Question 1

What is the InflationRank Score?

Accepted Answer

The InflationRank Score is a composite 0–100 grade combining three federally-sourced indicators: cost burden (60%, using the BEA Regional Price Parity), inflation pressure (25%, year-over-year cost growth), and income resilience (15%, BEA Real Per-Capita Personal Income). Higher scores mean a better cost-of-living-adjusted economic situation. The U.S. national average lands at C+.

Question 2

Where does the data come from?

Accepted Answer

All data is sourced from federal government agencies: the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA Regional Price Parities and Real Personal Income), Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI, unemployment), Census Bureau (American Community Survey), and Energy Information Administration (state-level energy prices). Housing data uses Zillow Research's public CSV releases. See the data sources page for full citations.

Question 3

How accurate is the score?

Accepted Answer

The score uses the most authoritative public data available. BEA Regional Price Parities are the federal-government gold standard for comparing cost-of-living across states and metros. State-level BEA data is updated annually; metro-level RPP was last released by BEA in 2023. The composite score is our calibration of these federal numbers — one perspective among several reasonable methodologies.

Question 4

Why does my city score differently than I expected?

Accepted Answer

The score balances cost level against income. A cheap area with very low local incomes can score lower than expected (low income drags the resilience component); a high-cost area with high incomes can score better than expected (high incomes catch up to costs). This matches how the BEA's own Real Personal Income methodology treats the question.

How is the economyactually hitting your wallet?

How is the economy
actually hitting your wallet?