Essentials Coverage Ratio — Live
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Select a state and month to compute a real, live ratio.
100% means income exactly covers the estimated monthly cost of essentials. Above 100% means more
breathing room; below 100% means income falls short of estimated essential costs that month.
This compares median household income against an estimated full monthly budget —
not just rent and groceries, but a grossed-up estimate of total household spending built from
four tracked categories (rent, groceries, electricity, gas) and BLS national budget-share data.
Every input is disclosed below, including known limitations. See
how, and why, below.
Price Pulse
What things actually cost, nationally
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The Trend
Essentials Coverage Ratio, by state, Jan 2024–present
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Each line compares median household income against an estimated full monthly
budget for that state — the same Essentials Coverage Ratio shown above, run
across every available month since January 2024. A higher line means income
covers essential costs more comfortably; a falling line means the opposite.
This chart shows the trend only — it does not attribute any change to a
specific policy, event, or administration. Rent figures reflect HUD's actual
fiscal-year effective dates (October 1), not calendar-year boundaries; median
income uses the most recent published Census ACS year where the current
year isn't yet available (see methodology).
The Record