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.

In 2025, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for medical professional services in the United States was at 432.46, compared to the period from 1982 to 1984 (=100). The CPI for hospital services was at 1,102.12.

The cost of living is spiraling. Prices are going up, household expenses are rising, and the U.S. inflation rate reached a 40-year record high in 2023. Many consumers are looking for new ways to deal with this situation and refer to social media for support. So, which social media platforms have the most helpful content to deal with the current cost of living crisis in the U.S.? According to an exclusive survey by We Are Social and Statista Q, around 61 percent of TikTok users in the United States find helpful content there. Coming on number second is YouTube, as 56 percent of YouTube users find life hacks, tricks, money saving tips and other suitable advice to deal with inflation in 2023.

The ACCRA Cost of Living Index (COLI) is a measure of living cost differences among urban areas compiled by the Council for Community and Economic Research. Conducted quarterly, the index compares the price of goods and services among approximately 300 communities in the United States and Canada. This Microsoft Excel file contains the average prices of goods and services published in the ACCRA Cost of Living Index since 1990.

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.

This table contains data on the percent of households paying more than 30% (or 50%) of monthly household income towards housing costs for California, its regions, counties, cities/towns, and census tracts. Data is from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Consolidated Planning Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) and the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS). The table is part of a series of indicators in the [Healthy Communities Data and Indicators Project of the Office of Health Equity] Affordable, quality housing is central to health, conferring protection from the environment and supporting family life. Housing costs—typically the largest, single expense in a family's budget—also impact decisions that affect health. As housing consumes larger proportions of household income, families have less income for nutrition, health care, transportation, education, etc. Severe cost burdens may induce poverty—which is associated with developmental and behavioral problems in children and accelerated cognitive and physical decline in adults. Low-income families and minority communities are disproportionately affected by the lack of affordable, quality housing. More information about the data table and a data dictionary can be found in the Attachments.

Graph and download economic data for Index of Prices Paid by Farmers for Commodities Used in Both Living and Production for United States (M04127USM319NNBR) from Jan 1925 to Jan 1967 about paid, production, commodities, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

A dataset comprising various variables around housing and demographics for the top 50 American cities by population.

Variables:

Zip Code: Zip code within which the listing is present.

Price: Listed price for the property.

Beds: Number of beds mentioned in the listing.

Baths: Number of baths mentioned in the listing.

Living Space: The total size of the living space, in square feet, mentioned in the listing.

Address: Street address of the listing.

City: City name where the listing is located.

State: State name where the listing is located.

Zip Code Population: The estimated number of individuals within the zip code. Data from Simplemaps.com.

Zip Code Density: The estimated number of individuals per square mile within the zip code. Data from Simplemaps.com.

County: County where the listing is located.

Median Household income: Estimated median household income. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Latitude: Latitude of the zip code. ** Data from Simplemaps.com.**

Longitude: Longitude of the zip code. Data from Simplemaps.com.

Alabama cost of living for the counties with the lowest and highest MHI in Alabama (2022 U.S. Dollars).

This data collection contains the results of the Survey of Low Income Aged and Disabled (SLIAD), conducted in 1973-1974 in order to collect demographic and socioeconomic data necessary for assessing the effect of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program on potential recipients. After January 1, 1974, SSI replaced the state-administered welfare programs of Old Age Assistance (OAA), Aid to the Blind (AB), and Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled (APTD) and was meant to improve the economic well-being of the adult poor. A national sample of about 18,000 low-income aged, blind, and/or disabled adults was interviewed in 1973, and reinterviewed in 1974, after SSI was implemented. The 1974 re-interviews were conducted only with persons successfully interviewed in 1973. No new cases were added to replace first-year losses, nor were cases dropped because they no longer met SSI eligibility. Part 1 contains data gathered from a sample made up of aged and disabled persons who received OAA, AB, and/or APTD payments in 1973. Part 2 contains data gathered from a sample of low-income aged and disabled people in the general population (generated from Current Population Survey samples). The United States Census Bureau conducted the interviews and collected the data. The 1973 survey placed great emphasis on financial matters. Each respondent was asked to report income received in the preceding month and year by each of three general classes of persons in the household. The questionnaire listed more than 15 income sources including payments and awards from almost every transfer program possible, earnings from jobs and businesses, gifts, and dividends. The financial section of the questionnaire also included items aimed at establishing the value of owned property, savings and investments, the amount of indebtedness, and the amount spent for food, shelter, and other recurring household expenditures. For the most part, the remainder of the questionnaire concerned (1) household composition, (2) personal history, (3) health, health care, and the capacity for self-maintenance, (4) standard of living, as represented by housing, diet, travel, and recreation, (5) factors that might affect the relation between income and standard of living (e.g., personal preference, physical capacity, and access), and (6) attitudinal response to these conditions, circumstances, and types of status. The 1974 survey was similar in that it asked almost all of the earlier income and asset questions, but added a section on SSI payments. It also collected more detail on household living expenses. It did not repeat the biographical section or the inventory of health conditions from the 1973 survey, but did contain new questions on a spouses' funeral expenses as well as the respondent's experience with SSI.

