U.S. Energy Information Administration
Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A ↗
Residential electricity prices for all states, D.C., and the U.S. average. Preliminary monthly data; not an individual utility tariff.
Used for: Electricity state benchmarks
Source period: July 2026 · released September 24, 2026
Last checked:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Measuring electricity ↗
Explains watts, kilowatts, and kilowatt-hours. Supports the conversion from power and operating time to energy.
Used for: Wattage and energy methodology
Source period: Undated reference
Last checked:
Federal Trade Commission
How to use the EnergyGuide label ↗
Explains estimated annual usage and why actual operating costs vary. Our tool applies your rate to label kWh.
Used for: Annual-kWh appliance model
Source period: August 2022
Last checked:
HUD USER
Worst Case Housing Needs — definitions ↗
HUD describes housing cost burdens of 30 to 50 percent of income as moderate and above 50 percent as severe. We use 30% as a comparison benchmark, not a legal limit or eligibility rule.
Used for: Rent affordability context
Source period: Undated definitions
Last checked:
AAA
Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet ↗
Fuel, maintenance, insurance, taxes, depreciation, and financing are distinct ownership costs. The 11.04¢/mile maintenance, repair, and tire reference models new vehicles over five years / 75,000 miles.
Used for: Vehicle categories and optional wear benchmark
Source period: September 16, 2025
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
Standard mileage rates ↗
Tax mileage rates serve specified tax purposes. We do not use the business mileage rate as your literal commute expense or as the cost of a trip’s gas.
Used for: Commute limitations; gas money guide
Source period: Live reference table; for July 1 to December 31, 2026 (IR-2026-29): 76 cents a mile for business, 23.5 cents for medical or military moving, 14 cents for charity. Page updated July 28, 2026
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
IRS: 2026 commuter-benefit limits ↗
Supports the guide’s federal benefit explanation and separately identified derivations; does not add tax calculations to the commute tool.
Used for: Commuter-benefit guide
Source period: Revenue Procedure 2025-32, section 4.16, PDF page 19. Released October 9, 2025; U.S. federal limits for tax years beginning in 2026: $340 per month for combined transit and commuter-highway-vehicle transportation, separately $340 for qualified parking.
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
IRS: Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits ↗
Supports the guide’s federal benefit explanation and separately identified derivations; does not add tax calculations to the commute tool.
Used for: Commuter-benefit guide
Source period: Publication 15-B, 2026 edition, posted December 23, 2025. Table 2-1 and Qualified Transportation Benefits explain U.S. federal exclusions and compensation reduction agreements. Eligibility and plan requirements still apply.
Last checked:
U.S. federal law · Cornell LII
Federal law: qualified transportation benefits ↗
Supports the guide’s federal benefit explanation and separately identified derivations; does not add tax calculations to the commute tool.
Used for: Commuter-benefit guide
Source period: 26 U.S.C. section 132(f)(1), (2), (4), (5) and (6), reproduced by Cornell LII. Current statutory text checked September 12, 2026; amendment history includes July 4, 2025. Definitions and combined-benefit rules only; use the IRS 2026 release for indexed dollar limits.
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
IRS: how marginal income-tax brackets work ↗
Supports the guide’s federal benefit explanation and separately identified derivations; does not add tax calculations to the commute tool.
Used for: Commuter-benefit guide
Source period: Undated explanatory text, checked September 12, 2026. Used only for the U.S. federal marginal-tax concept. The older numeric tables on this page are not used as 2026 thresholds.
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
IRS: 2026 employee payroll taxes ↗
Supports the guide’s federal benefit explanation and separately identified derivations; does not add tax calculations to the commute tool.
Used for: Commuter-benefit guide
Source period: Publication 15, 2026 edition, posted December 17, 2025; section 7. U.S. employee Social Security: 6.2%, taxable-wage limit $184,500. Regular employee Medicare: 1.45%, no wage-base limit. The section also explains Additional Medicare Tax withholding.
Last checked:
Social Security Administration
Social Security Administration: annual taxable maximum ↗
Supports the guide’s federal benefit explanation and separately identified derivations; does not add tax calculations to the commute tool.
