NEU Media Group› Pricing› Cost Index
2026 Cost Index

What marketing services cost in 43 US metros

Marketing prices are local because agency labor is local. We localized the published national market range for each service with BLS metro wage data, so you can see what AEO, SEO, a new website, social, automation, and AI work typically cost where you operate.

The dataset
43 metros × 7 services
Updated July 2026. Free to cite.
Wage index low
0.69 Youngstown, OH
Wage index high
1.32 New York, NY
Source
BLS QCEW
License
CC BY 4.0
Get a Free Audit →

This index shows what businesses typically pay agencies for seven marketing and AI services in 43 US metros. The national market ranges are the same ones we publish on our pricing pages; each metro's number localizes the labor share of that range with BLS wage data. Use it to sanity check a quote, budget a program, or cite a real number in a story.

Key Takeaways

Typical market rates by metro

Each cell is the typical range agencies charge in that metro. Scroll right for all seven services. These are market rates, not NEU rates.

MetroBLS wage indexAEOper monthSEOper monthWebsite buildone timeSocial mediaper monthAutomationper monthAI consultingper hourAI trainingfull day
Akron, OH (0.83)$2,600 to $3,500$1,300 to $8,000$5,000 to $22,600$1,300 to $6,500$430 to $1,300$110 to $215$2,600 to $5,200
Albany, NY (1.02)$3,050 to $4,050$1,500 to $9,350$5,800 to $26,400$1,500 to $7,600$510 to $1,520$125 to $255$3,050 to $6,100
Atlanta, GA (1.03)$3,100 to $4,100$1,550 to $9,450$5,900 to $26,700$1,550 to $7,700$510 to $1,540$130 to $255$3,100 to $6,150
Birmingham, AL (0.91)$2,800 to $3,750$1,400 to $8,550$5,400 to $24,200$1,400 to $7,000$470 to $1,400$115 to $235$2,800 to $5,600
Canton, OH (0.72)$2,400 to $3,200$1,200 to $7,300$4,600 to $20,600$1,200 to $5,950$400 to $1,190$100 to $200$2,400 to $4,750
Charlotte, NC (1.01)$3,050 to $4,050$1,500 to $9,300$5,800 to $26,300$1,500 to $7,550$500 to $1,510$125 to $250$3,050 to $6,050
Chicago, IL (1.07)$3,150 to $4,200$1,600 to $9,700$6,100 to $27,400$1,600 to $7,900$530 to $1,580$130 to $265$3,150 to $6,350
Cincinnati, OH (0.92)$2,850 to $3,750$1,400 to $8,650$5,400 to $24,500$1,400 to $7,050$470 to $1,410$120 to $235$2,850 to $5,650
Cleveland, OH (0.92)$2,800 to $3,750$1,400 to $8,650$5,400 to $24,500$1,400 to $7,050$470 to $1,410$120 to $235$2,800 to $5,650
Columbia, SC (0.79)$2,550 to $3,350$1,250 to $7,750$4,800 to $21,900$1,250 to $6,300$420 to $1,260$105 to $210$2,550 to $5,050
Columbus, OH (0.92)$2,850 to $3,750$1,400 to $8,700$5,400 to $24,500$1,400 to $7,050$470 to $1,410$120 to $235$2,850 to $5,650
Dayton, OH (0.82)$2,600 to $3,450$1,300 to $7,950$5,000 to $22,500$1,300 to $6,500$430 to $1,300$110 to $215$2,600 to $5,200
Denver, CO (1.18)$3,400 to $4,500$1,700 to $10,400$6,500 to $29,400$1,700 to $8,500$570 to $1,700$140 to $285$3,400 to $6,800
Des Moines, IA (0.96)$2,900 to $3,900$1,450 to $8,950$5,600 to $25,200$1,450 to $7,300$490 to $1,460$120 to $245$2,900 to $5,800
Eau Claire, WI (0.76)$2,450 to $3,250$1,250 to $7,500$4,700 to $21,200$1,250 to $6,150$410 to $1,230$100 to $205$2,450 to $4,900
Fort Wayne, IN (0.79)$2,500 to $3,350$1,250 to $7,750$4,800 to $21,800$1,250 to $6,300$420 to $1,260$105 to $210$2,500 to $5,050
Greensboro, NC (0.78)$2,500 to $3,350$1,250 to $7,700$4,800 to $21,700$1,250 to $6,250$420 to $1,250$105 to $210$2,500 to $5,000
