A methodology is developed and demonstrated to determine a numerical figure of merit (FOM) by which alternative low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal sites and disposal technologies can be evaluated. The FOM is an arbitrarily selected nominal value, representative of the societal value of products associated with the LLRW, modified by the positive and negative impacts of waste disposal. Impacts considered include radiological health effects, transportation accidents, disposal and transportation economics, and user-specified socioeconomic factors. All impacts are converted to an economic basis via a user-specified value of life to allow a common basis of comparison. A demonstration of the methodology evaluates the 1984 Pennsylvania LLR W source term in 24 cases, 2 general locations, 3 soil types, and 4 disposal technologies (Part 61 trench, above-ground vault, below-ground vault, and grouted trench or engineered container). Costs derived for each case in 1984 dollars range from $990 to 1090/m1 ($28 to 31/ft3). Uniform criteria applied to each case assume a linear loss of containment and structural stability for LLRW in a waste cell. Radiological pathways are primarily a function of the site and generally show little or no dependence on the disposal technology. For a $300 000 value of life, the influence of economic factors dominates the FOM. For a $300 million value of life, a spread in FOMs results from transportation and radiological impact pathways. For the 24 cases considered, using a $300 million value of life, the methodology determines the optimum choice to be any of the four disposal technologies at the low permeability site nearest the waste generators (FOMs 939 to 943) and the poorest choice to be the site with unsuitable hydrology farthest from the waste generators (727 to 730). For the optimum site the major FOM impacts are economic (28 nominal incremental FOM units for disposal plus 2 for transportation), transportation fatalities (18 units), and radiation exposure due to transportation (8 units). Such data provide a valuable resource to decision makers charged with making a disposal site and disposal technology selection.