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The differentiatorThe Benchmarks
Every calculator that benchmarks your result, in one place — with the reference value, what kind of benchmark it is, and the public source. Click any card to run your own number and see how you compare.
29cited benchmarks
7life & business areas
7data sources
100%sourced
Benchmark types
Official a published authority (CDC, EPA, Federal Reserve, BLS) Market avg a current measured average that moves over time Rule of thumb a widely-used industry guideline Break-even computed from your own inputs
Money — 6 benchmarks
Investment return
Rule of thumbStocks ~10% nominal (~7% real)
Long-run US stocks ~10% nominal (~7% real); bonds/savings far less
Retirement withdrawal
Rule of thumb~3.9% safe starting rate
Morningstar 2026: ~3.9% safe starting rate (30-yr, 90% success); classic “4% rule”
401(k) savings rate
Rule of thumb12–15% incl. employer match
Fidelity ~15% incl. match; Vanguard 12–15% incl. employer contributions
Credit-card APR
Market avg21.52% (accounts assessed interest)
Federal Reserve G.19, Q1 2026: 21.52% (accounts assessed interest); 21.00% all accounts
Auto-loan rate
Market avg60-mo 7.52% · 72-mo 7.55%
Federal Reserve G.19 new-car average, Q1 2026 (finance-company avg 6.1%)
Dividend yield
Market avgS&P 500 ≈ 1.07%
S&P 500 dividend yield ≈ 1.07% (Jun 2026, SlickCharts / GuruFocus)
Real Estate — 5 benchmarks
Mortgage rate
Market avg≈ 6.49%
Freddie Mac PMMS 30-yr fixed average, Jun 25 2026
Refinance rate
Market avg≈ 6.49%
Freddie Mac PMMS 30-yr fixed average, Jun 25 2026
Home affordability (DTI)
Rule of thumb≤28% of gross income
Conservative 28/36 rule of thumb
Rental cap rate
Rule of thumb4–8% typical
Cap rates commonly 4–10% (market-dependent)
BRRRR cash-on-cash
Rule of thumb~8%+ target
Common investor target ~8%+ cash-on-cash
Business & Pricing — 8 benchmarks
Profit margin (by industry)
Market avgPer-industry sector average (24 industries; see Industry Margins sheet)
Damodaran (NYU Stern) gross margins by industry, Jan 2026
ROAS
Break-evenYour computed break-even ROAS
Break-even ROAS computed from your own margins
Amazon FBA margin
Rule of thumb~20%+ healthy (category-dependent)
General guidance; margins vary widely by category
Marketplace margin
Rule of thumb~15%+ healthy
General guidance; ecommerce margins vary by category
Restaurant food cost %
Rule of thumb28–35% of menu price
Industry rule of thumb: 28–35% food cost
Contractor margin
Rule of thumb~8–15% net
Common target ~8–15% net profit
Cost per hire
Rule of thumb≈ $4,700 average
SHRM-reported average cost per hire ≈ $4,700 (secondary-cited)
PTO accrual
Market avg11 days at 1 yr · 15 at 5 yr · 18 at 10 yr · 20 at 20 yr
BLS National Compensation Survey, private-industry avg paid vacation by tenure
Pay & Taxes — 3 benchmarks
Paycheck income percentile
Market avgMedian $53,010 · top 10% $155k · top 1% $450k
US individual income distribution, 2025 (Census CPS via DQYDJ)
Take-home income percentile
Market avgMedian $53,010 · top 10% $155k · top 1% $450k
US individual income distribution, 2025 (Census CPS via DQYDJ)
Salary income percentile
Market avgMedian $53,010 · top 10% $155k · top 1% $450k
US individual income distribution, 2025 (Census CPS via DQYDJ)
Health — 2 benchmarks
BMI
OfficialHealthy 18.5–<25
CDC adult BMI categories
Body fat %
OfficialMen: overweight ≥25, obesity ≥30 · Women: overweight ≥36, obesity ≥42
Clinical body-fat thresholds (NHANES DXA / metabolic-risk study)
Everyday — 3 benchmarks
Tip %
Market avgFull-service 19.3 · Quick-service 15.8 · Takeout 13.7
Toast restaurant tipping data, Q1 2026 (card tips)
Fuel economy
Official27.2 mpg new-vehicle average (MY2024)
EPA Automotive Trends Report: MY2024 new vehicles avg 27.2 mpg
GPA
Rule of thumb≥2.0 good standing
~2.0 is a common good-standing minimum
Manufacturing — 2 benchmarks