#housing-costs

#housing-costs

The 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is projected at 2.4%, the smallest increase since 2021, raising concerns for aging homeowners' expenses.

California now has 5.8 million TK-12 students enrolled, down nearly 7% from a decade ago, indicating a continuing decline in school enrollment across the state.

In the most affordable cities for renters, the median cost of rent is as low as 15% of the median income, compared to more than 33% in the most expensive cities.

It's okay to scale back on retirement plan contributions temporarily, especially when purchasing a home involves significant expenses.

Sen. Rosalind Osgood stated that many residents are concerned about the recent law requiring full funding of reserves, especially for those living on fixed incomes.

McKnight noted that while gross domestic product growth is moderate on a national level, Texas - and Austin in particular - continues to outpace the nation.

"Prices for healthcare were in some cases over 10 times cheaper than in the US, and housing was about five times less expensive."