United States PCE Inflation Nowcast: sa: Contribution: Commodity Prices: Live Cattle Futures: CME: Settlement Price: 1st Month data was reported at 0.000 % in 12 May 2025. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 % for 05 May 2025. United States PCE Inflation Nowcast: sa: Contribution: Commodity Prices: Live Cattle Futures: CME: Settlement Price: 1st Month data is updated weekly, averaging 0.000 % from Apr 2019 (Median) to 12 May 2025, with 320 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.073 % in 25 Mar 2024 and a record low of 0.000 % in 12 May 2025. United States PCE Inflation Nowcast: sa: Contribution: Commodity Prices: Live Cattle Futures: CME: Settlement Price: 1st Month data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by CEIC Data. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.CEIC.NC: CEIC Nowcast: Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) Inflation: Headline.

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR
Poverty (EQ5)

FULL MEASURE NAME
The share of the population living in households that earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty limit

LAST UPDATED
January 2023

DESCRIPTION
Poverty refers to the share of the population living in households that earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty limit, which varies based on the number of individuals in a given household. It reflects the number of individuals who are economically struggling due to low household income levels.

DATA SOURCE
U.S Census Bureau: Decennial Census - http://www.nhgis.org
1980-2000

U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey - https://data.census.gov/
2007-2021
Form C17002

CONTACT INFORMATION
vitalsigns.info@mtc.ca.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator)
The U.S. Census Bureau defines a national poverty level (or household income) that varies by household size, number of children in a household, and age of householder. The national poverty level does not vary geographically even though cost of living is different across the United States. For the Bay Area, where cost of living is high and incomes are correspondingly high, an appropriate poverty level is 200% of poverty or twice the national poverty level, consistent with what was used for past equity work at MTC and ABAG. For comparison, however, both the national and 200% poverty levels are presented.

For Vital Signs, the poverty rate is defined as the number of people (including children) living below twice the poverty level divided by the number of people for whom poverty status is determined. The household income definitions for poverty change each year to reflect inflation. The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or non-cash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid and food stamps).

For the national poverty level definitions by year, see: US Census Bureau Poverty Thresholds - https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html.

For an explanation on how the Census Bureau measures poverty, see: How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty - https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html.

American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year data is used for larger geographies – Bay counties and most metropolitan area counties – while smaller geographies rely upon 5-year rolling average data due to their smaller sample sizes. Note that 2020 data uses the 5-year estimates because the ACS did not collect 1-year data for 2020.

To be consistent across metropolitan areas, the poverty definition for non-Bay Area metros is twice the national poverty level. Data were not adjusted for varying income and cost of living levels across the metropolitan areas.

U.S. Software Developer Salaries

Analyzing Regional Variations

By [source]

About this dataset

This dataset provides an extensive look into the financial health of software developers in major cities and metropolitan areas around the United States. We explore disparities between states and cities in terms of mean software developer salaries, median home prices, cost of living avgs, rent avgs, cost of living plus rent avgs and local purchasing power averages. Through this data set we can gain insights on how to better understand which areas are more financially viable than others when seeking employment within the software development field. Our data allow us to uncover patterns among certain geographic locations in order to identify other compelling financial opportunities that software developers may benefit from

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How to use the dataset

This dataset contains valuable information about software developer salaries across states and cities in the United States. It is important for recruiters and professionals alike to understand what kind of compensation software developers are likely to receive, as it may be beneficial when considering job opportunities or applying for a promotion. This guide will provide an overview of what you can learn from this dataset.

