About this page

This page contains a list of the Microlandia simulation parameters, the sources we used for the values, and how they’re applied in the game.

This is a live document auto-generated from the game code, and we are constantly refining or correcting them. If you think something is off, we would greatly appreciate if you reach us to let us know.

General

Fertility rate

2.2

The average number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years. When cities have enough hospital capacity, this is the rate at which new citizens are born to existing citizens in the city.

Source: World Bank

Road maintenance cost

$27

Monthly maintenance cost per road segment built (20 meters)

Source: Reason - 28th Annual Highway Report

Citizen retirement age

65

The age at which citizens are considered retired and start receiving a monthly pension from the city, which can be set in the fiscal policies.

Source: OECD

City salaries

Police officer monthly

$9,500

The monthly salary paid to each police officer, including benefits overhead. NYPD FY25 Personnel Services budget of $5.38B across ~48,844 employees = ~$110k/year per employee. We use $9,500/month ($114k/year) to approximate total compensation including benefits.

Source: NYC Council - NYPD Fiscal 2025 Executive Plan

Firefighter monthly

$5,164

The monthly salary paid to each firefighter. This amount is deducted from the city’s funds each month for every active firefighter.

Source: FDNY

Teacher monthly

$5,500

The monthly salary paid to each teacher. This amount is deducted from the city’s education budget.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Doctor monthly

$18,000

The monthly salary paid to each doctor. This amount is deducted from the city’s healthcare budget.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Nurse monthly

$7,000

The monthly salary paid to each nurse. This amount is deducted from the city’s healthcare budget.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Hospital engineer monthly

$8,000

The monthly salary paid to each hospital engineer/technician (lab equipment, radiology, maintenance). Deducted from the city’s healthcare budget.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Sanitation worker monthly

$3,735

The monthly salary paid to each sanitation worker. This amount is deducted from the city’s waste management budget.

Source: NYC DSNY

Bus driver monthly

$5,000

The monthly salary paid to each bus driver. This amount is deducted from the city’s public transport budget.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Immigration

Family ratio

0.08

Probability that an immigrant arrives with family (spouse plus 0-2 children).

Source: Migration Policy Institute - Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States (2024)

Bachelors degree ratio

0.48

Ratio of immigrants arriving with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Source: Migration Policy Institute - Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States (2024)

Economics

Mean starting capital new company

$25,000

Mean starting capital for newly created companies, used in an exponential distribution to determine actual starting capital. New companies are created every day in the city but the starting capital will determine how quickly they can grow and hire workers.

Source: Small Business Administration

Gross margins by industry

Revenue of companies has a random component and a value weighted by its size and industry sector gross margin. Companies operating at lower margins take longer to become profitable and grow.

Source: NYU - Margins by Sector (US)

Weekly earnings by industry

The weekly income of citizens working in different industry sectors. Paid from the company balance to employed citizens after income taxes are deducted as set in the fiscal policies panel.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Boss to staff pay ratio

2.3

Ratio of a company owner’s pay to the median staff wage. Used to derive the owner’s income from the company’s median employee earnings.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) OEWS 2024/2025

Employment by industry

Weights applied to the random selection of companies created in the city. Industries with higher employment have a higher chance of appearing as they have more demand for workers.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Cost of living

Itemized pre-tax monthly cost of living. Per-adult costs are charged to each adult; household costs are split among adults; child costs are split among adults. Gas cost applies only to car-owning adults. Computed gas: 0.81 × 1500 × 8 / 100 ≈ $97/month.

Source: Numbeo

Homeless employment barrier

0.42

The employment barrier for homeless citizens, reflecting their reduced likelihood of being employed compared to non-homeless citizens. This barrier is applied as a multiplier when citizens search for jobs.

Source: census.gov

Socioeconomic

⚠️ Source pending

Average spend per tourist per day

$400

Average amount of money spent by each tourist per day in the city. This includes expenses such as accommodation, food, transportation, entertainment, and shopping.

Source: Budget Your Trip - New York City

Average tourist stay days

3

Average length of stay for tourists in hotels. Guests are checked out after this many days, freeing beds for new arrivals.

Source: NYC & Company Tourism Statistics

Hotel nightly rate

$150

Nightly room rate charged by hotels and motels per occupied room. Hotel revenue is purely occupancy-driven — no guests means no revenue.

