County of the week
MoverMath — every figure sourced, with its limits stated. Printed August 29, 2026. Sources and caveats for every measure: movermath.com/methodology
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Cost of living

MERIC/C2ER index, US avg 100, 2025 Details

MERIC/C2ER index, US avg 100, 2025

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Home price: Zillow ZHVI (Jun 2026, auto-updated monthly). Cost of living: MERIC/C2ER (2025). Income: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-yr (2024). Property & income tax: Tax Foundation (2026). Capital gains tax: Kiplinger 2026 survey and state tax agencies; shown as the highest effective state rate on long-term gains, excluding federal and local taxes. Washington is 7% up to $1m and 9.9% above $1m after its exemption; special exclusions or surtaxes apply in several other states. Sales tax: Tax Foundation, combined state + population-weighted average local rate (July 2026). Home insurance: Insurance.com (2026, $300k dwelling). Healthcare: KFF employer family premiums (2024). Childcare: EPI / Child Care Aware (2023–24). Schools: U.S. News Best States for Education (2025; DC not ranked). Weather: NOAA NCEI nClimGrid county annual averages (2025; Alaska and Hawaii use statewide figures). Crime: FBI UCR/Crime Data Explorer (2024; Florida 2024 reporting incomplete). Gas price: AAA daily state average, Jul 28 2026 — fluctuates daily. Commute time: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-yr, Table S0801, 2023 (DC: 2024 estimate). Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates. Wildfire risk: FEMA National Risk Index, national percentile 0-100 where higher means greater risk. FEMA's score blends how likely wildfire is with how much property and population sit in its path, so a populated county bordering wildland scores higher than empty land that burns as often. State figures are population-weighted averages of their counties. All 3,144 counties and county-equivalents are covered, joined to FEMA on federal FIPS codes. Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, seasonally adjusted, June 2026. County-level measures are shown where a source publishes a comparable county estimate; otherwise the statewide figure is clearly identified.

Home insurance dollar levels vary by thousands across reputable sources depending on coverage assumptions — rank order is more reliable than exact figures. DC is excluded from Schools where no official source publishes a comparable value.