The Cost of Living in Every State Since Biden Took Office

According to an economic research project, over half of the public thinks Joe Biden’s presidency has hurt the country on cost-of-living issues. While the cost of living at the start of Biden’s presidency wasn’t favorable, it has since normalized.

So, how has Americans’ cost of living changed since the start of Biden’s presidency? While there has certainly been an increase in the general cost of living under his administration, it’s still on average compared with inflation and average incomes across states.

GOBankingRates found that the average monthly cost of living in the United States in the first quarter of 2024 was $2,005 — $1,860 for retired people, $2,730 for married couples with kids and $1,649 for singles.

Since Biden took office in January 2021, the states that have seen the largest increase in cost of living include Arizona, California and Massachusetts. States that have seen the biggest drop include New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania.

Take a look at the state-by-state cost of living.

• COL Index: 88.1
• COL Index change since 2021: 0.0
• Monthly COL for all: $1,877
• Monthly COL for retired people: $1,733
• Monthly COL for married couples with kids: $2,557
• Monthly COL for single people: $1,649

• COL Index: 125.1
• COL Index change since 2021: -0.7
• COL for all: $2,691
• COL for retired people: $2,556
• COL for married couples with kids: $3,644
• COL for single people: $2,318

• COL Index: 110.5
• COL Index change since 2021: 8.4
• COL for all: $2,021
• COL for retired people: $1,856
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,756
• COL for single people: $1,796

• COL Index: 88.5
• COL Index change since 2021: -.03
• COL for all: $1,818
• COL for retired people: $1,684
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,476
• COL for single people: $1,595

• COL Index: 145.0
• COL Index change since 2021: 7.5
• COL for all: $2,479
• COL for retired people: $2,247
• COL for married couples with kids: $3,384
• COL for single people: $2,244

• COL Index: 101.8
• COL Index change since 2021: -4.5
• COL for all: $1,962
• COL for retired people: $1,838
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,667
• COL for single people: $1,715

• COL Index: 113.2
• COL Index change since 2021: -7.2
• COL for all: $2,333
• COL for retired people: $2,072
• COL for married couples with kids: $3,031
• COL for single people: $1,961

• COL Index: 100.9
• COL Index change since 2021: -4.4
• COL for all: $2,037
• COL for retired people: $1,887
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,774
• COL for single people: $1,801

• COL Index: 103.1
• COL Index change since 2021: 2.4
• COL for all: $2,058
• COL for retired people: $1,907
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,803
• COL for single people: $1,810

• COL Index: 91.3
• COL Index change since 2021: 1.6
• COL for all: $1,953
• COL for retired people: $1,816
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,659
• COL for single people: $1,722

• COL Index: 186.2 
• COL Index change since 2021: -1.4
• COL for all: $2,770
• COL for retired people: $2,545
• COL for married couples with kids: $3,765
• COL for single people: $2,452

• COL Index: 101.1
• COL Index change since 2021: 2.1
• COL for all: $1,988
• COL for retired people: $1,825
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,716
• COL for single people: $1,783

• COL Index: 93.3
• COL Index change since 2021: -1.1
• COL for all: $1,969
• COL for retired people: $1,831
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,680
• COL for single people: $1,734

• COL Index: 90.3
• COL Index change since 2021: 0.5
• COL for all: $1,910
• COL for retired people: $1,775
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,601
• COL for single people: $1,681

• COL Index: 90.1
• COL Index change since 2021: -0.3
• COL for all: $1,925
• COL for retired people: $1,785
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,622
• COL for single people: $1,700

• COL Index: 87.3
• COL Index change since 2021: 0.5
• COL for all: $1,881
• COL for retired people: $1,762
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,557
• COL for single people: $1,637

• COL Index: 92.6
• COL Index change since 2021: -1.9
• COL for all: $1,960
• COL for retired people: $1,837
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,665
• COL for single people: $1,717

• COL Index: 92.1
• COL Index change since 2021: -1.1
• COL for all: $1,854
• COL for retired people: $1,718
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,527
• COL for single people: $1,642

• COL Index: 111.3
• COL Index change since 2021: -5.3
• COL for all: $2,192
• COL for retired people: $2,043
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,978
• COL for single people: $1,937

• COL Index: 116.2
• COL Index change since 2021: -8.2
• COL for all: $2,102
• COL for retired people: $1,943
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,863
• COL for single people: $1,854

• COL Index: 144.3
• COL Index change since 2021: 11.1
• COL for all: $2,419
• COL for retired people: $2,264
• COL for married couples with kids: $3,276
• COL for single people: $2,115

• COL Index: 91.8
• COL Index change since 2021: -0.1
• COL for all: $1,930
• COL for retired people: $1,778
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,631
• COL for single people: $1,709

• COL Index: 94.8
• COL Index change since 2021: -6.8
• COL for all: $2,002
• COL for retired people: $1,875
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,721
• COL for single people: $1,746

