CostBy County

Data Methodology & Editorial Standards

How we source, calculate, and present cost of living data for every US county.

Data Source

All cost of living data on CostByCounty comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). The ACS is the premier source of detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data for every county and county-equivalent in the United States, surveying over 3.5 million households annually.

We use 5-year estimates rather than 1-year estimates because they provide reliable data for all counties, including smaller and rural areas where single-year sample sizes are insufficient. This ensures consistent coverage across the entire country.

Specific ACS Tables Used

  • B25077 — Median home value
  • B25064 — Median gross rent
  • B25104 — Monthly housing costs (mortgage, insurance, taxes, utilities)
  • B19013 — Median household income (used for affordability ratios)

Metrics Displayed

Each county page on CostByCounty presents the following cost of living metrics:

  • Median Home Value — The midpoint value of owner-occupied housing units in the county, as reported by the ACS.
  • Median Gross Rent — The midpoint monthly rent (including utilities) paid by renters in the county.
  • Monthly Housing Costs — The median total monthly cost for homeowners, including mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and utilities.
  • Median Household Income — Used to calculate affordability ratios and contextualize housing costs relative to local earnings.
  • Housing Cost Burden — The percentage of household income spent on housing costs. A ratio above 30% is generally considered “cost-burdened” by HUD standards.

How Metrics Are Calculated

Most metrics are reported directly from ACS estimates without transformation. Where we compute derived metrics:

  • Affordability ratios are calculated by dividing annualized housing costs by median household income.
  • State and national comparisons are computed by ranking each county against its state peers and the full national dataset.
  • Cost index values are expressed relative to the national median (national median = 100).
Cost Burden = (Annual Housing Costs / Median Household Income) × 100

All figures should be treated as estimates, not exact measurements. Census data is subject to sampling margins of error, particularly in smaller counties.

Geographic Coverage

CostByCounty covers 3,100+ counties and county-equivalents across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This includes counties, parishes (Louisiana), boroughs (Alaska), and independent cities (Virginia). Coverage is limited only by ACS data availability — a small number of very low-population areas may lack certain estimates.

Data Freshness

The current dataset uses the ACS 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates, which is the most recent release available from the Census Bureau. We update our data when new ACS releases are published, typically once per year. The last data refresh occurred in early 2026.

Because 5-year estimates represent a rolling average, they may lag behind rapid market changes. For the most current housing market conditions, we recommend supplementing our data with local real estate listings and reports.

AI-Generated Content

Some descriptive text on CostByCounty — including county narrative summaries, comparative descriptions, and editorial articles — is generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence (Claude by Anthropic). All AI-generated content is reviewed for accuracy and grounded in the underlying Census data.

The raw data, metrics, and rankings displayed on this site are sourced directly from U.S. Census Bureau datasets and are not AI-generated. AI assistance is used only for prose descriptions and contextual commentary.

Limitations and Disclaimers

  • All data is informational only and should not be treated as financial, legal, or real estate advice.
  • ACS estimates are subject to margins of error, especially in low-population counties.
  • Cost of living encompasses many factors beyond housing (groceries, transportation, healthcare, taxes) that are not fully captured in ACS housing data alone.
  • We encourage users to verify important decisions with local data sources, real estate professionals, and financial advisors.

Questions or Corrections

If you have questions about our methodology or notice a data discrepancy, please contact us. We welcome feedback and data correction requests.