Money Power Rankings
Every state and metro, ranked on the numbers that matter.
Ten rankings built only from public, cited datasets — jobs, gas, housing, taxes, paychecks, migration, and more. Zero opinion. Every figure traces to its source, and each is tied to the governor or mayor accountable for it.
Choose a ranking
The ten franchises
monthly · Governor
Jobs
Currently #1: North Dakota · 50 states + D.C. Sourced metrics: 65%
annual · Governor
Tax Burden
Currently #1: Alaska · 50 states + D.C. Sourced metrics: 45%
annual · Governor
Richest States
Currently #1: New Hampshire · 50 states + D.C. Sourced metrics: 68%
quarterly · Governor
Real Paycheck
Currently #1: District of Columbia · 50 states + D.C. Sourced metrics: 65%
monthly · Mayor
Housing Affordability
Currently #1: Syracuse, NY · 100 metros Sourced metrics: 85%
annual · Governor
Money Migration
Currently #1: Florida · 50 states + D.C. Sourced metrics: 90%
quarterly · Mayor
Cities for Business
Currently #1: Nevada · 50 states + D.C. Sourced metrics: 61%
weekly · Governor
Gas & Energy
Currently #1: Oklahoma · 50 states + D.C. Sourced metrics: 40%
2x/year · Governor
Surplus & Fiscal Health
Currently #1: California · 50 states Sourced metrics: 50%
monthly · Mayor
Cost-of-Living
Currently #1: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX · 100 metros
annual · Governor
Minimum Wage
Currently #1: District of Columbia · 50 states + D.C.
Parker Index
Household Pressure
Gas + grocery + rent + HYSA · 50 states
Parker IndexGig Keep Rate
$25/hr 1099 after tax and mileage
Parker IndexReal Take-Home
W-2 vs 1099 keep rate by state
Each ranking is a weighted 0–100 composite of normalized, sourced metrics. Weights and sources are public on every methodology page, so the rankings can’t be called rigged.