The Real Cost of Living
Inflation is reported as a percentage. Your bills arrive in dollars. This report converts official source measures into dollars: income, essentials, and what is left, for every congressional district, every month. Built so more people can understand the cost of living without needing to be inflation specialists first.
Net income, minus required costs.
Seven income groups drawn from federal data. For each, we subtract required monthly costs (housing, healthcare, and essential living costs) from net monthly income. What is left is the monthly margin.
Net income
$6,152
Margin
-$1,949
Where you live.
All 50 states, all 435 congressional districts, 26,000 ZIP codes. Select your district in the monthly report to see the margin computed where you live, ranked against every other district in the country.
Sources documented.
Published figures are built from cited federal sources and one clearly labeled Zillow rent source, with 334 automated checks passed this month before publication. Corrections are recorded in a permanent public log.
Because the Consumer Price Index (CPI) effectively influences the finances, purchasing power, and borrowing costs of all 330+ million Americans, no other government report can touch more people by sheer headcount.
Income, essentials, and what is left, for every congressional district, every month.