HRA City Classification List 2026
Complete X, Y and Z class city reference for Central Government employees — covering HRA rates, TA entitlements, and how to find your posting station's classification.
6
X-Class Cities
HRA 30%
97
Y-Class Cities
HRA 20%
70+
Z-Class Cities
HRA 10%
173+
Cities Listed
Across all states
What is City Classification?
City classification determines two major salary allowances for Central Government employees: House Rent Allowance (HRA) and Transport Allowance (TA). Because housing and transport costs vary enormously across India — renting in Mumbai costs five times more than in a small district town — the 7th Pay Commission introduced a three-tier classification system that links allowances to the cost-of-living at each employee's posting station.
Classifications are based on population data from the Census of India. X-class applies to the six largest urban agglomerations with population exceeding 50 lakh. Y-class covers cities with population between 5 and 50 lakh — roughly 100 cities including all major state capitals and industrial hubs. Z-class is the default category for every other posting station in India, covering hundreds of smaller cities, towns, and rural areas.
The official classification list is notified by the Ministry of Finance and applies uniformly across all Central Government departments, autonomous bodies, and defence establishments. Your classification is determined by your place of posting as per your transfer order — not your place of residence or hometown.
| Class | Population | HRA Rate | HRA Min. Floor | TA (Lv. 9+) | TA (Lv. 3–8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X | > 50 lakh | 30% | ₹5,400/month | ₹7,200 | ₹3,600 |
| Y | 5–50 lakh | 20% | ₹3,600/month | ₹3,600 | ₹1,800 |
| Z | < 5 lakh | 10% | ₹1,800/month | ₹1,800 | ₹900 |
Current rates applicable after DA crossed 50%. TA rates shown for Higher TPTA and other cities. TA for Levels 1–2: X: ₹1,350 / others: ₹900.
City Classification Reference Table
Showing 173 of 173 entries.
| City / Station | State / UT | Class | HRA Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi (NCT) | Delhi | X | 30% | — |
| Mumbai | Maharashtra | X | 30% | — |
| Chennai | Tamil Nadu | X | 30% | — |
| Kolkata | West Bengal | X | 30% | — |
| Hyderabad | Telangana | X | 30% | — |
| Bengaluru | Karnataka | X | 30% | — |
| Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Vijayawada | Andhra Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Guntur | Andhra Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Nellore | Andhra Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Kurnool | Andhra Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Rajahmundry | Andhra Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Tirupati | Andhra Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Guwahati | Assam | Y | 20% | — |
| Patna | Bihar | Y | 20% | — |
| Gaya | Bihar | Y | 20% | — |
| Muzaffarpur | Bihar | Y | 20% | — |
| Raipur | Chhattisgarh | Y | 20% | — |
| Bhilai Nagar | Chhattisgarh | Y | 20% | — |
| Bilaspur | Chhattisgarh | Y | 20% | — |
| Ahmedabad | Gujarat | Y | 20% | — |
| Surat | Gujarat | Y | 20% | — |
| Vadodara | Gujarat | Y | 20% | — |
| Rajkot | Gujarat | Y | 20% | — |
| Bhavnagar | Gujarat | Y | 20% | — |
| Jamnagar | Gujarat | Y | 20% | — |
| Faridabad | Haryana | Y | 20% | — |
| Gurgaon (Gurugram) | Haryana | Y | 20% | — |
| Hisar | Haryana | Y | 20% | — |
| Rohtak | Haryana | Y | 20% | — |
| Shimla | Himachal Pradesh | Y | 20% | State capital |
| Srinagar | Jammu & Kashmir | Y | 20% | — |
| Jammu | Jammu & Kashmir | Y | 20% | — |
| Ranchi | Jharkhand | Y | 20% | — |
| Jamshedpur | Jharkhand | Y | 20% | — |
| Dhanbad | Jharkhand | Y | 20% | — |
| Bokaro Steel City | Jharkhand | Y | 20% | — |
| Mysuru | Karnataka | Y | 20% | — |
| Hubballi-Dharwad | Karnataka | Y | 20% | — |
| Mangaluru | Karnataka | Y | 20% | — |
| Belagavi | Karnataka | Y | 20% | — |
| Kalaburagi | Karnataka | Y | 20% | — |
| Kochi | Kerala | Y | 20% | — |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala | Y | 20% | — |
| Kozhikode | Kerala | Y | 20% | — |
| Thrissur | Kerala | Y | 20% | — |
| Kollam | Kerala | Y | 20% | — |
| Indore | Madhya Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Jabalpur | Madhya Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Gwalior | Madhya Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Pune | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Nagpur | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Nashik | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Solapur | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Thane | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Navi Mumbai | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Kalyan-Dombivli | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Vasai-Virar | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Amravati | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Kolhapur | Maharashtra | Y | 20% | — |
| Bhubaneswar | Odisha | Y | 20% | — |
| Cuttack | Odisha | Y | 20% | — |
| Rourkela | Odisha | Y | 20% | — |
