U.S. Cost-of-Living and Economic Trends

Cuts for you. Spending for me.

Where are your taxes going? While costs continue to rise and funds for public programs are slashed, the U.S. government continues to spend billions.

Total Cuts —

Total New Spending —

Funding cut from

Public programs and services

New and reallocated

Federal spending

What you're seeing Funding stripped from public programs (left) versus new financial commitments made by the U.S. government (right).

Dive deeper Zoom in with mouse wheel. Click on any item for details and sources.

Follow the money Compare the cuts against the spending, and reflect on how the government's financial reality contrasts with the taxpayer's.

State of the economy Click on Trends to see how prices of goods are changing as taxpayers pay more for less.

Context matters When viewing trends, consider the impact of major global disruptions like the recent pandemic and geopolitical conflicts.

Browse trend charts

Gas

Regular gasoline and on-highway diesel prices have swung sharply since 2020, affecting household transportation costs and program delivery budgets.

Groceries

Food-at-home prices rose quickly after 2021, which can raise the baseline need for household assistance. BLS publishes these national grocery measures monthly, not weekly.

Rent

Rent pressure can change demand for housing stability, health, and emergency aid programs.

Minimum Wage

The federal minimum wage rose in steps through 2009 and has remained at $7.25 per hour since then.

Annual trend

Inflation

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 3.5% over the last 12 months.

U.S. CPI 12-month change