The affordability of a community is a major factor in this age of footloose talent, as an attractive cost of living weighs heavily in many firms’ and workers’ relocation decisions. Regional price parity is a measure of regional price levels expressed as a percentage of overall national price level for a given year – a composite index score of 100 means a community is on par with the national average. The price level is determined by the average prices paid by consumers for the mix of goods and services consumed in each region.