Skip to content
TrueCOLA Project home

September 2026 report · by state

Relocation Calculator by State

Compare states before you move. Pick a state to see what a household needs to cover its bills there, and how much income is left over or how much falls short each month.

TrueCOLA U.S. Relocation Calculator

in

Monthly Surplus/Shortfall by housing path

Select one

Each month, after taxes and required costs Shortfall

-$1,974.66

Two adults, renter, in the United States, September 2026

Gross income
$7,434.40up to the line
Modeled taxes
$1,282.27federal, payroll, state
Housing
$1,932.72rent
Healthcare
$1,471.01health insurance
Everyday essentials
$4,723.07food, transportation, more
Short
$1,974.66shortfall
States with a surplus
0 of 50
published figures for this household
Take-home pay
$6,152.13
per month, published

Monthly expenses in the U.S.

Two adults, renter, September 2026.

$8,126.79required costs a month
Housing
$1,932.72
Rent, current asking rent · 23.78% of costs
Healthcare
$1,471.01
Health insurance, two average marketplace premiums before subsidy · 18.10% of costs
Everyday essentials
$4,723.07
the nine lines below · 58.12% of costs

Everyday essentials

Food & beverages $1,655.2420.37% of costs
Transportation $1,596.6019.65% of costs
Apparel $344.724.24% of costs
Recreation $316.663.90% of costs
Utilities $306.403.77% of costs
Other goods & services $179.692.21% of costs
Education $141.891.75% of costs
Telephone $123.361.52% of costs
Internet $58.510.72% of costs

How does your ZIP code compare?

Type your ZIP code to see it beside the national figures.

Try
Your ZIP code’s figures will appear here, next to the national figure.

Every household nationwide

Renter. 0 of 7 households have a surplus at national figures. Select one to switch the dashboard.

Where the U.S. stands

Two adults, renter. The scale runs from the largest shortfall (red) to the largest surplus (green).

All 50 states 0 of 50 with a surplus
U.S. -$1,974.66
Lowest -$3,464.82
West Virginia Highest -$623.64
North Dakota

Share this on social media.

“In September 2026, the monthly margin for two adults (renter) in the United States is -$1,974.66 after modeled taxes and required costs. This is an area benchmark; a ZIP lookup uses the area with most of its homes when the ZIP spans multiple areas.”

truecola.org/relocation-calculator/by-state/

XFacebook

Figures from the September 2026 report. Rent data: Data Provided by Zillow Group.

More ways to compare

Choose a state

Select a state to see its figures in the calculator above.

How the calculator works

Select a household type. The calculator shows that household’s published figures from the September 2026 report: gross monthly income, modeled taxes, net monthly income, required costs for housing, healthcare, and other essentials, and the monthly surplus or shortfall that remains. The margin is net income minus required costs. The margin is not an inflation rate and does not replace the CPI.

To evaluate a move, look up where you live now and note its surplus or shortfall, then look up the place you are considering. Because every place is calculated the same way, the two results can be compared directly.

To see an estimate based on your own income, move the slider to your gross monthly pay. That calculation runs only in your browser, is labeled as your estimate, and is never sent or saved. The published figures use the renter track; the calculator also shows three homeowner tracks for every place.

The basket is a market-price standard: current asking rent and unsubsidized average marketplace premiums. It can run above what a settled household pays, and the methodology states this.

For full details, see the methodology page. Rent data: Data Provided by Zillow Group.