Posts by Jaclyn DeJohn, CFP®
Cost of Living & Taxes
Cities With the Highest and Lowest Property Tax Burdens – 2025 Study
Even after the mortgage is paid off, homeowners face ongoing property taxes across the United States. While senior citizens, owner-occupants, and other groups may receive preferential tax treatment in some jurisdictions, homeowners still pay anywhere from 1% to 10% of their income on property taxes. These taxes pay for local infrastructure and amenities – putting… read more…
Cost of Living & Taxes
Staying Home to Raise the Family? Here’s What the Working Spouse Needs to Earn – 2025 Study
While the cost of raising a young child can now reach over $40,000 in pre-tax income annually depending on where you live, many families find ways to mitigate some of the larger costs associated with parenthood. This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid… read more…
Travel, Education & More
Gas Prices Decline in Most States, Rise in Others Ahead of Holiday Travel – 2025 Study
During the biggest travel week of the year, the chance of flight delays paired with declining gas prices in many states may prompt many families to drive to their Thanksgiving destinations. However, gas prices in some places did increase substantially, even outpacing general inflation. So for those crossing state lines, paying attention to gas prices… read more…
Travel, Education & More
Holiday Spending Growth by State – 2025 Study
It’s that time of year when many households assess their budgets ahead of holiday parties, gifting and sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Local businesses, ecommerce businesses, and even governments collecting associated sales tax benefit from these end-of-year purchases. To accommodate the seasonal surge in spending, businesses must often plan ahead to account… read more…
Income
Gen Z Earnings Premium: Cities Where Young Workers Are Excelling – 2025 Study
While some members of Gen Z may still be working entry level jobs while attending high school or college, much of this cohort has now entered the workforce in earnest. As the least experienced generation on the schedule, Gen Z is generally paid less than their older counterparts, with this holding true in 93% of… read more…
Cost of Living & Taxes
What the Top 1% Pays in Taxes Across the U.S. – 2025 Study
The top 1% of earners across the U.S. earn an average of 19.5% of all income – sometimes garnering criticism from pundits and politicians – but pay 37% of total income taxes. This cohort thus contributes the largest chunk of funding for infrastructure, healthcare, welfare programs, and more, despite advantages that may enable them to… read more…
Cost of Living & Taxes
Cost of Raising a Child in Each U.S. State – 2025 Study
In 2025, the average annual cost of raising a child under five in the United States reached $27,743. These costs – which cover additional housing, food, transportation, healthcare, miscellaneous items and childcare for a working couple – rose 4.5% between 2024 and 2025, slightly outpacing the 2.82% inflation rate during the same timeframe. But costs… read more…
Travel, Education & More
Flight Delays by Airport: Will You Get There on Time? 2025 Study
Flight delays can be due to myriad reasons, including individual airline efficiency, geography, weather, staffing, security incidents and more. As the holiday season ramps up, air travel is projected to hit record highs, with AAA forecasting 82 million passengers traveling during Thanksgiving week alone. This surge in demand, coupled with potential winter weather and any… read more…
Travel, Education & More
SNAP Reliance and Benefits by State – 2025 Study
Nearly 42 million individuals across the United States are covered by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to May 2025 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with a monthly benefit of around $188 per person. Use of the SNAP program and benefit amounts vary greatly by state, meaning residents in some areas will… read more…
Travel, Education & More
Sports Betting Popularity by State – 2025 Study
In addition to taking on the risks of gambling, taxpayers must pay their regular income tax rate on net winnings. U.S. states collected $2.6 billion in taxes on sports betting in 2024, a 29% increase from a year earlier. Incentivized by this tax revenue, many states have been loosening their sports-betting laws, with more considering… read more…
Income
Millennial Earnings Premium: Top Cities for High Earners in 2025
Millennials, now squarely in their prime working years, earn an average premium of 8.8% across large U.S. cities, outpacing the local median earnings of all households. However, supply and demand for labor – generally dictated by the alignment between local industry dynamics and resident qualifications – can have a large impact on the earnings, with… read more…
Income
Bitcoin Adoption Rates by State: Where Cryptocurrency Is Most Popular – 2025 Study
Over 2.78 million Americans reported actively participating in cryptocurrencies according to the latest IRS data, with estimates asserting Bitcoin prevalence for roughly 75% of all users. The ascent in Bitcoin’s value over the years – among other currencies – has undoubtedly made fortunes for many investors. But the IRS did not start tracking general cryptocurrency involvement… read more…
Quality of Life
Medicare Payouts and Plan Preferences by State – 2025 Study
