Data sources
Data updated Oct 11, 2026 · next update Nov 13, 2026
One date covers the whole site. Each row below is the period that source actually describes. How we figure leftover explains the math. This page lists where each number came from.
| Source | Used for | As of | Last pulled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Census CBSA Gazetteer | Metro names, map points, land area | 2026 CBSA Gazetteer | 2026-10-11 |
| Census CBSA delineation | Which counties sit in each metro | 2023 CBSA delineation | 2026-09-10 |
| Census ACS 5-year | Population, earnings, home values, income | ACS 2023 5-year | 2026-09-10 |
| Census ACS context tables | Education, poverty, insurance, rent burden | ACS 2023 5-year | 2026-09-07 |
| Census ACS commute and broadband | Worked from home, broadband | ACS 2024 1-year | 2026-10-10 |
| Zillow ZORI | Asking rents | Through 2026-08-31 | 2026-09-22 |
| HUD Fair Market Rents | Rent floors | FY2027 | 2026-10-11 |
| BEA Regional Price Parities | Prices besides rent | BEA RPP 2024 | 2026-09-10 |
| Open-Meteo | July highs, January lows, sunny days | ERA5 daily archive 2023–2024 | 2026-09-10 |
| IRS SOI migration | Who moved, and their income | Filing years 2022-2023 | 2026-09-22 |
| CDC via County Health Rankings | Homicide and firearm deaths | CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release) | 2026-09-10 |
| NCES Common Core of Data | Public schools and districts | School year 2024-2025 | 2026-09-10 |
| BLS OEWS | Job pay | May 2025 | 2026-10-10 |
| USAJOBS relocation postings | Federal jobs that pay relocation | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
| Wikimedia city photos | Known-for photos on city pages | Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata | 2026-10-11 |
| City attractions | Places to visit, with optional Google ratings | Wikidata and Wikipedia. Google ratings off until GOOGLE_PLACES_API_KEY is set | 2026-10-11 |
| EIA electricity | State residential power price | 2025 annual | 2026-10-11 |
| Paid-to-move programs | Cash offers for relocating | Verified 2026-10-09 | 2026-10-09 |
| Federal and state tax tables | Take-home pay | Tax year 2025 | Hand-maintained |
| NOAA climate normals | Weather on hand-reviewed metros | 1991–2020 climate normals | Hand-maintained |
What moved on the leaderboard
Ranks held from September 2026 to October 2026. Open the leaderboard.