Used for: Commuter-benefit guide
Source period: Undated current reference checked September 12, 2026; explicit 2026 U.S. data. The annual Social Security taxable maximum is $184,500. Supports the limitation when wages remain above the maximum with and without an election.
Last checked:
U.S. federal law · Cornell LII
Federal regulation: elections, carryover and refunds ↗
Supports the guide’s federal benefit explanation and separately identified derivations; does not add tax calculations to the commute tool.
Used for: Commuter-benefit guide
Source period: 26 CFR section 1.132-9, Q&A 9, 14(b)–(d) and 15, reproduced by Cornell LII. Regulation dated January 11, 2001; amendment history through October 20, 2006. Current text checked September 12, 2026. Historical dollar examples are not used as current limits.
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
IRS: withholding and estimated tax for 2026 ↗
Supports the guide’s federal benefit explanation and separately identified derivations; does not add tax calculations to the commute tool.
Used for: Commuter-benefit guide
Source period: Publication 505, 2026 edition, posted April 3, 2026. Introduction, Expected Taxable Income and Expected Taxes and Credits explain payment reconciliation and U.S. federal tax estimation.
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
IRS: the increase from the 2025 to 2026 limits ↗
Supports the guide’s federal benefit explanation and separately identified derivations; does not add tax calculations to the commute tool.
Used for: Commuter-benefit guide
Source period: IR-2025-103, October 9, 2025. U.S. federal monthly commuter-benefit and parking limits increase to $340 for 2026, up $15 from 2025. The $180 twelve-month difference is derived exclusion capacity, not tax savings. Checked September 12, 2026.
Last checked:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
EIA: Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A ↗
Supports the named data or definition; benchmark comparisons do not establish a personal utility tariff.
Used for: Electricity rate increases guide
Source period: June 2026 versus June 2025 residential columns, cents/kWh. Released August 26, 2026; preliminary. All 50 state rows checked September 13, 2026. Percentages and constant-use costs are calculated from printed prices.
Last checked:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
EIA: Factors affecting electricity prices ↗
Supports the named data or definition; benchmark comparisons do not establish a personal utility tariff.
Used for: Electricity rate increases guide
Source period: Undated explanation, checked September 13, 2026. General price drivers, Hawaii's petroleum dependence and time-of-day pricing. Its annual price statistics are not used here.
Last checked:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
EIA: Electricity Monthly Update ↗
Supports the named data or definition; benchmark comparisons do not establish a personal utility tariff.
Used for: Electricity rate increases guide
Source period: June 2026 data, released August 26; checked September 13. Describes the revenue-per-kWh proxy. Its all-sector state ranking is separate from this residential ranking.
Last checked:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
EIA: Table 5.6.B, year-to-date residential prices ↗
Supports the named data or definition; benchmark comparisons do not establish a personal utility tariff.
Used for: Electricity rate increases guide
Source period: January–June 2026 versus January–June 2025, released August 26, 2026; preliminary. The five June leaders and U.S. row checked September 13. These six-month aggregate prices are not June-only or full-year averages.
Last checked:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
EIA: Tariff definition ↗
Supports the named data or definition; benchmark comparisons do not establish a personal utility tariff.
Used for: Electricity rate increases guide
Source period: Undated glossary checked September 13, 2026. Tariff means published rate schedules and general service terms and conditions.
Last checked:
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy: Evaluating your utility rate options ↗
Supports the named data or definition; benchmark comparisons do not establish a personal utility tariff.
Used for: Electricity rate increases guide
Source period: Current page checked September 13, 2026. FEMP guidance addresses federal facilities; used only for definitions of energy, fixed and demand charges and separate supply/delivery bills. No residential prevalence or savings claim is drawn from it.
Last checked:
FTC
FTC: EnergyGuide labeling FAQs for manufacturers ↗
Supports the stated input guidance and limitations; examples are illustrative, not population averages.
Used for: EnergyGuide and refrigerator cost guide
Source period: May 2013 page, checked September 16, 2026. DOE test-procedure basis; not a claim that old reference prices are current.
