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The Tax Foundation examined Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data from 2023 on large and small metros across the United States in order to ascertain how much $100 buys you in various locations.
“One hundred dollars tends to buy the least in large cities in the Northeast, California and the Pacific Northwest,” the organization said in a release on Monday. “On the other hand, $100 goes the furthest in rural areas in the Southeast and Midwest. Prices can vary within states too — $100 in Colorado tends to buy $103.90 worth of goods and services in nonmetropolitan areas of the state, but only $97.93 worth in metropolitan areas.”
The analysis found that, in 2023, the real value of $100 in San Francisco was $84.58, compared to $124.49 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. “In other words, the purchasing power in the Pine Bluff area is 47% greater than in the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward area,” the organization said. “Many policies, such as minimum wage levels, tax brackets and means-tested public benefit income thresholds, are denominated in nominal dollars, even though a dollar in one region may go much further than a dollar in another. Lawmakers should keep that reality in mind as they make changes to tax and economic policies.”
Here’s what you’re waiting for: The 15 places $100 goes the furthest, topped by Pine Bluff, Arkansas, one of five Arkansas regions on the list. In fact, 60% of these high-value locations fall in the nation’s South Central region, profiled every year in Site Selection’s highly anticipated March issue. Look for our team’s in-depth reporting based on the site selection implications of these Tax Foundation findings in the March 2026 issue of Site Selection.
Real Value of $100 by Metro, 2023
| Metropolitan Statistical Area |
Real Value of $100 |
Nominal Per Capita Income |
Price-Adjusted Per Capita Income |
| Pine Bluff, AR |
$124.49 |
$42,135.00 |
$52,456.00 |
| Monroe, LA |
$119.62 |
$49,272.00 |
$58,937.00 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK |
$117.56 |
$47,206.00 |
$55,496.00 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX |
$117.39 |
$38,523.00 |
$45,224.00 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR |
$117.22 |
$47,883.00 |
$56,130.00 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA |
$117.16 |
$50,922.00 |
$59,660.00 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX |
$116.88 |
$34,373.00 |
$40,176.00 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL |
$116.80 |
$47,156.00 |
$55,077.00 |
| Joplin, MO |
$116.76 |
$47,609.00 |
$55,587.00 |
| Jonesboro, AR |
$116.71 |
$49,153.00 |
$57,364.00 |
| Hot Springs, AR |
$116.55 |
$52,506.00 |
$61,195.00 |
| Cumberland, MD-WV |
$116.52 |
$49,268.00 |
$57,409.00 |
| Topeka, KS |
$116.43 |
$57,810.00 |
$67,309.00 |
| Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA |
$116.27 |
$51,869.00 |
$60,307.00 |
| Enid, OK |
$116.09 |
$51,152.00 |
$59,381.00 |
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