U.S. Cost-of-Living Explorer

Compare what daily life costs across states and counties. Values come from federal datasets, each carries its reporting period, and every color on the map is paired with a text marker. Read how the score works.

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Map layer

Weighted composite of every category that has loaded data for this location.

Cost scale

Compared with the national average. Each step also carries a text marker so the scale never relies on color alone.

Much lower cost
Lower cost
Near benchmark
Higher cost
Much higher cost
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Select an area on the map or in the list. Selecting a state or territory opens its counties or municipios.

Nation

United States

MustWants Composite Cost Pressure Index

100index of the weighted measures below, national average = 100

ProvisionalNear benchmark

Verified category-weight coverage:: 80%
Measure coverage:: 82%
Geographic specificity:: 100%
Excluded categories: Taxes unavailable and excluded
Categories held for verification: Excluded: Taxes — source verification incomplete
Index version: Index Version 1.0

Provisional result

Source verification is incomplete, so the index is published as provisional and the affected categories carry no weight.

How to read this number

It is not a statement that a typical household here spends this much more or less than a typical United States household.
It is not a household budget, a market basket, or a spending forecast.
It is an index of the measures listed below, weighted by category, relative to the national value of those same measures.

What drives this result (7 factors)

Housing averages its 5 measures with equal influence (Median Gross Rent, Median Home Value, Median Monthly Owner Costs, Median Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income, Housing-Cost Burden (30% or more of income)), even where household exposure to them differs.
Energy and Utilities averages its 2 measures with equal influence (Residential Electricity Price, Residential Natural Gas Price), even where household exposure to them differs.
The Transportation category is represented by Mean Commute Time alone, so that single measure carries the category's full 13% weight.
The Household Income and Purchasing Power category is represented by Median Household Income alone, so that single measure carries the category's full 25% weight.
7 loaded measures are shown for context but carry no weight, so they cannot offset the weighted ones: Average Monthly Residential Consumption, Average Monthly Residential Electricity Cost, Combined Sales Tax Rate, Average Local Sales Tax Rate, State Individual Income Tax, Per Capita Income, Households Without a Vehicle.
No weighted measure covers food and groceries, health care and insurance premiums, property and auto insurance, goods and services, child care, so those household costs are absent from the index entirely.
Contributing measures come from more than one reporting period (2023, 2025), so the index is not a single point in time.

Category breakdown

Housing35.00% configured · 43.75% applied100Near benchmark
Energy and Utilities15.00% configured · 18.75% applied100Near benchmark
Taxes20.00% configured · excludedNot available
Transportation10.00% configured · 12.50% applied100Near benchmark
Household Income and Purchasing Power20.00% configured · 25.00% applied100Near benchmark

Household income is converted to an income index and combined with the non-income cost subtotal to produce purchasing-power pressure. It is never treated as a direct cost.

What stands out

Lower than the national average

No material advantages in the loaded data.

Higher than the national average

No material trade-offs in the loaded data.

Electricity cost estimator

Residential price: 17.30¢ per kWh; 2025Reported by the source agency. Reporting period 2025. Source eia_electricity_retail_sales
Typical household use: 869 kWh; 2025· calculatedCalculated from reported source values. Reporting period 2025. Source eia_electricity_retail_sales

Your monthly electricity use (kWh)

Estimated electricity supply cost

$155.70 per month

About $1,868 per year at 900 kWh per month.

0.0% compared with the national estimate of $155.70 per month.

This estimate covers electricity supply only. It excludes delivery charges, fixed monthly fees, taxes, and utility-specific rate structures. Energy prices are reported by state, so county views reuse the statewide value.

