September 2026 report · national

National Relocation Calculator

Considering a move? See what it costs a household like yours to live there each month, after taxes. Begin with the national baseline, then narrow your view to any state, any of 35,672 ZIP codes, or one of 25 popular destinations.

TrueCOLA U.S. Relocation Calculator

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

Income ends here

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/national/

X Facebook

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

Highest and lowest monthly balances

Two adults, renter, September 2026. Select a state to open it.

Highest monthly balances

Lowest monthly balances

Not all relocation calculators are created equal

Choosing where to live is a major financial decision. Before relying on any cost-of-living figure, ask five questions. Here is how TrueCOLA answers each one. Every answer is backed by our published methodology, which documents each data source, every calculation step, and the audit checks run on every report.

Where does the data come from?: From published government sources, including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The only non-government source is the Zillow Observed Rent Index for market rents, which is credited wherever it appears.
Are taxes included?: Yes. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, and each state’s income tax are subtracted, so places are compared on take-home pay rather than gross pay.
How current is it?: Every figure is updated monthly and published the next business day after the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the Consumer Price Index.
How local is it?: Figures are published for the nation, all 50 states, and 35,672 ZIP codes, using one consistent method everywhere.
Can it be verified?: Yes. The methodology and all corrections are public, and the data files are free to download. Each month’s source files are recorded with a digital fingerprint that changes if a single byte changes, and any downloaded report can be checked on our verification page.
Every month: TrueCOLA publishes this margin every month, covering 35,672 ZIP codes and all 50 states.

More ways to compare

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.