Last checked:
ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR: Refrigerator model listings ↗
Supports the stated input guidance and limitations; examples are illustrative, not population averages.
Used for: EnergyGuide and refrigerator cost guide
Source period: Inspected listings identify Most Efficient 2025; checked September 16, 2026. Model, configuration, capacity and annual-kWh fields, not a 2026 market average.
Last checked:
DOE
DOE: Refrigerator and freezer energy-rating search resource ↗
Supports the stated input guidance and limitations; examples are illustrative, not population averages.
Used for: EnergyGuide and refrigerator cost guide
Source period: November 10, 2023 resource description, checked September 16, 2026. Limited model coverage; no individual model lookup result is asserted here.
Last checked:
GE Appliances
GE Appliances: Refrigerator run-time guidance ↗
Supports the stated input guidance and limitations; examples are illustrative, not population averages.
Used for: EnergyGuide and refrigerator cost guide
Source period: Undated manufacturer guidance, checked September 16, 2026. Operating variation; not a universal duty-cycle rule.
Last checked:
DOE
DOE: Real-world energy consumption and test procedures ↗
Supports the stated input guidance and limitations; examples are illustrative, not population averages.
Used for: EnergyGuide and refrigerator cost guide
Source period: September 26, 2011 field study; sections 11–12, printed pages 25–37. Checked September 16, 2026. Historical measurement context, not current population averages or a universal seasonal adjustment.
Last checked:
GE Appliances
GE Appliances: Refrigerator location requirements ↗
Supports the stated input guidance and limitations; examples are illustrative, not population averages.
Used for: EnergyGuide and refrigerator cost guide
Source period: Undated manufacturer guidance, checked September 16, 2026. Model-specific installation conditions; no generalized garage-cost multiplier.
Last checked:
Federal Trade Commission
Warranties ↗
Written warranty coverage, receipts and the distinction between warranties and service contracts.
Used for: Appliance repair versus replacement guide
Source period: July 2023
Last checked:
ENERGY STAR
Rebate finder ↗
Helps readers find offers to verify before treating rebates as available funds.
Used for: Appliance repair versus replacement guide
Source period: Live lookup; no individual rebate asserted
Last checked:
ENERGY STAR
Refrigerators ↗
Recycling and retailer pickup guidance; generic savings and lifespan figures are not adopted.
Used for: Appliance repair versus replacement guide
Source period: Undated buying guidance
Last checked:
Massachusetts Legislature
Massachusetts General Laws: Chapter 186, Section 15B ↗
Current upfront-payment categories, deposit and receipt rules; current subsection (1)(b) effective August 1, 2025. Checked September 17, 2026. This guide models a conventional cash deposit.
Used for: Boston move-in guide
Source period: Current statutory text
Last checked:
Massachusetts Legislature
Massachusetts General Laws: Chapter 112, Section 87DDD 1/2 ↗
Broker-fee responsibility follows the party that originally engaged and contracted with the broker. Current text effective August 1, 2025; checked September 17, 2026.
Used for: Boston move-in guide
Source period: Current statutory text
Last checked:
City of Boston
City of Boston: broker-fee notice ↗
August 2025 notice explains landlord-hired and tenant-hired brokers and keeping agreements. Checked September 17, 2026.
Used for: Boston move-in guide
Source period: August 2025 notice
Last checked:
City of Seattle
City of Seattle: Move-In Charges ↗
Current city move-in guidance; checked September 17, 2026.
Used for: Seattle move-in guide
Source period: Official guidance and enacted legislation
Last checked:
City of Seattle
Seattle City Council: Ordinance 125222 (CB 118817) ↗
Sections 7.24.035, 7.24.036 and 7.24.038 as enacted; relevant provisions cross-checked with current indexed code September 17, 2026.
Used for: Seattle move-in guide
Source period: Official guidance and enacted legislation
Last checked:
Washington Legislature
Washington Legislature: RCW 59.18.610 ↗
Written requests and signed schedules; state schedule differs from Seattle. Text checked September 17, 2026.
Used for: Seattle move-in guide
Source period: Official guidance and enacted legislation
Last checked:
City of Seattle
Seattle City Council: Ordinance 127497 (CB 121254) ↗
New fee provisions effective July 1, 2027; checked September 17, 2026.
