Cost of Living Checkup
What does it really cost to live here?
Pick any state and see how its cost of living, housing, groceries and tax burden compare to the national average — plus how far the typical local income actually stretches.
5 of 5 in a healthy range. An affordable state relative to the U.S. average.
- Overall cost of livingindex 97
- Housingindex 92
- Groceries & goodsindex 98
- Tax burden8.6%
- Income power$84,358
Example figures — edit any input to recompute every metric against its cited benchmark.
Pick any state to benchmark against the U.S. average
The all-in price level vs the U.S. average of 100.
Uses the shared inputs above.
Below the national average — your money goes further here.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities 2022
Rents and home costs vs the U.S. average.
Uses the shared inputs above.
Housing is cheaper than the U.S. average here.
Source: BEA RPP · rents
Everyday goods prices vs the U.S. average.
Uses the shared inputs above.
Goods are around or below the national average.
Source: BEA RPP · goods
State and local taxes as a share of income.
Uses the shared inputs above.
A lighter tax burden than the national average.
Source: Tax Foundation state-local burden
The state's median household income adjusted for its local price level.
Uses the shared inputs above.
Strong — the typical local income outbuys the U.S. median.
Source: Census income ÷ BEA price level
How this checkup works
Each index compares a state to the U.S. average of 100 using BEA Regional Price Parities (overall, housing and goods), with the Tax Foundation's state-and-local tax burden as a share of income. Income power divides the state's median household income (Census, via assets/state-benchmarks.js) by its overall price level, so you see what the typical paycheck is really worth locally. All 51 states from assets/state-cost-data.js.
Sources: BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 · Tax Foundation state-local tax burden · U.S. Census median household income (CPS ASEC 2024).
Frequently asked questions
What does an index of 100 mean?
100 is the national average. A housing index of 160 means housing costs about 60% more than the U.S. average; 85 means about 15% less.
What is 'income power'?
The state's median household income adjusted for its local price level — what the typical paycheck actually buys here, compared to the U.S. median of $83,730.
Every number here is benchmarked against a cited public source. Estimates only — verify important figures independently.