Methodology

This page explains where the figures on CompareTheData.com come from, how the comparisons are calculated, and how the data is kept current. Every state, move, and base page also cites its sources at the bottom.

The compiled figures are also published as open data (CSV and JSON for every state and base, CC BY 4.0).

State data sources

Nurse and physical-therapy compact membership and statewide kindergarten cutoffs are recorded per state; districts can set their own kindergarten date, and licensing boards have the final word, so confirm both before you rely on them.

Military base data sources

Climate figures for each base come from the closest NOAA station with 1991–2020 temperature and precipitation normals, preferring an airport station unless another station is much closer to the installation; the station is named in each base page's sources. Host-state tax and license facts on base pages come from the same state data used on the state pages.

How comparisons are calculated

• Side-by-side figures are shown exactly as published. When two places differ, the page marks which one is lower for costs and taxes (or higher for things like parks), without weighting or scoring.
• Estimated state income tax applies each state's 2026 single-filer brackets to the income you enter, after subtracting a $4,300 exemption per dependent. Where a state has no bracket table, its top listed rate is used. It is an estimate for comparison, not your tax bill.
• Vehicle title cost adds the state's vehicle sales or title tax on the value you enter to its title, plate, and base registration fees.
• BAH versus rent subtracts the HUD fair-market rent from the BAH rate for the pay grade you pick, to show roughly how much is left over or short each month.
• Rankings in page summaries (for example “the 3rd-highest”) place a state among the 50 states (the D.C. page uses the 50 states plus D.C.) and a base among all bases on the site, using the same figures shown on the page. Home-value ranks for bases cover only the bases where the Census Bureau publishes a median home value for the nearby city. Tied values share the higher rank and are labeled “tied.”
• Moves in either direction share one page per pair of places; the “swap” control reverses the columns so the numbers read in your direction.

Update cadence

The data is reviewed periodically and updated after the source agencies publish new tables (for example, BAH rates are issued each January and HUD rents each fiscal year), so there can be a lag after a new release. Each page shows when its data was last updated; the most recent review was September 2026.

Corrections

If you find a figure that does not match its source, it will be checked against that source and corrected. See About for corrections.