Our mission
TALLY Insights is a free, independent, public-interest educational project. Our goal is to make inflation and cost-of-living data more accessible to everyday Americans. We are not a company, a commercial service, or a financial advisory tool. Everything on this platform is free and requires no account.
Data sources
Our data draws on publicly available economic information from authoritative US government sources:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — Consumer Price Index (CPI), producer prices, and employment cost data.
- US Department of Agriculture (USDA) — food price outlook and retail price data.
- Federal Reserve — interest rates, monetary policy indicators, and regional economic data.
- US Census Bureau — population, housing, and demographic data.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) — personal consumption expenditures and GDP data.
During the beta phase, some figures shown on the platform are illustrative composites based on these public sources rather than directly sourced observations. We indicate this on the pages where it applies.
Update frequency
Government inflation data is published on a monthly schedule. The Consumer Price Index is released mid-month for the prior month. We update our pages to reflect new releases as they become available. Product prices and city cost-of-living indices are updated when new source data is published.
How we calculate price changes
For each product, we track a representative price and calculate the year-over-year percentage change. The formula is simple: ((current price − prior price) / prior price) × 100. A positive number means the price rose; a negative number means it fell.
For shrinkflation, we calculate the effective price increase — the hidden inflation that occurs when a package shrinks but the shelf price stays the same. We compare the per-unit price (price per ounce or per pound) before and after the size change.
Cost-of-living index
Each city's cost-of-living index (COLI) is benchmarked against the US national average, which is set at 100. A score above 100 means that city is more expensive than the national average; below 100 means more affordable. The index is a composite of housing, grocery, and utility costs, weighted by typical household spending shares.
Limitations
- Prices vary within a city. Our figures represent a city-wide average; your actual costs may differ by neighborhood and retailer.
- Government data is published with a lag. CPI data for a given month is released 2–3 weeks later, and is subject to revision.
- During beta, some product prices and historical series are illustrative composites rather than directly observed shelf prices.
- We do not currently track every product in every store. Coverage expands as the platform develops.
- We do not provide personalized financial advice. This is an educational resource, not a budgeting tool.
Definitions
- CPI (Consumer Price Index): A measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of goods and services.
- YoY (Year-over-Year): A comparison of a metric (such as price) in the current period versus the same period one year earlier.
- Shrinkflation: A reduction in the quantity or size of a product while the nominal price remains unchanged, resulting in a hidden price increase per unit.
- SKU (Stock Keeping Unit): A unique identifier assigned by a retailer to a specific product variant for inventory tracking.
- COLI (Cost-of-Living Index): A composite measure comparing the cost of maintaining a standard of living across locations, benchmarked against a national average.
Editorial standards
Our editorial content — explainers, analyses, and feature articles — is written to inform and educate. We do not accept advertising, sponsorships, or paid placements. We do not endorse products, brands, or retailers. When we reference a specific company or product, it is for illustrative purposes only.
Every article includes a publication date. We correct errors promptly and note significant corrections. If you spot an error, please contact us at tallyinsights@usa.com.