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Eight datasets used across the site, as RFC 4180 CSV and self-describing JSON, generated from the same source code at build time. CSV preserves the columns and rows; JSON also includes the dataset description, source URLs, as-of dates and column guide. Published data is compiled from agency or state releases; computed tables derive from those sources. The method is on each card.
8 datasets · 38,652 rows · sources and dates on every card
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True Cost of Living Index, 2026
Computed from published sources · 51 rows
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Computed by this site
True Cost of Living Index, 2026
Every state ranked by what an ordinary paycheck buys once income tax and local prices are both counted, for three households. 100 is the average state. Method: howmuchitreallycosts.com/true-cost-of-living.
What each column means
rank- 1 = the same pay buys the most
state- Two-letter postal code
state_name- State or DC
index- Mean of the three household scores; 100 = the average state
score_single50- Single, $50,000: 100 × purchasing power ÷ the 51-state mean
score_single75- Single, $75,000: 100 × purchasing power ÷ the 51-state mean
score_couple120- Married couple, $120,000: 100 × purchasing power ÷ the 51-state mean
tax_share_75k_single- Share of a $75,000 salary taken by federal, FICA and state income tax
price_level_index- BEA all-items regional price parity, 100 = national average
- Federal and state income tax schedulesas of 2026-01-01
- US Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by state (SARPP), 2023as of 2023-12-31
Computed by this site
Take-home pay by state and salary
What a salary leaves after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, and state income tax, in every state, at seven salaries, single filer, tax year 2026. Local income taxes are not included.
What each column means
state- Two-letter postal code
state_name- State or DC
salary_usd- Gross annual salary
federal_income_tax_usd- Federal income tax after the standard deduction
fica_usd- Social Security and Medicare, employee share
state_income_tax_usd- State income tax
take_home_usd- Salary minus the three taxes
effective_tax_rate- Total tax as a share of salary
Computed by this site
What a $75,000 salary is worth in each state
Take-home pay on $75,000 (single filer, tax year 2026) divided by the state's BEA all-items regional price parity — the purchasing power of the same salary in each state, in national-average dollars. Ranked best first.
What each column means
rank- 1 = the salary goes furthest
state- Two-letter postal code
state_name- State or DC
take_home_usd- After federal, FICA and state income tax
price_level_index- BEA all-items regional price parity, 100 = national average
housing_price_index- BEA housing (rents) parity, 100 = national average
purchasing_power_usd- take_home_usd ÷ (price_level_index ÷ 100)
- Federal and state income tax schedulesas of 2026-01-01
- US Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by state (SARPP), 2023as of 2023-12-31
Published by the source
State income tax brackets, 2026
Every bracket of every state income tax schedule, by filing status, with the standard deduction that applies before the brackets. States with no wage income tax appear with a single 0% bracket.
What each column means
state- Two-letter postal code
filing_status- Single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household
bracket_from_usd- Taxable income where this rate starts
bracket_to_usd- Taxable income where it ends; empty for the top bracket
rate- Marginal rate, as a decimal
standard_deduction_usd- The state's own standard deduction for this filing status (before any phase-out)
source_url- The state's own schedule
Published by the source
Sales tax by county
State plus county sales tax rate for every county in every state that levies one. City, transit and special-district taxes are excluded, so a purchase inside a city can pay more than this floor.
What each column means
state- Two-letter postal code
county- County or parish, as the state names it
county_fips- 5-digit state + county FIPS code
state_rate- State rate at this county (varies within Virginia)
county_rate- The county's own levy
combined_floor_rate- state_rate + county_rate
Published by the source
Property tax by state
Median annual property tax paid by homeowners, median home value, and the effective rate between them, for every state and DC.
What each column means
state- Two-letter postal code
state_name- State or DC
effective_rate- Median tax ÷ median home value
median_annual_tax_usd- Median real estate tax paid, owner-occupied
median_home_value_usd- Median value, owner-occupied
Published by the source
Price levels by state
How expensive each state is against the national average — all items, goods, housing (rents) and other services — as published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
What each column means
state- Two-letter postal code
state_name- State or DC
all_items_index- 100 = national average
goods_index- 100 = national average
housing_index- Rents; 100 = national average
other_services_index- 100 = national average
Published by the source
Median wage by job and state
The median annual wage for every detailed occupation in every state where the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes one. A missing state means BLS suppressed or did not publish the estimate — never that the wage is zero.
What each column means
soc_code- Standard Occupational Classification code
occupation- BLS occupation title
state- Two-letter postal code
median_annual_wage_usd- BLS OEWS median
Using these numbers
Please cite the page a figure came from, with the date you downloaded it:
How Much It Really Costs, “Take-home pay by state and salary”, howmuchitreallycosts.com/data, accessed [date].
These datasets are licensed under CC BY 4.0: reuse them freely, including commercially, as long as you credit How Much It Really Costs and link to the page.
Data published by US federal agencies (the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau) is in the public domain. How each figure is worked out is on the methodology page, and what the site does not model is on limitations. Every source, with its date, is on sources.