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
Colorado is 6.9% cheaper overall than California.
What Radiology pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
California
- Median pay
- $309,990
- After tax
- $195,937
$176,998worth here
Colorado
- Median pay
- $343,570
- After tax
- $227,374
$220,537worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — “Radiologists”.
Take-home is an estimate for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only) — not tax advice.
| Metric | California | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 110.7 | 103.1 |
| Housing (rent) | 154.3 | 127.4 |
| Utilities | 158.9 | 85.0 |
| Goods | 106.1 | 98.7 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.6 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 13.30% | 4.40% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 8.80% | 7.86% |
| Property tax (effective) | 0.70% | 0.50% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 39,242,785 | 5,810,774 |
| Median household income | $96,334 | $92,470 |
| Median age | 37.6 | 37.5 |
| Homeownership rate | 55.80% | 66.30% |
| Median home value | $695,400 | $502,200 |
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.
Browse all state profiles
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.