The U.S. population has become increasingly educated over the years, but it is by no means a monolith. While graduate degrees are relatively common in some states, in others, even Bachelor's degrees are hard to come by. How does this education stratification break out across the country, and in which states do people have the … Continue reading How Does Educational Attainment Vary By State?
With home prices hovering slightly below record highs and conventional 30-year fixed mortgage rates higher than in years at 6-7%, it's worth taking a look at the housing market around the United States. How do home sizes and prices vary by state and is there a relationship between the the price of an area and … Continue reading How Do Home Sizes And Prices Vary By State?
Depending on where you live, you may have to pay more for housing, food, transportation, etc. This is known as cost of living. Well-off areas tend to have higher costs of living, while poorer areas tend to have lower costs of living. This is measured by comparing the prices of a basket of goods and … Continue reading Cost Of Living By State
Household income varies by state. It's well known that households in coastal states tend to have higher incomes (and costs of living) than those in the middle of the country. But this information relies heavily on averages, which are skewed by extremely high incomes, or medians, which only show the 50th percentile but neglect differences … Continue reading How State Household Income Varies By Income Quartile
Inflation ramped up in 2021, increasing the cost of routine expenses. On average, inflation was 4.7% for the year, and it only got worse in 2022, with an average of 8.0%. Was household income able to keep up, or did it fall short, leaving U.S. consumers with less cash in their pockets? To answer this … Continue reading How Did Household Income Change From 2021 To 2022?
California is well-known for having high income tax rates. The highest marginal tax rate in California is 12.3% (13.3% including the mental health services tax for incomes over $1 million). This is the highest of any state, so you often see Californians complaining about the high taxes they have to pay. However, the top marginal … Continue reading Stop Complaining About High Income Tax Rates, Californians; Many in Maryland Pay More
With the outbreak of war in Ukraine, my heart goes out to all the Ukrainians and their relatives and friends around the world. War is a terrible thing, and the needless suffering of innocent people is heartbreaking. That said, during tumultuous times, people often wonder how their personal finances may be affected. This may seem … Continue reading How Does War Affect The U.S. Stock Market?
We've all heard that investing in the stock market is risky and have encountered stories about people losing it all when investing poorly. People say that in order to keep your money safe, you should store it in the bank. That way you know it'll be there when you need it. But is this really … Continue reading Is Investing Riskier Than Saving?
Saving up for retirement is hard work. It can take a lifetime to accumulate a large enough nest egg to live on (see How Much Money Do You Need To Retire), and once you finally do retire, you want to make sure your money never runs out before you pass away. What happens to your … Continue reading A Graphical Representation Of Why Your Retirement Withdrawal Rate Matters
As we are currently experiencing rock-bottom mortgage rates under 3% for a 30-year fixed mortgage, it's only natural to wonder what will happen to home prices when interest rates finally increase again. This is particularly important for first-time homebuyers who are planning to buy a house in the near future but still have to wait … Continue reading Will Home Prices Decrease When Mortgage Rates Increase?
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