The US Family Budget Dataset provides insights into the cost of living in different US counties based on the Family Budget Calculator by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

This dataset offers community-specific estimates for ten family types, including one or two adults with zero to four children, in all 1877 counties and metro areas across the United States.

Interesting Task Ideas:

1. See how family budgets compare to the federal poverty line and the Supplemental Poverty Measure in different counties.
2. Look into the money challenges faced by different types of families using the budgets provided.
3. Find out which counties have the most affordable places to live, food, transportation, healthcare, childcare, and other things people need.
4. Explore how the average income of families relates to the overall cost of living in different counties.
5. Investigate how family size affects the estimated budget and find counties where bigger families have higher costs.
6. Create visuals showing how the cost of living varies across different states and big cities.
7. Check whether specific counties are affordable for families of different sizes and types.
8. Use the dataset to compare living standards and economic security in different US counties.

If you find this dataset valuable, don't forget to hit the upvote button! 😊💝

Checkout my other datasets

Employment-to-Population Ratio for USA

Productivity and Hourly Compensation

130K Kindle Books

900K TMDb Movies

USA Unemployment Rates by Demographics & Race

Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

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, TN (MWACL47037) from 2009 to 2023 about Davidson County, TN; Nashville; adjusted; TN; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Santa Clara County, CA (MWACL06085) from 2009 to 2023 about Santa Clara County, CA; San Jose; adjusted; average; wages; CA; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for New York County, NY (MWACL36061) from 2009 to 2023 about New York County, NY; adjusted; New York; average; NY; wages; real; and USA.

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.

Key quality of life indicators - cost index, housing.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Jefferson County, CO (MWACL08059) from 2009 to 2023 about Jefferson 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 Spokane County, WA (MWACL53063) from 2009 to 2023 about Spokane County, WA; Spokane; adjusted; WA; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for El Paso County, CO (MWACL08041) from 2009 to 2023 about El Paso County, CO; Colorado Springs; adjusted; CO; average; wages; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Orange County, CA (MWACL06059) from 2009 to 2023 about Orange County, CA; Los Angeles; adjusted; average; wages; CA; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Clark County, WA (MWACL53011) from 2009 to 2023 about Clark County, WA; Portland; adjusted; WA; average; wages; real; and USA.

Cost comparison table showing 2023 and 2024 median costs by location

Cost comparison table showing 2023 and 2024 median costs by location

Cost comparison table showing 2023 and 2024 median costs by location

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Los Angeles County, CA (MWACL06037) from 2009 to 2023 about Los Angeles County, CA; Los Angeles; adjusted; average; wages; CA; real; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Okaloosa County, FL (MWACL12091) from 2009 to 2023 about Okaloosa County, FL; adjusted; average; FL; wages; real; and USA.

Cost comparison table showing 2023 and 2024 median costs by location

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Mean Real Household Wages Adjusted by Cost of Living for Madison County, KY (MWACL21151) from 2016 to 2023 about Madison County, KY; adjusted; KY; average; wages; real; and USA.

Cost comparison table showing 2023 and 2024 median costs by location