Frequently Asked Questions about Relocation Tools
How do you compile data for the Salary Calculator?
The salary calculator is based upon a static set of assumptions. We acknowledge
that these assumptions are not representative of the general population and
apologize if these assumptions do not represent your life style. If you desire
cost of living information for your particular lifestyle, please try our Cost
of Living Analysis tool.
Salary Calculator assumptions: Married family with $50,000 household income who
are homeowners with one car and average utility expenditures. All federal,
state, and local income taxes are included, as well as property taxes, sales
taxes, car insurance, and electricity.
How do you compile data for the Cost of Living Analysis?
Moving.com's Cost of Living data has been compiled using figures from auto
insurance prices, housing costs, property tax information, state/local income
taxes, and utility costs. These figures, combined with our cost of living index
(see next paragraph), are the data sources for the Cost of Living tool.
The cost of living index was created based upon the following set of
assumptions: Married family with $50,000 household income who are homeowners
with one car and average utility expenditures. All federal, state, and local
income taxes are included, as well as property taxes, sales taxes, car
insurance, and electricity.
Figures regarding population, commute, annual precipitation, temperature,
population density, median family income, and education level are derived from
1999 U.S. Census data. The data gets updated on an annual basis.
Unemployment rates and job growth statistics are derived from 1999 Bureau of
Labor Statistics data.
The air pollution index is derived from 1999 Environmental Protection Agency
data.
My city is not an available choice for your Cost of Living and City Profile tools. Why not?
The decision to display cities depends on the availability of good data. For
example, if we don’t have a complete set of data for a particular city, we
unfortunately can’t display the city as an option. Therefore, we recommend that
you choose a city that is nearby. Some information such as income tax, sales
tax, and auto insurance often doesn’t vary between two nearby cities.