⚠️ Source pending

Annual rate of new employer businesses

0.15

The annual rate of new companies per 100k inhabitants that employ at least one person. Used to cap the maximum number of new companies created in the city each year.

Source: Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship

Health

Average length of stay days

5

Average length of stay in days for inpatients in hospitals.

Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)

Homeless sickness multiplier

6

Multiplier applied to the sickness probability of homeless citizens, reflecting their increased vulnerability to illness due to factors such as lack of shelter, nutrition, and mental health.

Source: CDC

Cost per bed month

$6,000

Monthly non-payroll operating cost per hospital bed (supplies, utilities, equipment, food, laundry). Payroll costs are tracked separately via actual hired staff salaries.

Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2025

Nurse to doctor ratio

2.5

OECD average nurses per doctor. Anchors the clinical staff split in hospital blueprints. Ranges from 1.2 in struggling systems to 4.0+ in USA/Finland/Japan.

Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2025

Healthcare satisfaction baseline

0.64

OECD average share of population satisfied with healthcare. Used as a benchmark for the city’s healthcare satisfaction score.

Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2025

Safe staffing perception

0.44

Share of physicians and nurses who perceive current staffing levels as ‘safe’. Below this threshold, 30-day mortality for AMI and stroke increases.

Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2025

Hospital occupancy burnout threshold

0.85

Hospital occupancy rate above which staff burnout and safety risks increase. Sustained overcrowding raises mortality for serious conditions.

Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2025

Hospital workforce composition

Share of total hospital workforce by staff category (European average). Doctors covers clinical diagnosis/surgery. Non-clinical covers admin, IT, cleaning — mapped to DOCTOR profession in-sim. Support covers lab techs, radiology, maintenance — mapped to ENGINEER profession.

Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2025

Acuity staffing multipliers

Maximum beds a single nurse can cover per shift, by patient acuity level. Lower acuity = more beds per nurse. Used in future acuity mechanic (Phase 11).

Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2025

Readmission rates by early discharge

Probability of patient readmission by how many days before the standard length-of-stay they were discharged. Readmitted patients cost double. Used in future discharge policy mechanic (Phase 9).

Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2025

Waitlist base daily mortality

0.02

Base daily death probability for citizens waiting on the hospital waitlist. Increases with wait time and age vulnerability.

⚠️ Source pending

Healthcare satisfaction smoothing

0.1

Exponential moving average alpha for healthcare satisfaction. At 0.1, takes ~10 days to reflect 63% of a change, preventing rapid swings from single-day events.

⚠️ Source pending

Life expectancy years

80.3

The average number of years a person in a given population is expected to live, based on current mortality patterns.

Source: OECD

Life expectancy homeless penalty years

17

The reduction in life expectancy for homeless individuals compared to the general population, reflecting the adverse health impacts associated with homelessness.

Source: United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

Education

Citizens with bachelors degree or higher

0.44

Percentage of working-age adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher. This is the ratio of immigrants who hold a bachelor’s degree and the ratio of high school graduates who go on to college when all the educational infrastructure is available in the city.

Source: NYC Future

High school cost per student month

$2,233

Monthly cost of educating a single student in public high schools. This cost includes expenses related to facilities, materials, and other operational costs associated with running public high schools. It will be deducted from the city’s funds monthly based on the number of students enrolled in high schools.

Source: U.S. Department of Education

Crime

Vandalism fine amount

$300

Fine charged when police catch a vandal. Matches typical municipal fine for vandalism.

⚠️ Source pending

Vandalism repair cost

$300

Cost to repair public infrastructure damaged by vandalism.

⚠️ Source pending

Clearance rates by crime

Clearance rates by crime type (percentage of reported crimes cleared by arrest or other exceptional means).

Source: FBI Crime in the Nation (2023)

Move out probability by crime renter

Probability that a renter household moves out after experiencing a crime, by crime type.

Source: Effect of Criminal Victimization on a Household’s Moving Decision - Laura Dugan (1999)

Move out probability by crime owner

Probability that a homeowner household moves out after experiencing a crime, by crime type.

⚠️ Source pending

Distance patroled by police officers per shift

5000

The distance a police unit (2 officers) can effectively patrol during a single shift (8 hours). This affects the area that is covered daily by each police station in the city.

Source: ICMA Center for Public Safety Management

Incidents per police office shift

1

Number of crime incidents that a single officer can be dispatched to and handle during a single shift (8 hours).