The data is organized by metropolitan areas, which encompass multiple cities within the same geographical region (e.g., “New York-Northern New Jersey” covers both New York City and Newark). From there, each metro can be broken down further into a number of different factors that may affect software developer salaries in the area:

• Mean Software Developer Salary (adjusted): The average salary of software developers in that particular metro area after accounting for cost of living differences within the region.
• Mean Software Developer Salary (unadjusted): The average salary of software developers in that particular metro area before adjusting for cost-of-living discrepancies between locales.
• Number of Software Developer Jobs: This column lists how many total jobs are available to software developers in this particular metropolitan area.
• Median Home Price: A metric which shows median value of all homes currently on the market within this partcular city or state. It helps gauge how expensive housing costs might be to potential residents who already have an idea about their income/salary range expectations when considering a move/relocation into another location or potentially looking at mortgage/rental options etc.. 5) Cost Of Living Avg: A metric designed to measure affordability using local prices paid on common consumer goods like food , transportation , health care , housing & other services etc.. Also prominent here along with rent avg ,cost od living plus rent avg helping compare relative cost structures between different locations while assessing potential remunerations & risk associated with them . 6)Local Purchasing Power Avg : A measure reflecting expected difference in discretionary spending ability among households regardless their income level upon relocation due to price discrepancies across locations allows individual assessment critical during job search particularly regarding relocation as well as comparison based decision making across prospective candidates during any hiring process . 7 ) Rent Avg : Average rental costs for homes / apartments dealbreakers even among prime job prospects particularly medium income earners.(basis family size & other constraints ) 8 ) Cost Of Living Plus Rent Avg : Used here as one sized fits perspective towards measuring overall cost structure including items

Research Ideas

• Comparing salaries of software developers in different cities to determine which city provides the best compensation package.
• Estimating the cost of relocating to a new city by looking at average costs such as rent and cost of living.
• Predicting job growth for software developers by analyzing factors like local purchasing power, median home price and number of jobs available

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit the original authors. Data Source

License

License: CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) - Public Domain Dedication No Copyright - You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking perm...

View monthly updates and historical trends for US Consumer Price Index. from United States. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Track economic data with Y…

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR
Poverty (EQ5)

FULL MEASURE NAME
The share of the population living in households that earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty limit

LAST UPDATED
January 2023

DESCRIPTION
Poverty refers to the share of the population living in households that earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty limit, which varies based on the number of individuals in a given household. It reflects the number of individuals who are economically struggling due to low household income levels.

DATA SOURCE
U.S Census Bureau: Decennial Census - http://www.nhgis.org
1980-2000

U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey - https://data.census.gov/
2007-2021
Form C17002

CONTACT INFORMATION
vitalsigns.info@mtc.ca.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator)
The U.S. Census Bureau defines a national poverty level (or household income) that varies by household size, number of children in a household, and age of householder. The national poverty level does not vary geographically even though cost of living is different across the United States. For the Bay Area, where cost of living is high and incomes are correspondingly high, an appropriate poverty level is 200% of poverty or twice the national poverty level, consistent with what was used for past equity work at MTC and ABAG. For comparison, however, both the national and 200% poverty levels are presented.

For Vital Signs, the poverty rate is defined as the number of people (including children) living below twice the poverty level divided by the number of people for whom poverty status is determined. The household income definitions for poverty change each year to reflect inflation. The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or non-cash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid and food stamps).

For the national poverty level definitions by year, see: US Census Bureau Poverty Thresholds - https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html.

For an explanation on how the Census Bureau measures poverty, see: How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty - https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html.

American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year data is used for larger geographies – Bay counties and most metropolitan area counties – while smaller geographies rely upon 5-year rolling average data due to their smaller sample sizes. Note that 2020 data uses the 5-year estimates because the ACS did not collect 1-year data for 2020.

To be consistent across metropolitan areas, the poverty definition for non-Bay Area metros is twice the national poverty level. Data were not adjusted for varying income and cost of living levels across the metropolitan areas.

In the United States, Hawaii was the state with the most expensive housing, with the typical value of single-family homes in the 35th to 65th percentile range exceeding ******* U.S. dollars. Unsurprisingly, Hawaii also ranked top as the state with the highest cost of living. Meanwhile, a property was the least expensive in West Virginia, where it cost under ******* U.S. dollars to buy the typical single-family home. Single-family home prices increased across most states in the United States between December 2023 and December 2024, except in Louisiana, Florida, and the District of Colombia. According to the Federal Housing Association, house appreciation in 13 states exceeded **** percent in 2023.

