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American Family Cost of Living by County
Finance & Banking Analytics
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About
This dataset, titled the US Cost of Living Dataset (1877 Counties), offers modest yet adequate family budget estimates for US counties. It provides insights into the cost of living across different US counties, drawing on the Family Budget Calculator by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). The dataset includes community-specific estimates for ten family types, ranging from one or two adults with zero to four children, covering all 1877 counties and metropolitan areas throughout the United States.
Columns
- case_id: A unique identifier for each area name. (type: int)
- state: The US state where the county is located. (type: str)
- isMetro: A boolean indicator specifying whether the county is part of a metropolitan area. (type: bool)
- areaname: The specific area name for the location. (type: str)
- county: The name of the county. (type: str)
- family_member_count: The number of family members in the household, where 'P' denotes a parent and 'C' denotes a child. (type: str)
- housing_cost: The estimated annual cost of housing for the given family type in the county. (type: float)
- food_cost: The estimated annual cost of food for the given family type in the county. (type: float)
- transportation_cost: The estimated annual cost of transportation for the given family type in the county. (type: float)
- healthcare_cost: The estimated annual cost of healthcare for the given family type in the county. (type: float)
- other_necessities_cost: The estimated annual cost of other necessities for the given family type in the county. (type: float)
- childcare_cost: The estimated annual cost of childcare for the given family type in the county. (type: float)
- taxes: The estimated annual tax amount for the given family type in the county. (type: float)
- total_cost: The total estimated annual cost of living for the given family type in the county. (type: float)
- median_family_income: The median annual income for families in the specific county. (type: float)
Distribution
The dataset is provided as a CSV file, named
cost_of_living_us.csv, with a file size of 4.94 MB. It consists of 15 columns and contains approximately 31,400 records. Updates to this dataset are expected annually.Usage
This dataset is ideal for various applications and use cases, including:
- Comparing family budgets against federal poverty lines and the Supplemental Poverty Measure across different counties.
- Analysing the financial challenges faced by different family structures using the provided budget estimates.
- Identifying counties that are most affordable in terms of housing, food, transportation, healthcare, childcare, and other essential expenditures.
- Investigating the relationship between average family income and the overall cost of living in various counties.
- Exploring how family size influences estimated budgets and pinpointing counties where larger families incur higher costs.
- Developing visualisations to illustrate the variation in the cost of living across different US states and major cities.
- Assessing the affordability of specific counties for families of diverse sizes and types.
- Conducting comparisons of living standards and economic security across different US counties.
Coverage
This dataset covers all 1877 counties and metropolitan areas across the United States. It provides community-specific estimates for ten distinct family types, which include configurations of one or two adults with zero to four children. The data reflects current estimates based on the Economic Policy Institute's Family Budget Calculator.
License
CC0: Public Domain
Who Can Use It
This dataset is valuable for a wide range of users, including:
- Policy Analysts and Government Researchers: To compare family budgets against federal poverty benchmarks and inform social policy.
- Social Researchers and NGOs: To study the financial challenges confronting different family types.
- Relocation Services and Individuals: To identify affordable counties for moving, considering various living costs.
- Real Estate Professionals and Urban Planners: To understand regional living expenses for market analysis and development planning.
- Economists and Data Analysts: To explore the interplay between family income and the cost of living, as well as the impact of family size on budgets.
- Data Journalists and Visualisation Specialists: To create compelling visualisations illustrating cost of living disparities across regions.
- Public Service Organisations and Consumer Advice Bodies: To assess and communicate county affordability for different family compositions.
- Academia and Think Tanks: For research into living standards and economic security across US counties.
Dataset Name Suggestions
- US County Living Costs (Family Budgets)
- American Family Cost of Living by County
- EPI US County Budget Estimates
- United States County Household Expenses
- Cost of Living Across US Counties
Attributes
Original Data Source: American Family Cost of Living by County
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