Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in Boise City, ID make a median of $80,390 a year, or about $38.65 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.39), that's roughly $81,705 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,655/month, about 32.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $80K actually covers in Boise City, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boise City’s Regional Price Parity (98.39). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About urban and regional planners
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What this looks like in Boise City
Urban and regional planners pay in Boise City tracks closely to the national median, $80K locally vs. $89K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,655/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.39) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for urban and regional planners in metros near Boise City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Coeur d'Alene | $82K | $83K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $108K | $97K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $96K | $92K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $103K | $98K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boise City, ID
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Urban and Regional Planners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Urban and Regional Planners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $137K | +53% | 120 |
| California | $110K | +23% | 7,460 |
| Oregon | $103K | +15% | 1,010 |
| Arizona | $102K | +15% | 1,330 |
| Colorado | $101K | +13% | 1,300 |
| Washington | $101K | +13% | 3,180 |
| Nevada | $100K | +12% | 270 |
| Connecticut | $100K | +12% | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $100K | +12% | 1,540 |
| Minnesota | $97K | +9% | 860 |
| Alaska | $94K | +5% | 230 |
| Illinois | $91K | +2% | 1,140 |
| Rhode Island | $90K | +1% | 160 |
| New York | $90K | +0% | 2,420 |
| Maryland | $89K | -1% | 900 |
| New Jersey | $86K | -3% | 790 |
| Virginia | $86K | -4% | 1,740 |
| Hawaii | $86K | -4% | 450 |
| Vermont | $85K | -5% | 100 |
| Utah | $84K | -6% | 500 |
| Wisconsin | $84K | -6% | 1,100 |
| Texas | $83K | -7% | 2,190 |
| Kansas | $82K | -8% | 250 |
| Oklahoma | $82K | -9% | 350 |
| North Carolina | $81K | -9% | 1,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $81K | -10% | 860 |
| Montana | $81K | -10% | 270 |
| Missouri | $81K | -10% | 440 |
| Florida | $81K | -10% | 2,620 |
| Georgia | $80K | -10% | 1,150 |
| Ohio | $80K | -10% | 760 |
| Maine | $79K | -11% | 190 |
| Iowa | $79K | -11% | 300 |
| Tennessee | $79K | -12% | 310 |
| Michigan | $79K | -12% | 1,380 |
| North Dakota | $79K | -12% | 210 |
| New Mexico | $78K | -13% | 270 |
| Idaho | $77K | -14% | 350 |
| South Carolina | $76K | -15% | 530 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -16% | 360 |
| Louisiana | $75K | -17% | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $74K | -17% | 260 |
| South Dakota | $71K | -20% | 210 |
| Indiana | $71K | -21% | 620 |
| Alabama | $71K | -21% | 520 |
| Wyoming | $70K | -21% | 110 |
| Delaware | $67K | -25% | 290 |
| Kentucky | $65K | -27% | 180 |
| Arkansas | $64K | -29% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $61K | -31% | 160 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -32% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a urban and regional planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boise City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 32.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,655/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for urban and regional planners in Boise City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,386/month. At HUD’s $1,655/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is urban and regional planner a high-paying job in Boise City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $80K locally vs. $89K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Boise City compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
Boise City pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.39), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — below the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in Boise City, ID?
The median is $80,390 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,340, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $115,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Boise City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,112/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,655/month, which eats 32.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a urban and regional planners salary go in Boise City?
Boise City has a Regional Price Parity of 98.39 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median urban and regional planners salary is worth about $81,705 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do urban and regional planners get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.