What Orthopedic Surgery pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
Arizona
- Median pay
- $542,140
- After tax
- $353,057
$350,603worth here
Minnesota
- Median pay
- $592,220
- After tax
- $346,318
$351,235worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — “Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric”.
Take-home is an estimate for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only) — not tax advice.
| Metric | Arizona | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 100.7 | 98.6 |
| Housing (rent) | 106.8 | 91.3 |
| Utilities | 92.3 | 90.8 |
| Goods | 95.4 | 100.5 |
| Other services | 102.8 | 100.2 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 2.50% | 9.85% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 8.41% | 8.13% |
| Property tax (effective) | 0.44% | 0.99% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 7,268,175 | 5,713,716 |
| Median household income | $76,872 | $87,556 |
| Median age | 38.8 | 38.6 |
| Homeownership rate | 67% | 72.40% |
| Median home value | $358,900 | $305,500 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024) · U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts · Tax Foundation. Figures are the latest published; cost-of-living is a price-level index, not tax-adjusted take-home pay.
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VitalPost shows sourced, public data for context only — it isn't financial or tax advice. Cost-of-living is a price-level index (US average = 100); taxes shown are statewide/averaged and don't capture local income or the specifics of your situation.