Source: NYPD

Criminality rate

0.12

Annual probability that an unemployed, low-cash adult (not in school) becomes a criminal.

Source: Mitchell, J. et al. (2022). Homelessness and predictors of criminal reoffending: A retrospective cohort study

Inmate housing cost per inmate

$47,000

Annual incarceration cost per inmate, charged upfront when a criminal is caught. Covers the full year’s cost of housing, personnel, food, and healthcare.

Source: Vera Institute

Parks and recreation

Maintenance park price

$600

The cost of maintaining a 20x20 meters plot of parkland per month. This cost includes expenses related to landscaping, cleaning, security, and other operational costs associated with park maintenance.

Source: New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO)

Maintenance park trees price

$10

Estimated monthly maintenance cost for one mature street/park tree, covering general care, pruning allowance, and pest control. This is based on budgeting $120/year for proactive tree management.

Source: NYC.gov Street Tree Overview (Air Quality Value)

Maintenance park playground price

$250

Monthly maintenance cost for a 20x20 meter playground area. This cost is calculated as 5% of the estimated total construction cost per year, covering routine inspection, cleaning, minor equipment repairs, and safety surfacing upkeep.

Source: Ongoing Playground Costs & Maintenance Guide

Maintenance park maze price

$500

Estimated monthly maintenance cost for a 20x20 meter maze park zone. Higher than general parkland due to the specialized labor required for detailed path maintenance and hedge/plant trimming.

Source: Understanding the Cost of Parks (Mini Park Maintenance Range)

Maintenance park fountain price

$300

Estimated monthly maintenance cost for a park fountain, including water system cleaning, chemical balancing, and minor pump/electrical checks. This accounts for specialized commercial service.

Source: Outdoor Water Fountain Installation Cost (Labor/Plumbing Factors)

Maintenance park pergola price

$250

Estimated monthly maintenance cost for a 20x20 meter pergola zone. Based on routine inspections and minor repairs.

⚠️ Source pending

Maintenance park wc price

$5,800

Monthly NYC maintenance for a high-traffic public restroom, including daily cleaning, supplies, and waste management.

Source: Urban Design Forum - NYC Public Bathrooms

Maintenance park picnic table price

$420

Monthly operating cost for a high-traffic wood picnic table in NYC. Includes daily litter/surface cleaning (10 min/day) and monthly deep maintenance for graffiti and wood-rot prevention.

Source: NYC Parks Inspection Program (PIP) Standards

Basketball court maintenance cost month

$1,000

Monthly maintenance cost for a full-sized basketball court’s upkeep

Source: NYC Parks & Recreation

Traffic

Car speed limit km h

40

The speed limit for cars on roads, expressed in kilometers per hour. This affects the road capacity and probability of traffic congestion.

⚠️ Source pending

Bus network traffic car penalty

0.2

The amount of traffic bandwidth taken from roads where the bus network is operating. This usually means that car drivers will avoid roads with frequent bus traffic

⚠️ Source pending

Free transit car substitution rate

0.045

When bus fare is $0, the fraction of car owners with bus access who choose the bus instead of driving on any given day. Based on observed 4.5% car traffic substitution from the German 9-Euro ticket experiment.

Source: Andor et al. — Public transport pricing: An evaluation of the 9-Euro ticket

Fire

Fire response cost

$25,000

Average cost incurred by fire departments for responding to a single fire incident. This cost includes expenses related to personnel, equipment usage, and other operational costs associated with firefighting efforts.

⚠️ Source pending

Fire rate month

0.022

Monthly probability of a random building catching fire. This rate is used to simulate fire incidents in the city. Fire departments will respond to these incidents and prevent buildings from burning down.

Source: Fire Department of New York City (FDNY)

Minimum firefighters per response

15

Minimum number of firefighters required to respond to a single structure fire alarm. Cities with fewer total firefighters than this threshold suffer reduced fire response effectiveness.

Source: NFPA Standard 1710

Waste

Daily waste per citizen kg

2

Amount of solid waste generated by each citizen per day.

Source: NYC Department of Sanitation

Sanitation workers per daily ton

0.66

Sanitation workers required per daily ton of waste collected.

