Editorial Policy
Our commitment to data accuracy, editorial independence, and transparent methodology.
Our Mission
CostOfCity exists to make cost-of-living data transparent, accessible, and actionable. Every cost estimate, salary figure, and comparison on our platform is grounded in federal data sources and reviewed by subject-matter analysts. We believe financial decisions deserve better data than vague averages and outdated estimates.
Data Sources & Standards
We source exclusively from official government data. CostOfCity does not use crowdsourced, user-submitted, or scraped data for our core cost estimates. Our primary sources include:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — occupational wages, consumer prices, employment data
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey income, housing, and demographic data
- HUD Fair Market Rents — official rental rate benchmarks by metro area
- Energy Information Administration (EIA) — state-level utility and fuel pricing
- IRS Statistics of Income — income distribution and tax-related economic data
Fact-Checking Process
Data Collection
Raw data is pulled from official government APIs and public datasets within two weeks of each release cycle.
Model Application
Our cost-of-living index model applies city-specific adjustments using category sensitivity weights derived from BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey data.
Cross-Validation
Calculated estimates are cross-referenced against published regional indices, industry reports, and known benchmarks to identify outliers.
Expert Review
A subject-matter analyst reviews each data release for accuracy, plausibility, and appropriate contextualization before publication.
Publication & Monitoring
Data is published with source citations, confidence notes, and update timestamps. We monitor for user-reported discrepancies.
Editorial Independence
CostOfCity's editorial content is produced independently of any advertising or commercial partnerships. Our cost estimates are never influenced by advertisers, affiliates, or sponsors. When we display advertising or recommend services, these are clearly labeled and do not affect our data or editorial judgments.
Correction Policy
We take data accuracy seriously. If you identify an error in our cost estimates or editorial content:
- Report it: Email corrections@costofcity.com with the page URL and the specific data point in question.
- We investigate: Our team reviews the reported data against source records within 48 business hours.
- We correct: If an error is confirmed, we update the page immediately and add a correction note with the date of correction.
- We disclose: Material corrections are noted at the bottom of the affected page with a description of what changed and when.
Content Update Schedule
Cost data is refreshed quarterly following BLS, Census, and HUD data releases. Each page displays a "Last verified" date indicating when the data was most recently reviewed against source records. We update the dateModified timestamp only when actual content or data changes are made — never for cosmetic changes alone.
Contact Our Editorial Team
Questions about our data, methodology, or editorial standards? We welcome inquiries from readers, journalists, and researchers.