Indianapolis, IN (0.90)$2,800 to $3,700$1,400 to $8,550$5,300 to $24,100$1,400 to $6,950$460 to $1,390$115 to $230$2,800 to $5,550
Jacksonville, FL (0.90)$2,800 to $3,700$1,400 to $8,500$5,300 to $24,100$1,400 to $6,950$460 to $1,390$115 to $230$2,800 to $5,550
Kalamazoo, MI (0.85)$2,650 to $3,550$1,350 to $8,150$5,100 to $23,000$1,350 to $6,650$440 to $1,330$110 to $220$2,650 to $5,300
La Crosse, WI (0.77)$2,450 to $3,300$1,250 to $7,600$4,700 to $21,400$1,250 to $6,200$410 to $1,240$105 to $205$2,450 to $4,950
Lexington, KY (0.84)$2,650 to $3,550$1,350 to $8,150$5,100 to $23,000$1,350 to $6,650$440 to $1,330$110 to $220$2,650 to $5,300
Louisville, KY (0.89)$2,750 to $3,650$1,350 to $8,400$5,300 to $23,800$1,350 to $6,850$460 to $1,370$115 to $230$2,750 to $5,500
Madison, WI (0.95)$2,900 to $3,850$1,450 to $8,900$5,600 to $25,100$1,450 to $7,250$480 to $1,450$120 to $240$2,900 to $5,800
Mankato, MN (0.76)$2,450 to $3,250$1,250 to $7,500$4,700 to $21,200$1,250 to $6,150$410 to $1,230$100 to $205$2,450 to $4,900
Milwaukee, WI (0.91)$2,800 to $3,700$1,400 to $8,550$5,300 to $24,100$1,400 to $6,950$460 to $1,390$115 to $230$2,800 to $5,550
New York, NY (1.32)$3,700 to $4,950$1,850 to $11,400$7,100 to $32,200$1,850 to $9,300$620 to $1,860$155 to $310$3,700 to $7,450
Orlando, FL (0.86)$2,700 to $3,550$1,350 to $8,200$5,100 to $23,200$1,350 to $6,700$450 to $1,340$110 to $225$2,700 to $5,350
Peoria, IL (0.90)$2,750 to $3,700$1,400 to $8,500$5,300 to $24,000$1,400 to $6,950$460 to $1,390$115 to $230$2,750 to $5,550
Philadelphia, PA (1.05)$3,100 to $4,150$1,550 to $9,500$6,000 to $26,900$1,550 to $7,750$520 to $1,550$130 to $260$3,100 to $6,200
Pittsburgh, PA (0.96)$2,900 to $3,900$1,450 to $8,950$5,600 to $25,300$1,450 to $7,300$490 to $1,460$120 to $245$2,900 to $5,850
Raleigh, NC (0.99)$3,000 to $4,000$1,500 to $9,150$5,700 to $25,900$1,500 to $7,450$500 to $1,490$125 to $250$3,000 to $5,950
Richmond, VA (0.94)$2,850 to $3,800$1,450 to $8,750$5,500 to $24,700$1,450 to $7,150$480 to $1,430$120 to $240$2,850 to $5,700
Rochester, MN (0.99)$3,000 to $3,950$1,500 to $9,150$5,700 to $25,800$1,500 to $7,450$500 to $1,490$125 to $250$3,000 to $5,950
South Bend, IN (0.79)$2,500 to $3,350$1,250 to $7,700$4,800 to $21,800$1,250 to $6,300$420 to $1,260$105 to $210$2,500 to $5,050
Springfield, IL (0.89)$2,750 to $3,700$1,400 to $8,450$5,300 to $23,900$1,400 to $6,900$460 to $1,380$115 to $230$2,750 to $5,500
Tampa, FL (0.92)$2,800 to $3,750$1,400 to $8,650$5,400 to $24,400$1,400 to $7,050$470 to $1,410$120 to $235$2,800 to $5,650
Toledo, OH (0.80)$2,550 to $3,400$1,300 to $7,850$4,900 to $22,200$1,300 to $6,400$430 to $1,280$105 to $215$2,550 to $5,100
Trenton, NJ (1.22)$3,500 to $4,650$1,750 to $10,750$6,700 to $30,400$1,750 to $8,750$580 to $1,750$145 to $290$3,500 to $7,000
Twin Cities, MN (1.05)$3,100 to $4,150$1,550 to $9,550$6,000 to $27,000$1,550 to $7,800$520 to $1,560$130 to $260$3,100 to $6,250
Washington, DC (1.31)$3,700 to $4,950$1,850 to $11,350$7,100 to $32,000$1,850 to $9,250$620 to $1,850$155 to $310$3,700 to $7,400
Winston Salem, NC (0.82)$2,600 to $3,450$1,300 to $7,950$5,000 to $22,500$1,300 to $6,500$430 to $1,300$110 to $215$2,600 to $5,200
Youngstown, OH (0.69)$2,300 to $3,100$1,150 to $7,050$4,400 to $20,000$1,150 to $5,750$380 to $1,150$95 to $190$2,300 to $4,600

