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
Iowa is 4.8% cheaper overall than New Mexico.
What Other surgical specialties pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
New Mexico
- Median pay
- $400,000
- After tax
- $257,112
$278,863worth here
Iowa
- Median pay
- $394,050
- After tax
- $258,483
$294,400worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2024 — “Surgeons, All Other”.
Take-home is an estimate for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only) — not tax advice.
| Metric | New Mexico | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 92.2 | 87.8 |
| Housing (rent) | 73.6 | 65.3 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 83.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.7 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 92.9 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 5.90% | 3.80% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 7.63% | 6.94% |
| Property tax (effective) | 0.61% | 1.23% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 2,114,768 | 3,195,937 |
| Median household income | $62,125 | $73,147 |
| Median age | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.30% | 71.50% |
| Median home value | $232,200 | $195,900 |
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.