Cost of Living Tracker 2026: 49% of Families Can't Cover the Essentials as Energy Outpaces Pay

Here is the number that matters for every household budget this week: according to Urban Institute's latest affordability tracker, released October 26, 49 percent of people in American families do not have the resources to cover essential expenses and live securely in their communities. That figure, based on Urban's True Cost of Economic Security measure, is the broadest read yet on the split between what families earn and what basic living now costs. And the freshest data in the release show why the gap persists: energy is rising faster than nearly anything else in the budget, while paychecks lag behind.

49 percent of people in American families lack the resources to cover essential expenses…