Used for: Seattle move-in guide
Source period: Official guidance and enacted legislation
Last checked:
City of Seattle
City of Seattle: Renting in Seattle ↗
Renter assistance and effective-date guidance; checked September 17, 2026.
Used for: Seattle move-in guide
Source period: Official guidance and enacted legislation
Last checked:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update: regular gasoline, weekly ↗
Weekly average retail price of regular gasoline, all taxes included, for the U.S., nine regions, nine states and ten cities. An area average, not the price at a station or a forecast.
Used for: Trip gas cost calculator opening price; trip guides
Source period: Week of September 28, 2026 · released September 29, 2026 · next release October 6, 2026
Last checked:
FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. Department of Energy and EPA)
Driving more efficiently ↗
Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by roughly 15% to 30% at highway speeds; slowing down 5 to 10 mph is shown as a 7% to 14% fuel economy benefit; a large roof-top cargo box can cut fuel economy by around 10% to 25% at 65 to 75 mph. Estimates for typical vehicles, not a measurement of yours.
Used for: Trip gas cost limits; driving-speed guide
Source period: Current page (undated)
Last checked:
FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. Department of Energy and EPA)
Find and compare cars ↗
EPA city, highway and combined MPG by model year, make and model. A rating for comparison; your MPG on a given trip can differ.
Used for: Where to find your car’s MPG
Source period: Live lookup of EPA fuel economy ratings
Last checked:
U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center
Fuel economy at various driving speeds ↗
Modeled MPG for a midsize conventional gasoline car: 43 at 45 mph, 45 at 55, 38 at 65 and 32 at 75 (Argonne Autonomie model). A model of one car type, not a measurement of every vehicle.
Used for: Driving-speed guide
Source period: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Transportation Energy Data Book #39, Table 4.33; worksheet last updated May 2021
Last checked:
Federal Highway Administration
Route Log and Finder List, Table 1: Main Routes of the Interstate System ↗
Official lengths of Interstate routes, for example I-80 at 2,891.59 miles, I-40 at 2,552.90 miles and I-10 at 2,457.62 miles. Route lengths, not door-to-door trip distances.
Used for: Cross-country driving cost and drive-or-fly guides
Source period: Routes as of December 31, 2025; page updated March 10, 2026
Last checked:
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Second Quarter 2026 Average Air Fare Increased 2.0% from First Quarter 2026 ↗
Average U.S. domestic itinerary fare of $445 ($549 for round trips, $312 for one-way trips), including taxes and required fees but not bag, seat or other optional fees. A national average, not the fare for any route.
Used for: Drive-or-fly guide
Source period: Second quarter 2026; BTS 26-73, dated September 29, 2026 (revises the September 25 release after carriers re-submitted data); next release on or around January 8, 2027
Last checked:
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
Overtime Pay ↗
Unless exempt, covered employees get overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek at not less than time and one-half their regular rate; a workweek is a fixed, recurring 168 hours; hours can’t be averaged over two or more weeks; no overtime is required for weekends or holidays as such. Federal rule only; it doesn’t say who is exempt in a given job.
Used for: Salary to hourly calculator overtime option; pay guides
Source period: Current page (undated); Fair Labor Standards Act
Last checked:
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
Earnings thresholds for the Executive, Administrative, and Professional exemption ↗
Standard salary level of $684 a week ($35,568 a year); $107,432 a year for highly compensated employees; $27.63 an hour for computer employees paid hourly. A salary level is one requirement for exemption, not the whole test.
Used for: Salary to hourly calculator; hourly-vs-salary and $60,000 guides
Source period: Current page (undated)
Last checked:
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
Fact Sheet #17A: Exemption for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Computer & Outside Sales Employees ↗
To be exempt, employees generally must meet job-duties tests and be paid on a salary basis of at least $684 a week; job titles don’t decide exempt status. General information; the regulations (29 CFR Part 541) govern.
