- ACA Health Insurance: Prevalence, Premiums and Subsidies by State – 2025 Study
The Affordable Care Act, ACA – commonly known as Obamacare – offers federally backed health insurance for millions of Americans. Certain tax credits act as monthly premium subsidies for the insured, generally bringing the costs down by thousands of dollars per year. However, the funding for these subsidies are set to expire at the end… read more…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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 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…
- 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…
- 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…
- America’s Most Expensive Housing Markets – 2025 Study
As of May 2025, the median home sale price in the U.S. hit $368,751. But in some metro areas, it’s standard for single-family homes to sell for over $1 million. In these high-cost areas, price swings may carry major consequences, such as putting existing homeowners at risk of losing equity or potentially pricing out hopeful… read more…
- Cost of Raising a Child in Major U.S. Metros – 2025 Study
Common costs associated with raising a child – such as childcare, additional food, medical costs, housing and more – can add up to tens of thousands of dollars per year. This makes raising a child a relatively expensive line-item anywhere, but in some metro areas these costs can be double those in others, sometimes reaching… read more…
- Renting vs. Buying: How Housing Costs Compare Across America – 2025 Study
The cost of housing isn’t just limited to the price tag of your monthly rent or the cost of financing the purchase price of your home. On the rental side, the cost of utilities can add a consistent, considerable amount to your costs. For homeowners, mortgage costs are padded not only by utilities but homeowners’… read more…
- Where Home Values Increased and Decreased Most – 2025 Study
Sharp changes in home values can have many ripple effects throughout the local economy. In the short term, both potential homesellers and homebuyers may be impacted by changes in local competitive forces and affordability. Over time, these changes can affect the city’s tax base, current homeowners’ refinancing options, demand in the local job markets, and… read more…
- Where Rent Increased Most – 2025 Study
Most experts agree that the United States is millions of housing units short of meeting the needs of Americans at an affordable price. This can put a lot of pressure on prices, but supply and demand dynamics may not look the same in each city – or each snapshot in time, for that matter. Regardless,… read more…
- Grocery Prices Increased Most in These Major Metro Areas – 2025 Study
Cost of living increases affect most people when they apply to the basics – specifically shelter and food. So while general inflation metrics include a wide range of items, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also tracks price changes on specific goods, including grocery categories. The latest numbers tell a divergent tale of food accessibility in… read more…
- What a Roommate Can Save You in 100 U.S. Cities – 2025 Study
Rent prices can shift dramatically depending on local housing demand, sometimes pricing renters out entirely. With the price tag of a one-bedroom rental in many large U.S. cities topping over $2,000 per month, those looking to sign a lease may be hesitant to potentially overextend an already-tight budget. Financial advisors often follow a general rule… read more…
- Where Cost of Living Increased and Decreased Most – 2025 Study
While inflation metrics may show broad trends across the U.S., costs of individual necessities like housing, groceries, utilities, transportation and medical expenses may see wider price volatility from city to city. Many dynamics may help influence price differentials across the country, such as geographical location – which may impact the availability and import cost of… read more…
- Americans Have the Most Student Loan Debt in These States – 2025 Study
While taxes and a high cost of living eat into a household’s earnings, past debt obligations like student loans may take another significant chunk out of the budget before allocating disposable income on nice-to-haves like retirement savings and vacations. While student loans may help a household increase its lifetime earnings, the principal and interest on… read more…
- Where Americans Write Off the Most in Taxes – 2025 Study
With a bit of savvy planning, Americans can lighten their tax load through deductions and credits. Taxpayers can choose to itemize deductions or stick with the standard option. For the 2024 tax year, the standard deduction stands at $14,600 for individuals and $29,200 for joint filers — yet many still opt to itemize when the… read more…
- What It Takes to Be Middle Class in America – 2025 Study
For middle-class Americans, the dream has long been a life of reasonable comfort — a stable home, the ability to save enough money to retire, and enough left over for periodic splurges like family vacations, updated cars, or home improvements. But with living costs surging over the past few years, that dream is getting pricier.… read more…
- Gas Prices Increase Up to 9.3%: U.S. States See Wide Range in Price Shifts in January 2025
While the latest inflation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the annual price change nationwide on gas at +4.4%, some states have seen gas prices increases by more than double that, while prices have fallen significantly in others. Americans may be sensitive to such significant fluctuations in gas prices: The average commute to… read more…
- Where Mortgages Are Easiest to Pay Off – 2024 Study
Becoming a homeowner can be the beginning of a long, complicated process. After you qualify and buy the home, you could spend 30 years paying off your mortgage loan. And during that time, your finances may change through job transitions, family growth and larger economic events. So it’s important to have a strong emergency fund… read more…
- Where Airfare Increased the Most – Fall 2024
The national average for domestic airfare in early 2024 was $388, up slightly from $381 one year earlier – an increase that didn’t even keep pace with inflation. Many major airports also saw domestic airfare prices cool, leaving more room in the budget for some travelers. But depending on their location, others may have to… read more…
- What the Top 1% Pay in Taxes in Each State – 2024 Study
The top 1% of earners typically pay much more in taxes than many other Americans. Nationwide, this group contributes 45% of total personal income taxes collected. However, the top 1% doesn’t pay the same amount everywhere. Therefore, some states may be more dependent on this group than others for tax revenue. With this in mind,… read more…
- Homes Sell for Over $1 Million in the Most Expensive Housing Markets – 2024 Study
While the median sale price of U.S. homes is just shy of $421,000 in Q1 2024, homes in some areas more than doubled that average. These expensive places may prevent hopeful first-time homebuyers from investing in the area, making renting – or even moving to a less expensive area – a better alternative. In some… read more…
- Where Home Prices Increased Most – 2024 Study
Despite cooling inflation, homes across the U.S. in April sold at prices averaging 6% higher than a year before. This indicates demand for homes is still strong, while the supply of inventory underwhelms. While this market could favor those who are looking to sell their homes and move to a less expensive area, hopeful first-time… read more…
- Minimum Income Needed to Support Different Family Types by State – 2024 Study
Supporting a larger household generally increases overall costs. But thanks to economies of scale, the cost per child decreases when having more than one child per family. Additionally, if one parent stays home to care for the children, families can potentially save a significant amount on childcare and other expenses. Despite these general trends, the… read more…