beginning of content:

Twelve-month low and moderate living expense budgets

This table shows living expense costs by region and metropolitan area over a twelve-month period. Both a moderate and a low budget are provided. The budgets reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index (calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) of 1.4 percent for 2020 and 7.0% for 2021.

The budgets are developed based on data from the most recent years’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The CES microdata was queried to generate budgets for additional Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) with significant population sizes. Consequently, the regional tables of the living expense budget reflect 35 MSAs, compared to 22 in published regional data tables.

Since budgets cannot be established for every area of the country, no MSA’s budget falls below the base budget.

Note: These budgets are provided to assist financial aid officers in developing living expense budgets for their independent, off-campus students. The budgets should not be confused with the actual boarding expenses experienced by an on-campus student. These budgets are intended as broad guidelines or starting points which should be adjusted to local economies, individual situations, and Department of Education Cost of Attendance guidelines.

  2022-23 2023-24
 

Moderate

12-Month

Budget

Low

12-Month

Budget

Moderate

12-Month

Budget

Low

12-Month

Budget
United States $30,560 $20,470 $33,520 $22,460
Northeast:    
Boston–Cambridge–Newton MA–NH 34,227 22,926 37,542 25,155
Hartford–East Hartford–Middletown CT 31,782 21,289 34,861 23,358
New York–Newark–Jersey City NY–NJ–PA 33,616 22,517 36,872 24,706
Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington PA–NJ–DE–MD 31,171 20,879 34,526 23,134
Pittsburgh PA 30,560 20,470 33,520 22,460
South:    
Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta GA 31,477 21,084 34,190 22,909
Baltimore–Columbia–Towson MD 32,394 21,698 35,196 23,583
Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia NC–SC
Raleigh NC		 31,171 20,879 33,855 22,685
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington TX 32,394 21,698 35,866 24,032
Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land TX 31,477 21,084 34,526 23,134
Jacksonville FL
Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford FL		 31,477 21,084 33,855 22,685
Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach FL 32,088 21,494 34,861 23,358
New Orleans–Metairie LA 30,560 20,470 33,520 22,460
Oklahoma City OK 30,560 20,470 33,520 22,460
Richmond VA
Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News VA–NC		 31,171 20,879 34,190 22,909
San Antonio–New Braunfels TX
Austin–Round Rock TX		 30,560 20,470 33,520 22,460
Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater FL 30,560 20,470 33,520 22,460
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria DC–VA–MD–WV 35,450 23,745 38,883 26,054
Midwest:    
Chicago–Naperville–Elgin IL–IN–WI 31,171 20,879 34,526 23,134
Cleveland–Elyria OH
Cincinnati OH–KY–IN
Columbus OH		 30,560 20,470 33,520 22,460
Detroit–Warren–Dearborn MI 30,560 20,470 33,520 22,460
Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson IN
Louisville/Jefferson County KY–IN		 30,560 20,470 33,520 22,460
Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington MN–WI 32,394 21,698 35,531 23,808
St. Louis MO–IL 30,560 20,470 33,520 22,460
West:    
Anchorage AK 32,394 21,698 35,531 23,808
Denver–Aurora–Lakewood CO 33,310 22,312 36,537 24,481
Urban Honolulu HI 33,922 22,722 36,537 24,481
Las Vegas–Henderson–Paradise NV 30,866 20,675 33,520 22,460
Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim CA 33,922 22,722 37,207 24,931
Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler AZ 30,866 20,675 34,190 22,909
Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro OR–WA 32,699 21,903 35,531 23,808
Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario CA 31,477 21,084 34,526 23,134
San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad CA 34,838 23,336 38,548 25,829
San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley CA 36,061 24,155 38,883 26,054
Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue WA 34,533 23,131 37,878 25,380