Used for: Hourly-vs-salary and $60,000 guides
Source period: Revised September 2019
Last checked:
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
Minimum Wage ↗
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour; many states have their own minimum wage laws, and employers must comply with both. We don’t list state rates.
Used for: $20-an-hour and hourly-vs-salary guides
Source period: Federal minimum wage effective July 24, 2009
Last checked:
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Computing Hourly Rates of Pay Using the 2,087-Hour Divisor ↗
Federal employees’ hourly rate is annual basic pay divided by 2,087 hours, the average number of work hours in a calendar year over the 28-year calendar cycle (a 1981 GAO study). A federal pay rule, not a rule for private employers.
Used for: Salary to hourly methodology; work-hours guide
Source period: Current fact sheet (undated); 5 U.S.C. 5504(b)
Last checked:
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Federal Holidays: 2027 and 2028 Holiday Schedules ↗
Eleven federal holidays on the 2027 schedule, and New Year’s Day 2028 observed on Friday, December 31, 2027, on the 2028 schedule, with the dates most federal employees observe when a holiday falls on a weekend. Private employers set their own paid holidays.
Used for: Work-hours guide
Source period: 2027 and 2028 schedules; 5 U.S.C. 6103
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
Tax Withholding Estimator ↗
Estimates the federal income tax an employer should withhold from W-2 pay. We don’t estimate taxes; this is where to do it.
Used for: Salary to hourly calculator (where to estimate tax)
Source period: Page last reviewed or updated June 27, 2026
Last checked:
U.S. Department of Labor
Full-Time Employment ↗
The FLSA doesn’t define full-time or part-time employment; it is generally for the employer to decide. Says nothing about how many hours a year full-time means.
Used for: Work-hours guide
Source period: Current page (undated)
Last checked:
U.S. Department of Labor
Vacation Leave ↗
The FLSA doesn’t require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays; these are matters of agreement between employer and employee. Federal rule only.
Used for: Pay guides (paid weeks and paid time off)
Source period: Current page (undated)
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
Identifying full-time employees ↗
For the Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility provisions, a full-time employee averages at least 30 hours of service a week, or 130 hours a month. A definition for that tax rule only, not a general definition of full-time work.
Used for: Work-hours guide
Source period: Page last reviewed or updated September 14, 2026
Last checked:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment Situation, Table B-2: Average weekly hours of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls ↗
Average weekly hours, seasonally adjusted: 34.4 total private, 40.6 manufacturing, 30.6 retail trade, 25.5 leisure and hospitality. Averages for groups of jobs, revised monthly; not anyone’s schedule.
Used for: Work-hours guide
Source period: September 2026 (preliminary); page last modified October 2, 2026
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide ↗
Wages subject to federal employment taxes include all pay for services, including salaries, and it doesn’t matter how the pay is measured or made. Supports that pay type alone doesn’t change the tax; not a tax estimate.
Used for: Hourly-vs-salary guide
Source period: 2026 edition, section 5 (Wages and Other Compensation)
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
What to know about the No Tax on Overtime deduction ↗
Qualified overtime compensation above the regular rate may be deducted; up to $12,500 ($25,000 filing jointly); phases out above $150,000 MAGI ($300,000 jointly). Not applied in any calculation.
Used for: $20-an-hour and hourly-vs-salary guides
Source period: Page last reviewed or updated September 10, 2026
Last checked:
Internal Revenue Service
Treasury, IRS issue FAQs on the deduction for qualified overtime compensation (IR-2026-10) ↗
For tax years 2025 through 2028, the amount above the regular rate (generally the half of time and a half) may be deducted. A temporary rule; revisit before 2029.
Used for: $20-an-hour and hourly-vs-salary guides
Source period: News release IR-2026-10, January 2026; tax years 2025 through 2028
Last checked:
Reference data and example inputs
EIA rates are bundled with the site so a network problem does not prevent a calculation. The monthly snapshot records the source period, publication date, retrieval date, and units. All other prefilled amounts are illustrative unless explicitly sourced.
The electricity calculator opens with the U.S. EIA residential average from that snapshot, labelled with its data month. Guides that use a different rate in a worked example state that rate beside the example.
Reviewed September 5, 2026.