Cost of Living
Data and tools
- Consumer Price Index
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics - Cost of Living Adjustment Contract Language Considerations and Examples
Guidance and examples from Research and Collective Bargaining Staff - BLS Inflation Calculator
Consumer Price Index-based inflation calculator from Bureau of Labor Statistics - Compare cost of living between cities
Allows comparisons of buying power across the 50 states and the District of Columbia, or from one metro area to another, for a given year. Price levels are expressed as a percentage of the overall national level.
Which data should I use?
- Should I use monthly CPI figures or annual averages?
Calculating annual inflation for a specific month (for example, from December to December) gives you more recent data, but using annual averages smooths out the volatility that can occur in monthly CPI data. - Should I use seasonally adjusted or unadjusted data?
BLS advises using unadjusted CPI data for escalation clauses - More BLS CPI Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Living Wage In My Area?
Calculators
- Family Budget Calculator
From the Economic Policy Institute - Living Wage Calculator
From the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Compensation data
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Wage Data by Area and Occupation
For over 800 occupations, the 50 states and 375 metropolitan areas as well as non-metropolitan areas - Employee Benefits Survey
Data on the prevalence of benefits and features of selected benefit plans
Other Economic Statistics
U.S. Census Bureau
- Data for States and Local Communities
From Census QuickFacts - Quarterly Survey of Public Pensions
From Census - Government Employment
Includes data on federal, state and local employment and payrolls
More resources
- Employment and Unemployment Rates and Trends
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics - Cornell Industrial & Labor Relations Guide
Guide to statistical sources