Source: NYC Department of Sanitation Annual Reports & Budget

Waste collection cost ton

$566

Cost of collecting and processing one ton of solid waste. This cost includes expenses related to labor, equipment, transportation, and disposal fees. It will be deducted from the city’s funds daily based on DAILY_WASTE_PER_CITIZEN_KG

Source: NYC Department of Sanitation

Construction prices

Shelter construction cost

$50,000,000

State of Maine Homeless Shelter Cost Study

Source: Shelter Cost Study 2025

Shelter annual maintenance cost

$7,000,000

State of Maine Homeless Shelter Cost Study

Source: Shelter Cost Study 2025

Park construction price

$8,612

Cost to construct a 20x20 meter general park zone (natural grass). Based on NYC sod installation costs of $1-3/sq ft, averaging $2/sq ft ($21.53/m²).

Source: Angi.com - NYC Sod Installation Costs

Park trees construction price

$3,300

Average cost of NYC tree planting per unit. Based on FY24 and the Parks Department.

Source: It costs the city $3,300 to plant a tree. Here’s why

Park playground construction price

$35,000

Cost to construct a 20x20 meter playground zone. Based on playground equipment costs of $15,000-50,000 plus surfacing costs of $3-14/sq ft, totaling approximately $35,000 for 400 m².

Source: Mass Initiative - Playground Construction Costs

Park maze construction price

$8,612

Cost to construct a 20x20 meter maze park zone. Based on natural grass installation costs plus maze design elements (hedges/plants).

Source: Angi.com - NYC Sod Installation Costs

Park fountain construction price

$4,300

Cost to construct a park fountain zone. Based on water fountain installation costs.

Source: How Much Does a Water Fountain Cost in 2025? - Lawn Love

Park pergola construction price

$120,000

Cost for a 20x20m zone featuring a large, non-combustible commercial steel pergola. Includes concrete footings and NYC labor rates ($45/sq ft avg).

Source: Lawn Love - Pergola Costs 2025

Park picnic table construction price

$3,500

Heavy-duty 8-foot commercial wood picnic table with steel frame, including assembly and concrete anchoring in a NYC public park.

Source: Global Industrial - Commercial Park Furniture

Park wc construction price

$1,000,000

Cost for a 3x3m ‘Portland Loo’ style modular cubic restroom. Unit is ~$185k; installation and utility hookups in NYC average ~$815k.

Source: amNewYork - NYC Modular Restroom Project 2025

Park castle construction price

$45,000

Cost to construct a simple castle playground. Price includes commercial-grade prefabricated wooden modules, safety wood fiber surfacing, and professional installation labor in a public park setting.

Source: Pro Playgrounds - Commercial Systems

Road construction price

$50,000

Cost to construct a 20x20 meter road segment. Based on urban road construction costs in the United States.

⚠️ Source pending

Transportation

Gas car price

$26,000

Average purchase price of a new car. Citizens buy cars when they can afford it and can use it to commute to work, and sell them when they need money.

Source: Numbeo

Diesel cost per liter

$1

Cost of diesel fuel per liter. This cost is used to calculate the operating expenses of diesel and hybrid buses in the city’s public transportation system.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Electricity cost per kwh

$0.13

Cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This cost is used to calculate the operating expenses of electric and hybrid buses in the city’s public transportation system.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Bus driver salary hour

$29

Hourly salary paid to bus drivers operating in the city’s public transportation system. This amount is deducted from the city’s funds for each hour a bus is in operation.

Source: NYC MTA

Real estate

Building quality multiplier

How much building quality affects rent. Basic housing charges 75% of the area median rent, standard housing charges the full median, and premium housing charges 150%. Higher-quality buildings attract wealthier tenants and generate more rental income for their owners.

Source: Rosen 1974 — Hedonic Prices and Implicit Markets

Compression floor

0.7

Minimum rent as a fraction of area median rent. Even in the worst neighborhoods, rent doesn’t drop proportionally — landlords still charge nearly as much because tenants have few alternatives. In Milwaukee, 10th-percentile rent was ~80% of median despite far worse conditions.

Source: Desmond & Shollenberger 2015 — Forced Displacement From Rental Housing

Tax pass through rate

0.7

Fraction of property tax that landlords pass through to tenants via higher rent. When the city raises land value tax, landlords absorb some of the cost but shift most of it to renters. At 0.7, a 10% land value tax adds ~7% to asking rent.

Source: Carroll & Yinger 1994 — Who Bears the Property Tax?