Measures used in the score

Residential Electricity Price17.30¢ per kWh
Level with the national benchmark.
Source:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Dataset:
Electricity retail sales, revenue, price, and customers
Reporting period:
2025
Geography:
National
Data status:
Reported by the source agency
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Price reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for the residential sector at the state level. County profiles display the statewide value unchanged. (eia-reported-v1)
Limitation:
Reported at the state level. County profiles show the statewide value.
Source link:
Electricity retail sales, revenue, price, and customers · Documentation
Residential Natural Gas Price$15.34 per Mcf
Level with the national benchmark.
Source:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Dataset:
Natural gas prices, residential sector
Reporting period:
2025
Geography:
National
Data status:
Reported by the source agency
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Price reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for the residential sector at the state level. County profiles display the statewide value unchanged. (eia-reported-v1)
Limitation:
Reported at the state level. County profiles show the statewide value.
Source link:
Natural gas prices, residential sector · Documentation
Median Gross Rent$1,348
Level with the national benchmark.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:
2023
Geography:
National
Data status:
Reported by the source agency
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Value published directly by the American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the geography. No transformation applied. (acs-reported-v1)
Source link:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation
Median Home Value$303,400
Level with the national benchmark.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:
2023
Geography:
National
Data status:
Reported by the source agency
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Value published directly by the American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the geography. No transformation applied. (acs-reported-v1)
Source link:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation
Median Monthly Owner Costs$1,902
Level with the national benchmark.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:
2023
Geography:
National
Data status:
Reported by the source agency
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Value published directly by the American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the geography. No transformation applied. (acs-reported-v1)
Source link:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation
Median Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income30.2%
Level with the national median rent share of income.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:
2023
Geography:
National
Data status:
Reported by the source agency
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Derived from American Community Survey 5-year estimate variables for the geography. See the calculation evidence panel for the source variables and intermediate counts. (acs-derived-v1)
Limitation:
This is the median rent-to-income ratio, not the share of renters paying 30 percent or more.
Source link:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation

Housing-Cost Burden (30% or more of income)31.7%

Level with the national housing-burden measure.

Source:: U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:: American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:: 2023
Geography:: National
Data status:: Calculated from reported source values
Last refresh:: August 6, 2026
Calculation:: Burdened owner households plus burdened renter households divided by the combined owner and renter burden universes, times 100. Households whose ratio is not computed are excluded from both the numerator and the denominator. (v1.1)
Source link:: American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation

Calculation evidence (18 source variables)

Formula

((B25091_008E + B25091_009E + B25091_010E + B25091_011E + B25091_019E + B25091_020E + B25091_021E + B25091_022E + B25070_007E + B25070_008E + B25070_009E + B25070_010E) / ((B25091_002E - B25091_012E) + (B25091_013E - B25091_023E) + (B25070_001E - B25070_011E))) * 100

Source variables

Variable	Definition	Value
B25070_001E	Renter-occupied units paying cash rent, total	44,590,828
B25070_007E	Renter households paying 30.0 to 34.9 percent of income	3,811,362
B25070_008E	Renter households paying 35.0 to 39.9 percent of income	2,796,144
B25070_009E	Renter households paying 40.0 to 49.9 percent of income	3,785,024
B25070_010E	Renter households paying 50.0 percent or more of income	10,516,877
B25070_011E	Renter households, rent as a share of income not computed	3,075,096
B25091_002E	Owner-occupied units with a mortgage, total	50,718,449
B25091_008E	Owner with mortgage paying 30.0 to 34.9 percent of income	3,357,728
B25091_009E	Owner with mortgage paying 35.0 to 39.9 percent of income	2,259,082
B25091_010E	Owner with mortgage paying 40.0 to 49.9 percent of income	2,693,510
B25091_011E	Owner with mortgage paying 50.0 percent or more of income	5,576,596
B25091_012E	Owner with mortgage, cost ratio not computed	243,313
B25091_013E	Owner-occupied units without a mortgage, total	32,173,588
B25091_019E	Owner without mortgage paying 30.0 to 34.9 percent of income	874,316
B25091_020E	Owner without mortgage paying 35.0 to 39.9 percent of income	614,684
B25091_021E	Owner without mortgage paying 40.0 to 49.9 percent of income	794,960
B25091_022E	Owner without mortgage paying 50.0 percent or more of income	2,107,768
B25091_023E	Owner without mortgage, cost ratio not computed	450,615

Intermediate counts

Owner households in universe82,198,109
Households in universe, total (denominator)123,713,841
Burdened renter households20,909,407
Renter households in universe41,515,732
Burdened households, total (numerator)39,188,051
Burdened owner households with a mortgage13,886,916
Burdened owner households without a mortgage4,391,728

Excluded from the universe

B25091_012E owner households with a mortgage, cost ratio not computed
B25091_023E owner households without a mortgage, cost ratio not computed
B25070_011E renter households, rent ratio not computed
Renter universe covers renter-occupied units paying cash rent only