View monthly updates and historical trends for US Inflation Rate. from United States. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Track economic data with YCharts…

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures over time the prices of goods and services in major expenditure categories typically purchased by urban consumers. The expenditure categories include food, housing, apparel, transportation, and medical care. Essentially, the Index measures consumer purchasing power by comparing the cost of a fixed set of goods and services (called a market basket) in a specific month relative to the cost of the same market basket in an earlier reference period, designated as the base period. The CPI is calculated for two population groups: urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) and all urban consumers (CPI-U). The CPI-W population includes those urban families with clerical workers, sales workers, craft workers, operatives, service workers, or laborers in the family unit and is representative of the prices paid by about 40 percent of the United States population. The CPI-U population consists of all urban households (including professional and salaried workers, part-time workers, the self-employed, the unemployed, and retired persons) and is representative of the prices paid by about 80 percent of the United States population. Both populations specifically exclude persons in the military, in institutions, and all persons living outside of urban areas (such as farm families). National indexes for both populations are available for about 350 consumer items and groups of items. In addition, over 100 of the indexes have been adjusted for seasonality. The indexes are monthly with some beginning in 1913. Area indexes are available for 27 urban places. For each area, indexes are presented for about 65 items and groups. The area indexes are produced monthly for 5 areas, bimonthly for 10 areas, and semiannually for 12 urban areas. Regional indexes are available for four regions with about 95 items and groups per region. Beginning with January 1987, regional indexes are monthly, with some beginning as early as 1966. City-size indexes are available for four size classes with about 95 items and groups per class. Beginning with January 1987, these indexes are monthly and most begin in 1977. Regional and city-size indexes are available cross-classified by region and city-size class. For each of the 13 cross-classifications, about 60 items and groups are available. Beginning with January 1987, these indexes are monthly and most begin in 1977. Each index record includes a series identification code that specifies the sample (either all urban consumers or urban wage earners and clerical workers), seasonality (either seasonally adjusted or unadjusted), periodicity (either semiannual or regular), geographic area, index base period, and item number of the index.

According to a recent study, Colombia had the lowest monthly cost of living in Latin America with 546 U.S. dollars needed for basic living. In contrast, four countries had a cost of living above one thousand dollars, Costa Rica, Chile, Panama and Uruguay. In 2022, the highest minimum wage in the region was recorded by Ecuador with 425 dollars per month.

Can Latin Americans survive on a minimum wage? Even if most countries in Latin America have instated laws to guarantee citizens a basic income, these minimum standards are often not enough to meet household needs. For instance, it was estimated that almost 22 million people in Mexico lacked basic housing services. Salary levels also vary greatly among Latin American economies. In 2022, the average net monthly salary in Brazil was lower than Ecuador's minimum wage.

What can a minimum wage afford in Latin America? Latin American real wages have generally risen in the past decade. However, consumers in this region still struggle to afford non-basic goods, such as tech products. Recent estimates reveal that, in order to buy an iPhone, Brazilian residents would have to work more than two months to be able to pay for it. A gaming console, on the other hand, could easily cost a Latin American worker several minimum wages.

Context

This dataset contains Real Estate listings in the US broken by State and zip code.

Download

kaggle API Command !kaggle datasets download -d ahmedshahriarsakib/usa-real-estate-dataset

Content

The dataset has 1 CSV file with 10 columns -

1. realtor-data.csv (2,226,382 entries)
   • brokered by (categorically encoded agency/broker)
   • status (Housing status - a. ready for sale or b. ready to build)
   • price (Housing price, it is either the current listing price or recently sold price if the house is sold recently)
   • bed (# of beds)
   • bath (# of bathrooms)
   • acre_lot (Property / Land size in acres)
   • street (categorically encoded street address)
   • city (city name)
   • state (state name)
   • zip_code (postal code of the area)
   • house_size (house area/size/living space in square feet)
   • prev_sold_date (Previously sold date)

NB: 1. brokered by and street addresses were categorically encoded due to data privacy policy 2. acre_lot means the total land area, and house_size denotes the living space/building area

Acknowledgements

Data was collected from - - https://www.realtor.com/ - A real estate listing website operated by the News Corp subsidiary Move, Inc. and based in Santa Clara, California. It is the second most visited real estate listing website in the United States as of 2024, with over 100 million monthly active users.

Cover Image

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Disclaimer

The data and information in the data set provided here are intended to use for educational purposes only. I do not own any data, and all rights are reserved to the respective owners.

Inspiration

• Can we predict housing prices based on the features?
• How are housing price and location attributes correlated?
• What is the overall picture of the USA housing prices w.r.t. locations?
• Do house attributes (bedroom, bathroom count) strongly correlate with the price? Are there any hidden patterns?