West Virginia and Kansas had the lowest cost of living across all U.S. states, with composite costs being half of those found in Hawaii. This was according to a composite index that compares prices for various goods and services on a state-by-state basis. In West Virginia, the cost of living index amounted to **** — well below the national benchmark of 100. Virginia— which had an index value of ***** — was only slightly above that benchmark. Expensive places to live included Hawaii, Massachusetts, and California. Housing costs in the U.S. Housing is usually the highest expense in a household’s budget. In 2023, the average house sold for approximately ******* U.S. dollars, but house prices in the Northeast and West regions were significantly higher. Conversely, the South had some of the least expensive housing. In West Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana, the median price of the typical single-family home was less than ******* U.S. dollars. That makes living expenses in these states significantly lower than in states such as Hawaii and California, where housing is much pricier. What other expenses affect the cost of living? Utility costs such as electricity, natural gas, water, and internet also influence the cost of living. In Alaska, Hawaii, and Connecticut, the average monthly utility cost exceeded *** U.S. dollars. That was because of the significantly higher prices for electricity and natural gas in these states.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Davidson County, NC (MWACL37057) from 2009 to 2023 about Davidson County, NC; adjusted; average; NC; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Lake County, OH (MWACL39085) from 2009 to 2023 about Lake County, OH; Cleveland; adjusted; OH; average; wages; real; and USA.

Household income is a potential predictor for a number of environmental influences, for example, application of urban pesticides. This product is a U.S. conterminous mapping of block group income derived from the 2010-2014 Census American Community Survey (ACS), adjusted by a 2013 county-level Cost-of-Living index obtained from the Council for Community and Economic Research. The resultant raster is provided at 200-m spatial resolution, in units of adjusted household income in thousands of dollars per year.

This table contains data on the living wage and the percent of families with incomes below the living wage for California, its counties, regions and cities/towns. Living wage is the wage needed to cover basic family expenses (basic needs budget) plus all relevant taxes; it does not include publicly provided income or housing assistance. The percent of families below the living wage was calculated using data from the Living Wage Calculator and the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. The table is part of a series of indicators in the Healthy Communities Data and Indicators Project of the Office of Health Equity. The living wage is the wage or annual income that covers the cost of the bare necessities of life for a worker and his/her family. These necessities include housing, transportation, food, childcare, health care, and payment of taxes. Low income populations and non-white race/ethnic have disproportionately lower wages, poorer housing, and higher levels of food insecurity. More information about the data table and a data dictionary can be found in the About/Attachments section.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Clark County, NV (MWACL32003) from 2009 to 2023 about Clark County, NV; Las Vegas; NV; adjusted; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Mercer County, NJ (MWACL34021) from 2009 to 2023 about Mercer County, NJ; Trenton; adjusted; NJ; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for York County, VA (MWACL51199) from 2010 to 2023 about York County, VA; Virginia Beach; adjusted; average; VA; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Denver County, CO (MWACL08031) from 2009 to 2023 about Denver County, CO; Denver; adjusted; CO; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Gwinnett County, GA (MWACL13135) from 2009 to 2023 about Gwinnett County, GA; Atlanta; adjusted; average; GA; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Bronx County, NY (MWACL36005) from 2009 to 2023 about Bronx County, NY; adjusted; New York; average; NY; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Salt Lake County, UT (MWACL49035) from 2009 to 2023 about Salt Lake County, UT; Salt Lake City; UT; adjusted; average; wages; real; and USA.

Consumers in Central African Republic paid the highest price for gasoline in Africa as of April 2025. One liter of the fuel cost on average 1.9 U.S. dollars in the country. In Senegal, the retail price for gasoline octane-95 reached on average 1.71 U.S. dollars per liter, the second-highest on the continent. On the other hand, consumers living in traditional crude oil producers in Africa, such as Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Libya, and Egypt spent less money on gasoline. For instance, one liter cost 0.03 U.S. dollar in Libya, among the cheapest in the world.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Clay County, FL (MWACL12019) from 2009 to 2023 about Clay County, FL; Jacksonville; adjusted; average; FL; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Boone County, MO (MWACL29019) from 2009 to 2023 about Boone County, MO; Columbia; adjusted; MO; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Jefferson County, TX (MWACL48245) from 2009 to 2023 about Jefferson County, TX; Beaumont; adjusted; average; wages; TX; real; and USA.

Out of all OECD countries, Cost Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2022, at over 20 percent. The country with the second highest poverty rate was the United States, with 18 percent. On the other end of the scale, Czechia had the lowest poverty rate at 6.4 percent, followed by Denmark.

The significance of the OECD

The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was founded in 1948 and is made up of 38 member countries. It seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of countries and their populations. The OECD looks at issues that impact people’s everyday lives and proposes policies that can help to improve the quality of life.

Poverty in the United States

In 2022, there were nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S.. About one fourth of the Native American population lived in poverty in 2022, the most out of any ethnicity. In addition, the rate was higher among young women than young men. It is clear that poverty in the United States is a complex, multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people and is even more complex to solve.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for St. Louis County, MO (MWACL29189) from 2009 to 2023 about St. Louis County, MO; St. Louis; adjusted; MO; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Montgomery County, AL (MWACL01101) from 2009 to 2023 about Montgomery County, AL; Montgomery; adjusted; AL; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Marion County, OR (MWACL41047) from 2009 to 2023 about Marion County, OR; Salem; OR; adjusted; average; wages; real; and USA.