Launching our 2026 Data: A Tool for Affordability Decisions Facing Employers, Workers, and Communities

For millions of Americans, economic self-sufficiency has felt increasingly out of reach. In recent years, the affordability crisis has rippled across communities, with businesses struggling to retain hourly workers, policymakers trying to close the gaps between costs and wages, and families living on the brink of financial instability.

Our 2026 living wage data grounds these discussions in local realities. Updated annually and built on over two decades of research, our data covers all 3,144 U.S. counties and reflects what workers and their families actually need to earn to cover food, housing, transportation, childcare, healthcare costs, and other basic essentials. So whether you're an employer evaluating compensation, a policymaker addressing the cost of living, or a worker trying to budget for your own financial situation, our estimates offer an objective, data-backed benchmark.

What’s new in 2026? 

This year's data reflects updated inputs across all major basic needs categories, capturing how local market conditions have shifted. We have also integrated PolicyEngine's tax microsimulation model, resulting in even more precise estimates of the budgets families need to get by in every U.S. county. 

The result? Benchmarks rooted in the labor market conditions across American communities for 12 different household profiles. 

Explore the data—and put it to work. 

The 2026 living wage data is now live on the Living Wage Calculator at livingwage.mit.edu, our public tool that lets community members explore what the living wage looks like one county at a time.

Ready to explore the data at scale? Contact us here.