| Ludhiana | Punjab | Y | 20% | — |
| Amritsar | Punjab | Y | 20% | — |
| Jalandhar | Punjab | Y | 20% | — |
| Patiala | Punjab | Y | 20% | — |
| Jaipur | Rajasthan | Y | 20% | — |
| Jodhpur | Rajasthan | Y | 20% | — |
| Kota | Rajasthan | Y | 20% | — |
| Bikaner | Rajasthan | Y | 20% | — |
| Ajmer | Rajasthan | Y | 20% | — |
| Coimbatore | Tamil Nadu | Y | 20% | — |
| Madurai | Tamil Nadu | Y | 20% | — |
| Tiruchirappalli | Tamil Nadu | Y | 20% | — |
| Salem | Tamil Nadu | Y | 20% | — |
| Tirunelveli | Tamil Nadu | Y | 20% | — |
| Vellore | Tamil Nadu | Y | 20% | — |
| Erode | Tamil Nadu | Y | 20% | — |
| Tiruppur | Tamil Nadu | Y | 20% | — |
| Warangal | Telangana | Y | 20% | — |
| Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Ghaziabad | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Agra | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Meerut | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Prayagraj (Allahabad) | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Bareilly | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Aligarh | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Moradabad | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Saharanpur | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Gorakhpur | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Noida | Uttar Pradesh | Y | 20% | — |
| Dehradun | Uttarakhand | Y | 20% | — |
| Asansol | West Bengal | Y | 20% | — |
| Siliguri | West Bengal | Y | 20% | — |
| Durgapur | West Bengal | Y | 20% | — |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh (UT) | Y | 20% | — |
| Puducherry | Puducherry | Y | 20% | — |
| Imphal | Manipur | Z | 10% | State capital |
| Shillong | Meghalaya | Z | 10% | State capital |
| Aizawl | Mizoram | Z | 10% | State capital |
| Kohima | Nagaland | Z | 10% | State capital |
| Agartala | Tripura | Z | 10% | State capital |
| Itanagar | Arunachal Pradesh | Z | 10% | State capital |
| Gangtok | Sikkim | Z | 10% | State capital |
| Dispur (Guwahati) | Assam | Z | 10% | State capital (admin) |
| Panaji | Goa | Z | 10% | State capital |
| Port Blair | A&N Islands | Z | 10% | UT capital |
| Daman | Daman & Diu | Z | 10% | UT |
| Kavaratti | Lakshadweep | Z | 10% | UT capital |
| Silvassa | Dadra & NH | Z | 10% | UT capital |
| Leh | Ladakh | Z | 10% | UT |
| Kargil | Ladakh | Z | 10% | UT |
| Dharamshala | Himachal Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Manali | Himachal Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Mandi | Himachal Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Solan | Himachal Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Dibrugarh | Assam | Z | 10% | — |
| Silchar | Assam | Z | 10% | — |
| Muzaffarnagar | Uttar Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Mathura | Uttar Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Hapur | Uttar Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Firozabad | Uttar Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Jhansi | Uttar Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Sagar | Madhya Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Satna | Madhya Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Rewa | Madhya Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Bhind | Madhya Pradesh | Z | 10% | — |
| Udaipur | Rajasthan | Z | 10% | — |
| Alwar | Rajasthan | Z | 10% | — |
| Bhilwara | Rajasthan | Z | 10% | — |
| Sikar | Rajasthan | Z | 10% | — |
| Haridwar | Uttarakhand | Z | 10% | — |
| Roorkee | Uttarakhand | Z | 10% | — |
| Haldwani | Uttarakhand | Z | 10% | — |
| Dhanbad (rural) | Jharkhand | Z | 10% | — |
| Hazaribagh | Jharkhand | Z | 10% | — |
| Berhampur | Odisha | Z | 10% | — |
| Sambalpur | Odisha | Z | 10% | — |
| Balasore | Odisha | Z | 10% | — |
| Malappuram | Kerala | Z | 10% | — |
| Kannur | Kerala | Z | 10% | — |
| Palakkad | Kerala | Z | 10% | — |
| Kottayam | Kerala | Z | 10% | — |
| Alappuzha | Kerala | Z | 10% | — |
| Thanjavur | Tamil Nadu | Z | 10% | — |
| Dindigul | Tamil Nadu | Z | 10% | — |
| Thoothukudi | Tamil Nadu | Z | 10% | — |
| Nagercoil | Tamil Nadu | Z | 10% | — |
| Ambattur | Tamil Nadu | Z | 10% | — |
| Bellary (Ballari) | Karnataka | Z | 10% | — |
| Tumkur | Karnataka | Z | 10% | — |
| Davangere | Karnataka | Z | 10% | — |
| Nanded | Maharashtra | Z | 10% | — |
| Sangli-Miraj | Maharashtra | Z | 10% | — |
| Jalgaon | Maharashtra | Z | 10% | — |
| Akola | Maharashtra | Z | 10% | — |
| Latur | Maharashtra | Z | 10% | — |
| Ahmednagar | Maharashtra | Z | 10% | — |
| Pathankot | Punjab | Z | 10% | — |
| Bathinda | Punjab | Z | 10% | — |
| Gurdaspur | Punjab | Z | 10% | — |
| Ambala | Haryana | Z | 10% | — |
| Panipat | Haryana | Z | 10% | — |
| Karnal | Haryana | Z | 10% | — |
| Sonipat | Haryana | Z | 10% | — |
| Bhiwani | Haryana | Z | 10% | — |
| All other cities / towns | Pan India | Z | 10% | Default classification |
This list is for reference only and covers major cities. The authoritative source is Ministry of Finance O.M. No. 2/5/2017-E.II(B) dated 7 July 2017. For your exact posting station, verify with your Pay & Accounts Office.
