What does a Urban and Regional Planners salary really buy you in California?
California is 12.5% pricier than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-04-06
California's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 112.5, meaning prices are 12.5% higher the national average. A Urban and Regional Planners earning $104,910 in California has the equivalent purchasing power of $93,253 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for California's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $69,510 | $61,786 | $-7,723 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $82,970 | $73,751 | $-9,218 |
| Median (P50) | $104,910 | $93,253 | $-11,656 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $128,170 | $113,928 | $-14,241 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $149,590 | $132,968 | $-16,621 |
While $104,910 sounds high, California's elevated cost of living erases 11% of that salary's purchasing power. Your real buying power is $93,253. Consider whether the higher pay offsets the higher costs.
Where does Urban and Regional Planners salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
California ranks #3 out of 51 states for Urban and Regional Planners after cost-of-living adjustment.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.
How much do you actually take home? See Urban and Regional Planners take-home pay in California after taxes →
A Urban and Regional Planners in California earns a median salary of $104,910 per year. After adjusting for California's cost of living (RPP=112.5), the real purchasing power is $93,253 — a -11.1% difference.
California's cost of living is 12.5% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for California is 112.5 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Urban and Regional Planners in California: $104,910 x (100 / 112.5) = $93,253. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Partially — a Urban and Regional Planners's nominal salary of $104,910 in California has 11.1% less purchasing power due to higher living costs. The real value is $93,253. However, California may offer better career opportunities, networking, and industry access.