URL: http://ssdc.ucsd.edu/ssdc/icp01275.html

TITLE: Cost of Living Index for the American States, 1960-2000 [CPI]

• STUDYNO = icp01275
• INVESTIGATOR = Berry, William D., Florida State University, Richard C. Fording, University of Kentucky, and Russell L. Hanson, Indiana University-Bloomington.
• DATE-UPDATED-SSDC = June 27, 2006

STUDY DESCRIPTION: The authors constructed a state cost of living index for the 48 continental American states, measured annually for the period 1960 through 2000 (to update an index for 1960-1995 introduced in the authors' May 2000 Journal of Politics article). The data contains variables for states, year, and the consumer price index (CPI). The CPI2000 variable uses 100 as the median state cost of living in 2000. This number is the average value of the index for the two middle states, South Dakota and Delaware. Inquires about these data should be directed to Berry (wberry@garnet.acns.fsu.edu) or Fording (rford@uky.edu).

EXTENT OF COLLECTION: Documentation + data files.

• CODEBOOKS: These data are documentated by three PDF files:
  1. README.PDF: Contains the file formats and variable locations for the original Excel and Lotus data tables.
  2. METHODS.PDF: A description of minor changes in methodology introduced when updating the cost of living index through 2000.
  3. UNPUBSUP.PDF: An unublished supplement to the article that is referenced in the text of the article.

• DATA DICTIONARIES: These ASCII text files describe the layout of the 1960-2000 ASCII rectangular data file. Both files are products of the SSDC staff.
• DATA FILES: This study has one data file that is available in several formats (wk1, excel, pdf, ASCII csv). The 1960-2000 ASCII rectangular data file is described below:
• ASCII FILE FORMAT = Rectangular
• NUMBER OF RECORDS = 1968
• RECORD DELIMITER = Line Feed
• RECORD LENGTH = 15 (Includes Line Feed Character)

RELATED PUBLICATION: Berry, William D., Richard C. Fording and Russell L. Hanson, An Annual Cost of Living Index for the American States, 1960-2000 (revised), Journal of Politics, vol. 60, no. 2, May 2000: 550-67.