About

CompareTheData.com is an independent, non-government website. It compiles public data and lines it up side by side so people can compare U.S. states and U.S. military bases when they are relocating or getting ready for a PCS move.

Where the numbers come from

Most figures come from government agencies and nonprofit research groups, and each page cites the table it uses:

• Federal statistical agencies: the U.S. Census Bureau (population estimates and American Community Survey home values and rents), NOAA climate normals, and the National Center for Education Statistics school-district data.
• Federal program tables: Basic Allowance for Housing rates from the Defense Travel Management Office and Fair Market Rents from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Other federal and state sources: Department of Labor minimum wages, the National Park Service park list, FBI crime statistics, and state DMV and revenue-department rules for license, title, and tax questions.
• Nonprofit research: Tax Foundation tables for income, sales, and property tax rates.

A few figures, such as statewide median home values and the vehicle property-tax table, come from published private-sector compilations; those are labeled where they appear. The methodology page lists every source with its vintage and explains how comparisons are calculated.

What the site does and does not do

Pages show the published figures next to each other and point out the differences. Tax amounts are estimates for comparison, not tax advice, and rules can change after a table is published, so confirm anything important with the agency that issued it.

Corrections & feedback

If a figure looks wrong or out of date, we want to fix it. Note the page address and the figure in question; corrections are checked against the original source before anything changes. A dedicated corrections address is not set up yet; it will be listed here when it is.