Effective Property-Tax Proxy0.98%
Level with the national property-tax proxy.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:
2023
Geography:
National
Data status:
Calculated from reported source values
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Calculated: ACS 5-year B25103_001E (median real-estate taxes paid, owner-occupied housing units) divided by B25077_001E (median value, owner-occupied housing units), times 100. Both inputs come from the same ACS release and geography, and the national benchmark is computed with the identical formula from the national row of the same release. (v1.0)
Limitation:
Comparison proxy only, not a household tax rate. It divides two separately estimated ACS medians (each interpolated from grouped distributions), so no single household pays this rate. Assessed value can differ from market value, homestead and other exemptions vary by household, overlapping school district, city, county, and special-district levies vary within a state, and assessment caps change what an owner actually pays. Use it to compare places, not to estimate a tax bill.
Source link:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation
Calculation evidence (2 source variables)
Formula
(B25103_001E / B25077_001E) * 100
Source variables
Variable Definition Value
B25077_001E Median value, owner-occupied housing units 303,400
B25103_001E Median real-estate taxes paid, owner-occupied housing units 2,969
State Sales Tax Rate5.11%
Level with the national benchmark.
Source:
MustWants administrative import using official jurisdiction sources
Dataset:
State and Local Tax Rate Import
Reporting period:
2025
Geography:
National
Data status:
Calculated from reported source values
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Statutory state sales tax rate from the state revenue agency, verified import. Indexed against the unweighted mean of the 51 jurisdictions. A statutory zero indexes at 0. (tax-import-v1)
Limitation:
Only the statutory state rate is weighted. Local sales taxes are excluded because no verified statewide local average is loaded, so states with high local rates are understated. Grocery, clothing, and prescription treatment differ by state and are shown separately rather than scored.
Median Household Income$78,538
Level with the national median household income.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:
2023
Geography:
National
Data status:
Reported by the source agency
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Value published directly by the American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the geography. No transformation applied. (acs-reported-v1)
Limitation:
Income is not a direct cost. It is combined with local cost levels to produce purchasing-power pressure.
Source link:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation
Mean Commute Time26.6 minutes
Level with the national mean commute.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:
2023
Geography:
National
Data status:
Calculated from reported source values
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Calculated: ACS 5-year B08013_001E (aggregate travel time to work, in minutes) divided by B08012_001E (workers 16 years and over who did not work at home). The ACS published mean travel time was not retrieved. (v1.0)
Limitation:
Derived from the aggregate-travel-time and worker-universe tables rather than the ACS published mean, so it may differ slightly from profile-table figures.
Source link:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation
Calculation evidence (2 source variables)
Formula
B08013_001E / B08012_001E
Source variables
Variable Definition Value
B08012_001E Workers 16 years and over who did not work at home 136,377,810
B08013_001E Aggregate travel time to work, minutes 3,623,435,420

Context measures

Shown for interpretation. These measures carry no weight in the composite cost pressure index.

Average Monthly Residential Consumption869 kWh
Context only
Level with the national benchmark.
Source:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Dataset:
Electricity retail sales, revenue, price, and customers
Reporting period:
2025
Geography:
National
Data status:
Calculated from reported source values
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Annual residential electricity sales in MWh times 1,000, divided by the residential customer count, divided by 12. (v1.0)
Limitation:
Context only. Higher consumption may reflect climate, home size, or heating fuel rather than higher unit cost.
Source link:
Electricity retail sales, revenue, price, and customers · Documentation
Average Monthly Residential Electricity Cost$150
Display only
Level with the national benchmark.
Source:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Dataset:
Electricity retail sales, revenue, price, and customers
Reporting period:
2025
Geography:
National
Data status:
Calculated from reported source values
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Annual residential electricity revenue divided by the residential customer count, divided by 12. (v1.0)
Limitation:
Display only. It is derived from the same records as the electricity price and is not weighted separately.
Source link:
Electricity retail sales, revenue, price, and customers · Documentation

Combined Sales Tax Rate6.61%

Context only

Level with the combined sales tax rate.