Metro wage index in parentheses. Source: BLS QCEW annual average weekly wage, all covered employment, indexed to the US average of $1,392.

NEU charges one flat national rate, below these ranges

AEO from $2,499, SEO from $1,200, websites from $3,900. Same price in every metro.

See NEU Pricing →

How we calculate this

Three inputs, no black box:

  • National market baselines. The published going rate range for each service, the same ranges cited on our per service pricing pages. These are market rates, not NEU rates.
  • BLS QCEW metro wages. Average weekly wage for all covered employment in each metro from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, divided by the national average of $1,392 to form a wage index.
  • A 75 percent labor share. Roughly three quarters of an agency engagement is people: strategy, writing, design, development, and account work. That share scales with the metro wage index. The remaining quarter, software, tooling, and media platforms, is priced nationally and stays flat.

So each cell is: national range times (0.75 times wage index plus 0.25), rounded to a sensible step. A metro at wage index 1.20 lands about 15 percent above the national baseline; a metro at 0.80 lands about 15 percent below. Wage data is the latest QCEW annual release; baselines are reviewed quarterly.

Cite this index

How to cite

NEU Media Group Marketing Services Cost Index, July 2026. https://www.neumediagroup.com/cost-index

Free to cite and republish under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page. Journalists and researchers can email hello@neumediagroup.com for the underlying table or a custom cut.

Frequently asked questions

Why do marketing services cost more in some metros?

Most of an agency engagement is labor: strategists, writers, designers, and developers. Labor tracks local wages, and BLS data shows average weekly wages ranging from about $963 in Youngstown, OH to $1,836 in New York, NY across the metros in this index. Software and tooling cost the same everywhere, which is why prices do not swing as far as wages do.

Where do the national baseline ranges come from?

They are the published market ranges we track for each service and cite on our per service pricing pages: AEO at $2,999 to $4,000 a month, SEO at $1,500 to $9,200 a month, website builds at $5,750 to $26,000, social media at $1,500 to $7,500 a month, automation at $500 to $1,500 a month, AI consulting at $125 to $250 an hour, and AI training at $3,000 to $6,000 for a full day workshop.

How exactly is each metro number calculated?

Each metro gets a wage index, its BLS QCEW average weekly wage divided by the national average of $1,392. We apply that index to the labor share of the engagement, which we set at 75 percent, and keep the remaining 25 percent national. So a metro at index 1.10 prices at about 107 percent of the national baseline, and a metro at 0.80 prices at about 85 percent.

Does NEU Media Group charge these rates?

No. These are typical market rates for agencies in each metro. NEU charges flat national rates that sit below the bottom of the national market range for every service, the same price in every metro. The full list is on our pricing page.

Can I cite or republish this data?

Yes, free of charge under CC BY 4.0. Cite NEU Media Group Marketing Services Cost Index with a link to this page. If you are a journalist and want the underlying table or a custom cut by region or service, email hello@neumediagroup.com and we will send it over.

How often is the index updated?

Wage data comes from the latest BLS QCEW annual release and the market baselines are reviewed quarterly. This edition was updated in July 2026.

Wondering what YOUR market looks like?

We will check where AI engines name your business today and what visibility should cost you, free.

Get a Free Audit →