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PayByTown

Data sources

Every number on the site comes from one of these sources. See the methodology for how each one is checked.

2026 state income tax and payroll program parameters

Used for: Take-home pay pages and the afford-to-live-here calculator. Each state page links the official state documents behind each parameter.

  1. State revenue departments and statutes (per-state `sources`), cross-checked with PolicyEngine-US 2.38.19 and the Tax Foundation 'State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026' table Data period: tax year 2026. Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: Government data (public domain / public record); PolicyEngine-US used offline for cross-checks only

Childcare prices by county (DOL National Database of Childcare Prices)

Used for: Childcare pages and the childcare line of the afford-to-live-here calculator.

  1. U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) 2008-2022, county-level data file (NDCP2022.xlsx) Data period: study year 2022 (prices from state childcare market rate surveys; latest year in the file). Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: U.S. Government work (DOL); public domain. Cite: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices.

Fair Market Rents by county (HUD FY 2027)

Used for: Rent line of the afford-to-live-here calculator.

  1. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, County Level Data Data period: FY 2027 (federal fiscal year Oct 1, 2026 - Sep 30, 2027); FMR Notice 91 FR 56156. Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: U.S. Government work (HUD); public domain, no restrictions on reuse. Attribution to HUD PD&R recommended.

Average monthly residential electric bill by state (EIA)

Used for: Electricity line of the afford-to-live-here calculator.

  1. U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Price, Table 5A: Residential Average Monthly Bill by Census Division and State Data period: calendar year 2024 (annual). Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: U.S. Government work (EIA). Public domain; EIA asks for attribution: 'Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration'. See https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php

Effective property tax rate and median home value by county (Census ACS)

Used for: Property tax and home price defaults in the afford-to-live-here calculator (buying).

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates, tables B25103 (Mortgage Status by Median Real Estate Taxes Paid) and B25077 (Median Value), table-based Summary File Data period: ACS 5-year 2020-2024 (pooled survey period; dollars in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars). Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: U.S. Government work (Census Bureau); public domain. Cite: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

State base sales tax rates (state revenue agencies)

Used for: Sales tax line of the afford-to-live-here calculator. Each state's rate links to its agency page.

  1. State revenue / taxation agencies (one official page per state; see each record's source_url) Data period: rates in effect on 2026-10-11 as stated on each agency page. Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: State government web pages; tax rates are public facts, cited with a link to each agency page.
State agency pages (51)

USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home

Used for: Food line of the afford-to-live-here calculator.

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home (machine-readable files: usdathriftyplan-june2021present.xlsx, usdalowcostplan-sept2007-present.xlsx, usdamoderatecostplan-sept2007-present.xlsx, usdaliberalplan-sept2007-present.xlsx, usdaalaska-june2023-present.xlsx, usdahawaii-june2023-present.xlsx) Data period: August 2026 (monthly report). Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: Public domain per USDA file ReadMe: 'This dataset is in the public domain and may be used without permission. If the contents are altered in any way, do not cite USDA.'

Pennsylvania local income tax rates (2026)

Used for: Pennsylvania school district pages and the Philadelphia Wage Tax page.

  1. Pennsylvania DCED Municipal Statistics — EIT/LST rates with collector (Act 32 register), current (type=R) and start-of-year (type=O) exports Data period: reporting year 2026 (current values as published on retrieval date). Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: Public record (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania); Philadelphia rates are public record of the City of Philadelphia

Ohio local income tax rates (2026)

Used for: Ohio city pages and county pages (municipal and school district income tax).

  1. Ohio Department of Taxation — The Finder: municipal, JEDD/JEDZ and school district income tax rate tables Data period: rates in effect during calendar 2026 (ODT effective-date ranges). Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: Public record (State of Ohio)

Maryland local income tax rates (2026)

Used for: Maryland county pages.

  1. Comptroller of Maryland — 2026 State and Local Income Tax Withholding Information (CPB memo, Attachment 1) and 2026 Payment Voucher Worksheet Data period: tax year 2026. Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: Public record (State of Maryland)

Indiana local income tax rates (2026)

Used for: Indiana county pages.

  1. Indiana Department of Revenue, Departmental Notice #1 (R46 / 01-26), County Tax Rates effective Jan. 1, 2026 (current issue (R47 / 10-26), effective Oct. 1, 2026, also parsed) Data period: 2026-01-01. Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: Public record (Indiana DOR)

Michigan local income tax rates (2026)

Used for: Michigan city pages.

  1. City income tax offices of the 24 Michigan cities on the Michigan Treasury list (per-record URLs); Detroit via Michigan Treasury Data period: tax year 2026 (2025 return instructions where 2026 not yet published; see each record). Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: Public record (State of Michigan / municipal governments)

New York local income tax rates (2026)

Used for: New York City and Yonkers pages.

  1. NY Department of Taxation and Finance — IT-201-I (2025), NYS-50-T-NYC (1/26), NYS-50-T-Y (1/26) Data period: tax year 2026 (statutory NYC schedule; 2025 instructions; 2026 withholding publications). Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: Public record (State of New York)

Census places, populations and county adjacency

Used for: Which county each Ohio and Michigan taxing city is in, Ohio city populations (which cities get their own page), distances between cities and the counties that border each county (neighbor tables).

  1. U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates (SUB-EST2024), 2024 Gazetteer files (places, counties) and the 2024 county adjacency file Data period: population July 1, 2024; geography 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2026. License: Public domain (U.S. Government work)

Local tax: per-record sources

Every local income tax page lists the documents behind its own rates (the city or county tax office, the regional collector, or the state register) and says whether a second, independent publisher confirms each rate. See the methodology.

Not used

We do not publish insurance averages. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' premium reports are copyrighted and their tables may not be republished without permission.

Last updated October 11, 2026.