Disclaimer

1. General Informational Purposes

All content, data, tables, charts, rankings, calculators and commentary on lifeindexdata.com (the "Site") are provided strictly for general information and education. The operators of LifeIndex are not financial advisors, realtors, attorneys or tax professionals. No content creates a professional-client relationship.

2. Data Accuracy & Timeliness

• Data is aggregated from official federal APIs (see Sources) and cached. While we validate and timestamp per file (last_updated, data_year), government releases can be revised.
• We do not guarantee error-free or real-time data. Use at your own risk; verify critical numbers directly with the source agency.
• Errors or omissions are corrected promptly after notice via contact form.

3. Source Attribution

Government works are public domain per 17 U.S.C. §105. LifeIndex presentation is original compilation (© 2026). Links to source APIs are retained per page for verifiability — a key AdSense YMYL requirement.

4. Not Financial, Legal or Tax Advice

Nothing herein is financial planning, investment, legal, tax, real-estate or career advice. Housing affordability, mortgage and tax implications depend on individual circumstances, lender policies, and state/county rules. Consult licensed professionals (CPA, attorney, Realtor®, financial planner) before decisions to buy, rent, relocate, or negotiate salary.

Example: A $75,000 median income in Mississippi vs $101,000 in Maryland (Census ACS) yields different take-home pay after federal/state taxes, withholding, and cost-of-living adjustments — we show medians, not your net.

5. Housing & Rent Estimates

• Home values: Median home value (B25077_001E, Census ACS) is survey-based, not appraised market value or Zillow-style estimate. FRED MSPUS (median sales price) reflects new-home sales, not resale.
• Rent (FMR): HUD Fair Market Rents are 40th-percentile (or small-area) estimates for voucher programs, not guaranteed market rents. Coastal metros can vary 2–3× from FMR. See rent methodology.
• Affordability: Calculators use simple 28% housing-cost rule; lender underwriting uses DTI, credit, and property specifics.

6. Salary & Employment

• BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS/OES) are establishment surveys; individual wages vary by employer, experience, and metro vs statewide reporting.
• Unemployment (LAUS/CPS) is modeled and revised; state rates are seasonally adjusted where labeled.
• We rank states/median incomes but do not predict job offers.

7. Taxes

Tax rates (income, sales, property) are compiled from state revenue departments and public tax summaries, normalized and regularly updated. Rates can change mid-year; always check the state's official tax authority. Property tax "median" is per Census survey, not a mill-rate calculation. We are not a CPA firm.

8. Data Delays & Vintage — Why Years Differ

• Census ACS 5-Year 2023: Released late 2024, covers 2019–2023 survey period — the latest complete federal release as of Sep 2026.
• HUD FMR 2025: Published mid-2024 for FY2025 voucher use; hence "2025" label while today is 2026.
• FRED/EIA: Weekly/daily — vintage is days old, shown via last_updated.
• We display source and last-updated timestamps on every page for transparency.

9. Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure (FTC 16 CFR Part 255)

We display Google AdSense ads. Google may use cookies to personalize ads based on prior browsing, subject to your consent. We do not control ad content and do not endorse advertisers. If we add affiliate/lead programs (e.g., insurance, credit cards), they will be clearly labeled as "Sponsored" or "Advertisement" adjacent to the link, per FTC endorsement guides.

10. External Links

Links to census.gov, bls.gov, huduser.gov, fred.stlouisfed.org, eia.gov, etc., are provided for verification. We are not responsible for third-party accuracy, availability or privacy practices.

11. Liability & Indemnity

To the fullest extent permitted by U.S. law, LifeIndex is not liable for losses arising from reliance on Site data. See Terms §9 (limitation of liability, cap at $100) and §10 (indemnification). You assume responsibility for decisions made using the data.

12. Contact & Corrections

For data corrections, source disputes, or methodology questions: use contact form with topic "Data Correction" or email support@lifeindexdata.com and legal@lifeindexdata.com. Advertising/partnership inquiries: ads@lifeindexdata.com. We aim to respond within 2 business days and publish corrections with a timestamp.

This Disclaimer is governed by U.S. law and supplements our Terms and Privacy Policy. If any clause is unenforceable, the remainder continues. English version controls.