How Classifications are Determined and Revised
City classifications are determined by the Pay Commission and formally notified by the Ministry of Finance. The 7th CPC classified cities using population data from the 2011 Census of India, with urban agglomeration boundaries defined by the Office of the Registrar General of India. The Commission's recommendations were accepted by the government and notified via O.M. No. 2/5/2017-E.II(B) dated 7 July 2017, effective from 1 July 2017.
How to check your city's official class
- 1. Check the MoF O.M. dated 7 July 2017
- 2. Consult your ministry's administrative instructions
- 3. Ask your DDO or Pay & Accounts Office
- 4. Check your appointment order (often mentions station class)
When can classifications change?
- • When a new Pay Commission is constituted
- • When new Census data is published
- • By special MoF notification (rare)
- • 8th CPC likely to revise using 2021 Census data
HRA Rate Revision Linked to DA Levels
| DA Level | X-class HRA | Y-class HRA | Z-class HRA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial (DA < 25%) | 24% | 16% | 8% |
| DA ≥ 25% | 27% | 18% | 9% |
| DA ≥ 50% (Current) | 30% | 20% | 10% |
What if Your City is Not Listed?
If your posting station is not listed in the Ministry of Finance classification, it automatically defaults to Z-class. This is the catch-all category and applies to the vast majority of India's towns and rural postings. You do not need to apply or request a classification — your PAO will apply Z-class rates unless instructed otherwise by an official notification.
Z-class entitlements (default)
- • HRA: 10% of basic pay
- • HRA minimum floor: ₹1,800/month
- • TA (Level 9+): ₹3,600/month
- • TA (Level 3–8): ₹1,800/month
- • TA (Level 1–2): ₹900/month
If you believe your city qualifies for Y-class
- • Check the 2011 Census population for your UA
- • If > 5 lakh, write to your ministry
- • Ministry refers to MoF for formal notification
- • Classification only applies from notification date
- • No retrospective effect on past HRA
Important: Some satellite towns and peripheral areas that are part of a larger urban agglomeration may share the classification of the main city. For example, Noida and Ghaziabad are classified as Y-class as they are recognised as separate urban agglomerations in the 7th CPC list, not as part of Delhi NCT. Verify your exact posting station's classification with your departmental administrative office.
How City Classification Affects Your Salary
City class directly drives two allowances — HRA and TA — but its effects flow through to other parts of your salary as well. Understanding all the implications helps you estimate the true financial impact of a transfer from one city class to another.
House Rent Allowance (HRA)
The most significant impact. A transfer from Y-class to X-class increases HRA from 20% to 30% — a 50% increase in HRA amount. For a Level 8 employee with ₹47,600 basic pay, this is the difference between ₹9,520/month (Y) and ₹14,280/month (X) — an annual difference of ₹57,120. Conversely, a transfer from Y to Z class reduces HRA from 20% to 10%, halving the allowance.
Transport Allowance (TA)
TA is determined by a simpler two-tier system: the six X-class metros qualify as "higher TPTA cities" for TA purposes. Moving from a Y-class city to Delhi/Mumbai doubles TA for Level 9+ employees (from ₹3,600 to ₹7,200/month), and the DA on TA is also correspondingly higher. Y-class and Z-class cities both attract the lower TA rate — so moving between Y and Z has no TA impact.
Income Tax (HRA Exemption)
Under the old tax regime, HRA exemption under Section 10(13A) is the least of: actual HRA received, 50% of basic pay (X-class cities) or 40% (Y/Z cities), and actual rent paid minus 10% of basic pay. The 50% vs 40% rule means X-class city employees get a larger exemption ceiling even before considering the higher HRA amount. Under the new regime, HRA is fully taxable regardless of city class.
CGHS Coverage
CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme) is available only in cities where CGHS dispensaries exist — primarily X-class and major Y-class cities. Employees posted to Z-class cities or towns without CGHS coverage are instead covered by CSMA (Central Services Medical Attendance) Rules, which provide reimbursement for medical expenses rather than cashless treatment. City class thus indirectly determines your healthcare access model.
Quick Transfer Calculator: Y-class → X-class (Level 8, ₹47,600 basic pay)
| Allowance | Y-class (Monthly) | X-class (Monthly) | Annual Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| HRA | ₹9,520 | ₹14,280 | +₹57,120 |
| TA (Level 8) | ₹1,800 | ₹3,600 | +₹21,600 |
| Total increase | +₹78,720/year |
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Government Salary Calculators
Calculate individual components, allowances, and deductions