What Are BEA Regional Price Parities?
Regional Price Parities (RPP) are annual price indexes produced by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure the differences in price levels across states and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) relative to the national average. Expressed as a percentage of the national price level, BEA regional price parities allow researchers, policymakers, and businesses to make true apples-to-apples comparisons of economic conditions across geographies — something nominal income figures alone cannot do.
Why BEA Regional Price Parities Matter
The cost of living varies dramatically from San Francisco to rural Mississippi. Without adjusting for these differences, standard income or GDP figures paint a misleading picture of economic well-being. BEA Regional Price Parities solve this problem by providing a consistent, rigorous methodology for converting nominal measures into real, purchasing-power-adjusted terms. This makes RPP data indispensable for:
- Compensation benchmarking – understanding whether salaries in one metro truly go further than in another
- Regional economic policy – evaluating the real impact of federal transfers, tax policy, and public investment across states
- Cost-of-living analysis – identifying the most and least affordable metros and states in the country
- Urban and regional planning – assessing quality-of-life and economic competitiveness when making location decisions
Access BEA Regional Price Parities on Social Explorer
Social Explorer provides BEA regional price parities data covering the years 2008–2025, available at both the state and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) level. This geographic breadth makes it one of the most comprehensive sources for sub-national price level analysis available anywhere.
Social Explorer makes it easy to explore, map, and download BEA Regional Price Parities data alongside hundreds of complementary economic and demographic datasets – including personal income, GDP by metro area, and the Consumer Price Index. Whether you're an academic researcher, government analyst, or private-sector economist, our platform gives you the tools to turn raw BEA data into actionable insight.
Sign up for a free trial of Social Explorer to access BEA Regional Price Parities data, build custom maps, and download the variables you need.