{
  "name": "U.S. Cost-of-Living Change Log (2026)",
  "description": "A first-party ReloMath change log of official rent-benchmark and wage-floor updates that can affect U.S. relocation math. Each row includes jurisdiction, data period, published date, effective date, before/after value, affected ReloMath pages, official source URL, last checked date, and verification status.",
  "page": "https://relomath.com/data/cost-of-living-change-log",
  "publisher": "ReloMath",
  "attribution": "ReloMath - https://relomath.com",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)",
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-01",
  "rowCount": 7,
  "verifiedRows": 7,
  "disclaimer": "ReloMath is an independent information publisher. Nothing here is financial, legal, or tax advice. Cost-of-living comparisons are estimates based on official published indices; actual costs vary. For major relocation decisions, consult a financial professional. This dataset stores official published benchmarks and wage floors, not personalized relocation advice. Verify current official rules before relying on any row.",
  "columns": {
    "slug": "stable ReloMath change identifier",
    "title": "human-readable change title",
    "status": "confirmed, pending, or rumored",
    "eventType": "type of cost-of-living change",
    "jurisdiction": "state, city, or HUD FMR area affected by the row",
    "published": "official publication or announcement date when available",
    "effective": "date the benchmark or rule takes effect",
    "dataPeriod": "official data period or comparison period",
    "before": "old value sentence with units",
    "after": "new value sentence with units",
    "affectedPages": "ReloMath page paths that should link to this change row",
    "sourceUrl": "official source URL",
    "lastChecked": "date ReloMath checked the source",
    "verified": "true only when official source, value, and effective date were checked"
  },
  "rows": [
    {
      "slug": "new-york-minimum-wage-2026",
      "title": "New York downstate minimum wage rises in 2026",
      "status": "confirmed",
      "eventType": "minimum-wage",
      "jurisdiction": "New York City, Long Island, and Westchester",
      "published": "2025-12-22",
      "effective": "2026-01-01",
      "dataPeriod": "2025 to 2026 state minimum wage schedule",
      "metric": "minimum hourly wage",
      "before": "2025 NYC, Long Island, and Westchester minimum wage: $16.50 per hour.",
      "after": "2026 NYC, Long Island, and Westchester minimum wage: $17.00 per hour.",
      "beforeValue": 16.5,
      "afterValue": 17,
      "unit": "USD/hour",
      "affectedPages": [
        "/cities/new-york-ny",
        "/compare/new-york-ny-vs-miami-fl",
        "/compare/new-york-ny-vs-austin-tx",
        "/compare/new-york-ny-vs-boston-ma"
      ],
      "sourceLabel": "New York Governor minimum wage announcement",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/money-your-pockets-governor-hochul-reminds-new-yorkers-minimum-wage-increase-january-1",
      "lastChecked": "2026-07-01",
      "verified": true,
      "noindex": false,
      "notes": "The ReloMath New York metro page is mapped to the downstate wage schedule rather than the rest-of-state schedule; the published date is the Governor's official reminder announcing the 2026 rate."
    },
    {
      "slug": "denver-minimum-wage-2026",
      "title": "Denver local minimum wage rises in 2026",
      "status": "confirmed",
      "eventType": "minimum-wage",
      "jurisdiction": "Denver, CO",
      "published": "2025-09-30",
      "effective": "2026-01-01",
      "dataPeriod": "2025 to 2026 city minimum wage",
      "metric": "local minimum hourly wage",
      "before": "2025 Denver minimum wage: $18.81 per hour.",
      "after": "2026 Denver minimum wage: $19.29 per hour.",
      "beforeValue": 18.81,
      "afterValue": 19.29,
      "unit": "USD/hour",
      "affectedPages": [
        "/cities/denver-co",
        "/compare/austin-tx-vs-denver-co",
        "/compare/los-angeles-ca-vs-denver-co",
        "/compare/seattle-wa-vs-denver-co"
      ],
      "sourceLabel": "Denver Labor minimum wage page",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Auditors-Office/Denver-Labor/Citywide-Minimum-Wage",
      "lastChecked": "2026-07-01",
      "verified": true,
      "noindex": false,
      "notes": "This is a local city wage floor, not a statewide Colorado wage figure."
    },
    {
      "slug": "washington-state-minimum-wage-2026",
      "title": "Washington state minimum wage rises in 2026",
      "status": "confirmed",
      "eventType": "minimum-wage",
      "jurisdiction": "Washington",
      "published": "2025-09-30",
      "effective": "2026-01-01",
      "dataPeriod": "2025 to 2026 state minimum wage",
      "metric": "state minimum hourly wage",
      "before": "2025 Washington state minimum wage: $16.66 per hour.",
      "after": "2026 Washington state minimum wage: $17.13 per hour.",
      "beforeValue": 16.66,
      "afterValue": 17.13,
      "unit": "USD/hour",
      "affectedPages": [
        "/cities/seattle-wa",
        "/compare/san-francisco-ca-vs-seattle-wa",
        "/compare/seattle-wa-vs-denver-co",
        "/compare/seattle-wa-vs-phoenix-az"
      ],
      "sourceLabel": "Washington State Department of Labor & Industries minimum wage page",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/",
      "lastChecked": "2026-07-01",
      "verified": true,
      "noindex": false,
      "notes": "Seattle may have separate local wage rules; this row records the statewide floor used as a relocation-planning change signal."