Over 61 million Americans receive Medicare benefits to help pay for their healthcare in retirement, a figure up 30% in less than a decade. A low standard monthly premium affords people 65 and older access to care through Part A and Part B coverage, with the option to opt for semi-privatized Part C coverage, also… read more…
Income
Federal Furloughs by State: 2025 Government Shutdown Report
With Congress unable to agree upon funding legislation for 2026, the federal government shut down October 1st. Federal agencies deferred to funding contingency plans, typically resulting in furloughs for significant chunks of their workforces. These furloughed employees are not receiving paychecks during this time, though backpay is likely once a deal is struck. But the… read more…
Demographics & Migration
U.S. Population Trends by State: Winners and Losers – 2025 Study
Across all 50 states, the population increased by an average of 1.55% over one year. But some states saw a much larger boom in the number of residents, while others lagged behind. And within each state, population growth – or decline – varied from county to county. Birth rates, immigration, and households moving within the… read more…
Cost of Living & Taxes
Cities Where Housing is Most and Least Affordable for Residents – 2025 Study
To gauge housing affordability at an individual level, many financial advisors use the rule of thumb that payments shouldn’t exceed 28% of your gross income. Fitting in with this guidance, housing payments accounted for an estimated 20.98% of the median household income across the United States in 2024, according to the newest Census Bureau data.… read more…
Income
U.S. Cities With the Highest Income Growth – 2025 Study
Nationwide, the median household income reached $83,730 in 2024, growing just 1.3% year over year. This means many households did not keep pace with the roughly 3% inflation rate during the same time period, but that was not true everywhere. Especially in large cities where residents often pay a premium for convenience, infrastructure and amenities,… read more…
Cost of Living & Taxes
How Much Are OBBBA Provisions Worth to American Households? 2025 Study
Provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) offer Americans additional tax deductions and credits that will take effect for tax year 2025, with many lasting through 2028 and beyond. Many people should expect some tax savings, as the provisions incentivize a wide net of statuses and activities, including young families, seniors, tipped workers,… read more…
Quality of Life
America’s Safest Cities – 2025 Study
City safety – or lack thereof – can lead to great disparity in quality of life and return on dollars invested by residents, businesses and government alike. In August, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C. The federal government subsequently leveraged the local police force and deployed over… read more…
Travel, Education & More
Best Community Colleges – 2025 Study
Community college can be the pathway to creating more lifelong income, with associate’s degree holders earning 14% more – or $6,496 more per year – than those with a high school education. But while tuition and fees tend to be less expensive for community colleges than four-year degrees, it still costs a median $5,040 per… read more…
Income
Credit Card Chaos: Where Americans Face the Most Trouble With Their Cards – 2025 Study
The United States depends heavily on credit cards, with the Federal Reserve reporting that credit cards account for 32% of transactions nationwide. Benefits like rewards programs, budgeting tools, credit-building, fraud protection, interest-free promotions and more make them valuable tools for everyday purchases and big-ticket items across most lifestyles. But when credit card holders encounter issues… read more…
Industry Trends
$1 Billion in AUM: Where RIAs Manage the Most Assets – 2025 Study
Less than 3% of Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) nationwide have $1 billion or more in assets under management (AUM). These firms may have found their success through various avenues – whether by leaning into a niche, building scalable systems, or identifying high-ROI marketing approaches – but all have proven their expertise and value to the… read more…
Quality of Life
America’s Safest Suburbs – 2025 Study
While costs are often a major factor for families deciding where to settle, safety is another important factor for quality of life. Many households are willing to pay a premium to be in a neighborhood they feel physically safe in, as valuable qualitative benefits may be at stake in establishing a sense of safety –… read more…
Industry Trends
RIAs in These States Are Taking Advantage of Business Opportunities Overseas – 2025 Study
While local households often serve as an RIA’s main prospect base, some firms opt to open their total addressable market by providing investment and advisory services overseas. At the same time, some foreign-based firms have registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in order to provide business services in the U.S. In both cases,… read more…
Income
How Much Do You Need to Earn to Be in the Top 1% in Your State? 2025 Study
Nearly 1.5 million households across the United States now rank among the top 1% of earners, according to the latest tax return data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). On average, it takes $731,492 in annual income to be a part of this group. But that threshold looks different depending on where you live. Economic… read more…