Source:: MustWants administrative import using official jurisdiction sources
Dataset:: State and Local Tax Rate Import
Reporting period:: 2025
Geography:: National
Data status:: Calculated from the verified state rate and an externally sourced statewide local average
Last refresh:: August 6, 2026
Calculation:: Calculated: statutory state rate (verified against the state revenue agency) plus an externally sourced statewide average local rate. Not reported by any state revenue agency. (tax-import-v1)
Limitation:: The statewide average local component is computed by a third party using a specific averaging method (population weighted, sales weighted, jurisdiction weighted, or unweighted) and is not published by state revenue agencies. Because the local input is not yet attributed and verified, the combined rate is withheld from public pages and excluded from the score. Individual localities can be higher or lower than the average, up to each state's maximum local rate.

Calculation evidence (2 source variables)

Formula

combined_sales_tax_rate = state_general_sales_tax_rate + average_local_sales_tax_rate

Source variables

Variable	Definition	Value
average_local_sales_tax_rate	Statewide average local sales tax rate (pending verification, publisher unrecorded)	1.51
state_general_sales_tax_rate	Statutory state general sales tax rate (verified, state revenue agency)	5.11

Excluded from the universe

One input (the statewide average local rate) is pending source verification.
A single combined rate does not apply statewide; local rates vary by jurisdiction.

Average Local Sales Tax Rate1.51%

Context only

Level with the national benchmark.

Source:: MustWants administrative import using official jurisdiction sources
Dataset:: State and Local Tax Rate Import
Reporting period:: 2025
Geography:: National
Data status:: Statewide average whose calculating organization and averaging method are not yet recorded, pending verification
Last refresh:: August 6, 2026
Calculation:: Statewide average of local sales tax rates computed outside the state revenue agency. The calculating organization, averaging method, effective date, and publication date must be recorded before this measure is published. (tax-import-v1)
Limitation:: The average local component is not published by state revenue agencies. Until the calculating organization, averaging method, effective date, and publication date are recorded and verified, this measure is withheld from public pages and from the score.

Calculation evidence (4 source variables)

Formula

Statewide average of local sales tax rates, computed by a third party outside the state revenue agency.

Source variables

Variable	Definition	Value
effective_date	Rate effective date	Suppressed
averaging_method	Averaging method (population weighted, sales weighted, jurisdiction weighted, or unweighted)	Suppressed
publication_date	Publication date	Suppressed
calculating_organization	Organization that computed the statewide average	Suppressed

Excluded from the universe

Not published by the state revenue agency.
Source publisher and averaging methodology are unrecorded, so the figure cannot be attributed or reproduced.
Excluded from the composite index until an administrator records and verifies the source.

State Individual Income Tax5.01%
Context only
Level with the national benchmark.
Source:
MustWants administrative import using official jurisdiction sources
Dataset:
State and Local Tax Rate Import
Reporting period:
2025
Geography:
National
Data status:
Calculated from reported source values
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Statutory top marginal individual income tax rate published by the state revenue agency, verified import. Context only: not indexed and not weighted, because the top bracket is not the rate a typical household pays. (tax-import-v2)
Limitation:
A top marginal statutory rate is not an effective household tax rate: brackets, deductions, exemptions, credits, and local income taxes are not reflected. It is shown as context only and carries no weight in the index. A state with no individual income tax is recorded as 0.00%.
Per Capita Income$43,289
Context only
Level with the national per-capita income.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:
2023
Geography:
National
Data status:
Reported by the source agency
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Value published directly by the American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the geography. No transformation applied. (acs-reported-v1)
Limitation:
Context only. Weighting per-capita income alongside median household income would double count income.
Source link:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation
Households Without a Vehicle8.3%
Context only
Level with the national share of households without a vehicle.
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau
Dataset:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates
Reporting period:
2023
Geography:
National
Data status:
Calculated from reported source values
Last refresh:
August 6, 2026
Calculation:
Derived from American Community Survey 5-year estimate variables for the geography. See the calculation evidence panel for the source variables and intermediate counts. (acs-derived-v1)
Limitation:
Context only. A low share of households without a vehicle is not automatically a cost advantage.
Source link:
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · Documentation

Variable	Definition	Value
B25077_001E	Median value, owner-occupied housing units	303,400
B25103_001E	Median real-estate taxes paid, owner-occupied housing units	2,969

Variable	Definition	Value
B08012_001E	Workers 16 years and over who did not work at home	136,377,810
B08013_001E	Aggregate travel time to work, minutes	3,623,435,420