• COL Index: 88.3
• COL Index change since 2021: 3.7
• COL for all: $1,890
• COL for retired people: $1,770
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,569
• COL for single people: $1,650

• COL Index: 88.5
• COL Index change since 2021: -1.9
• COL for all: $1,837
• COL for retired people: $1,713
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,498
• COL for single people: $1,597

• COL Index: 94.6
• COL Index change since 2021: -5.4
• COL for all: $2,027
• COL for retired people: $1,886
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,762
• COL for single people: $1,803

• COL Index: 93.4
• COL Index change since 2021: -0.5
• COL for all: $1,951
• COL for retired people: $1,819
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,654
• COL for single people: $1,714

• COL Index: 102.7
• COL Index change since 2021: -3.7
• COL for all: $2,103
• COL for retired people: $1,909
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,875
• COL for single people: $1,894

• COL Index: 113.6
• COL Index change since 2021: 5.0
• COL for all: $2,124
• COL for retired people: $1,958
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,890
• COL for single people: $1,894

• COL Index: 113.7
• COL Index change since 2021: -1.0
• COL for all: $2,092
• COL for retired people: $1,939
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,849
• COL for single people: $1,852

• COL Index: 93.6
• COL Index change since 2021: 2.7
• COL for all: $1,894
• COL for retired people: $1,771
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,576
• COL for single people: $1,662

• COL Index: 123.1
• COL Index change since 2021: -21.9
• COL for all: $2,122
• COL for retired people: $1,963
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,889
• COL for single people: $1,883

• COL Index: 98.5
• COL Index change since 2021: 1.6
• COL for all: $1,998
• COL for retired people: $1,868
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,715
• COL for single people: $1,750

• COL Index: 92.8
• COL Index change since 2021: -5.0
• COL for all: $1,954
• COL for retired people: $1,832
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,665
• COL for single people: $1,723

• COL Index: 94.0
• COL Index change since 2021: 2.4
• COL for all: $1,957
• COL for retired people: $1,812
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,665
• COL for single people: $1,722

• COL Index: 86.4
• COL Index change since 2021: -1.5
• COL for all: $1,881
• COL for retired people: $1,753
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,559
• COL for single people: $1,644

• COL Index: 114.1
• COL Index change since 2021: -17.5
• COL for all: $2,191
• COL for retired people: $2,022
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,991
• COL for single people: $1,965

• COL Index: 95.6
• COL Index change since 2021: -8.7
• COL for all: $1,996
• COL for retired people: $1,822
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,725
• COL for single people: $1,786

• COL Index: 113.4
• COL Index change since 2021: -4.8
• COL for all: $2,204
• COL for retired people: $2,054
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,987
• COL for single people: $1,915

• COL Index: 97.6
• COL Index change since 2021: 3.4
• COL for all: $1,983
• COL for retired people: $1,835
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,699
• COL for single people: $1,739

• COL Index: 93.4
• COL Index change since 2021: -5.4
• COL for all: $1,959
• COL for retired people: $1,818
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,669
• COL for single people: $1,739

• COL Index: 90.3
• COL Index change since 2021: 1.8
• COL for all: $1,833
• COL for retired people: $1,699
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,497
• COL for single people: $1,608

• COL Index: 92.4
• COL Index change since 2021: 0.1
• COL for all: $1,936
• COL for retired people: $1,801
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,633
• COL for single people: $1,696

• COL Index: 102.9
• COL Index change since 2021: 5.0
• COL for all: $1,925
• COL for retired people: $1,768
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,626
• COL for single people: $1,710

• COL Index: 114.7
• COL Index change since 2021: -1.6
• COL for all: $2,144
• COL for retired people: $2,002
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,912
• COL for single people: $1,872

• COL Index: 101.3
• COL Index change since 2021: -0.2
• COL for all: $1,981
• COL for retired people: $1,849
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,693
• COL for single people: $1,732

• COL Index: 115.1
• COL Index change since 2021: 3.8
• COL for all: $2,264
• COL for retired people: $2,091
• COL married couples with kids: $3,088
• COL for single people: $2,036

• COL Index: 83.8
• COL Index change since 2021: -9.3
• COL for all: $1,940
• COL for retired people: $1,812
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,639
• COL for single people: $1,696

• COL Index: 97.0
• COL Index change since 2021: 0.1
• COL for all: $1,994
• COL for retired people: $1,877
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,706
• COL for single people: $1,735

• COL Index: 95.1
• COL Index change since 2021: -0.6
• COL for all: $1,916
• COL for retired people: $1,804
• COL for married couples with kids: $2,604
• COL for single people: $1,665

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed each state’s cost-of-living indexes sourced from the Missouri Economic and Research Information Center for each quarter from Q1 2021 to Q1 2024. The average monthly expenditure cost was calculated using the national average expenditure costs for different groups of people, including all residents, retired residents, married couples with kids, single residents and residents born between 1981 and 1997, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. The difference in average costs and overall indexes were recorded and sorted to find the cost of living in every state since President Biden took office. All data was collected and is current as of July 19, 2024.