    },
    {
      "slug": "california-minimum-wage-2026",
      "title": "California statewide minimum wage rises in 2026",
      "status": "confirmed",
      "eventType": "minimum-wage",
      "jurisdiction": "California",
      "published": "2025-08-01",
      "effective": "2026-01-01",
      "dataPeriod": "2025 to 2026 state minimum wage",
      "metric": "state minimum hourly wage",
      "before": "2025 California statewide minimum wage: $16.50 per hour.",
      "after": "2026 California statewide minimum wage: $16.90 per hour.",
      "beforeValue": 16.5,
      "afterValue": 16.9,
      "unit": "USD/hour",
      "affectedPages": [
        "/cities/san-francisco-ca",
        "/cities/los-angeles-ca",
        "/cities/san-jose-ca",
        "/cities/san-diego-ca",
        "/compare/san-francisco-ca-vs-austin-tx",
        "/compare/san-francisco-ca-vs-los-angeles-ca",
        "/compare/san-francisco-ca-vs-san-jose-ca",
        "/compare/los-angeles-ca-vs-denver-co"
      ],
      "sourceLabel": "California Department of Industrial Relations minimum wage page",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/minimum_wage.htm",
      "lastChecked": "2026-07-01",
      "verified": true,
      "noindex": false,
      "notes": "California local ordinances may require higher rates; this row captures the statewide minimum wage floor."
    },
    {
      "slug": "hud-fy2026-fmr-austin-tx",
      "title": "HUD FY2026 FMR update: Austin 2-bedroom benchmark",
      "status": "confirmed",
      "eventType": "fmr",
      "jurisdiction": "Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA",
      "published": "2025-08-22",
      "effective": "2025-10-01",
      "dataPeriod": "HUD FY2024 to FY2026, 2-bedroom FMR",
      "metric": "2-bedroom Fair Market Rent",
      "before": "FY2024 HUD 2-bedroom FMR: $1,924 per month.",
      "after": "FY2026 HUD 2-bedroom FMR: $1,852 per month.",
      "beforeValue": 1924,
      "afterValue": 1852,
      "unit": "USD/month",
      "affectedPages": [
        "/cities/austin-tx",
        "/compare/san-francisco-ca-vs-austin-tx",
        "/compare/austin-tx-vs-dallas-tx",
        "/compare/austin-tx-vs-denver-co",
        "/compare/new-york-ny-vs-austin-tx"
      ],
      "sourceLabel": "HUD USER FMR history CSV, FY2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/FMR/FMR_All_1983_2026.csv",
      "lastChecked": "2026-07-01",
      "verified": true,
      "noindex": false,
      "notes": "Verified against the HUD first-party FMR history CSV on 2026-07-01: the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA row shows fmr26 2-bedroom $1,852 and fmr24 2-bedroom $1,924, matching this row exactly. This row explicitly compares FY2024 to FY2026 and skips the FY2025 baseline ($1,949). Earlier conflicting third-party figures ($1,760, ~$1,450) did not reproduce against the HUD CSV and were discarded."
    },
    {
      "slug": "hud-fy2026-fmr-dallas-tx",
      "title": "HUD FY2026 FMR update: Dallas 2-bedroom benchmark",
      "status": "confirmed",
      "eventType": "fmr",
      "jurisdiction": "Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area",
      "published": "2025-08-22",
      "effective": "2025-10-01",
      "dataPeriod": "HUD FY2024 to FY2026, 2-bedroom FMR",
      "metric": "2-bedroom Fair Market Rent",
      "before": "FY2024 HUD 2-bedroom FMR: $1,758 per month.",
      "after": "FY2026 HUD 2-bedroom FMR: $1,931 per month.",
      "beforeValue": 1758,
      "afterValue": 1931,
      "unit": "USD/month",
      "affectedPages": [
        "/cities/dallas-tx",
        "/compare/austin-tx-vs-dallas-tx",
        "/compare/dallas-tx-vs-houston-tx"
      ],
      "sourceLabel": "HUD USER FMR history CSV, FY2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/FMR/FMR_All_1983_2026.csv",
      "lastChecked": "2026-07-01",
      "verified": true,
      "noindex": false,
      "notes": "Dallas FY2026 row uses the Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area value shared by Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties in the HUD file; this row explicitly compares HUD FY2024 to FY2026 and skips FY2025."
    },
    {
      "slug": "hud-fy2026-fmr-san-francisco-ca",
      "title": "HUD FY2026 FMR update: San Francisco 2-bedroom benchmark",
      "status": "confirmed",
      "eventType": "fmr",
      "jurisdiction": "San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area",
      "published": "2025-08-22",
      "effective": "2025-10-01",
      "dataPeriod": "HUD FY2024 to FY2026, 2-bedroom FMR",
      "metric": "2-bedroom Fair Market Rent",
      "before": "FY2024 HUD 2-bedroom FMR: $3,359 per month.",
      "after": "FY2026 HUD 2-bedroom FMR: $3,604 per month.",
      "beforeValue": 3359,
      "afterValue": 3604,
      "unit": "USD/month",
      "affectedPages": [
        "/cities/san-francisco-ca",
        "/compare/san-francisco-ca-vs-austin-tx",
        "/compare/san-francisco-ca-vs-seattle-wa",
        "/compare/san-francisco-ca-vs-los-angeles-ca",
        "/compare/san-francisco-ca-vs-san-jose-ca"
      ],
      "sourceLabel": "HUD USER FMR history CSV, FY2026",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/FMR/FMR_All_1983_2026.csv",
      "lastChecked": "2026-07-01",
      "verified": true,
      "noindex": false,
      "notes": "The San Francisco HUD Metro FMR Area value applies to Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo county rows in the HUD file."
    }
  ]
}