cost_of_doing_business_index

io.github.blackboxfoundry/livedatalink · Verify this server

One-call comparative 'cost of operating a business here' read for a US state (with optional metro context). Joins three independent public sources, each a real operating-cost dimension expressed RELATIVE to the US national average (national = 1.00) so the result is a readable, comparable index: LABOR cost from BLS QCEW private-sector average annual pay across all industries (keyless), ENERGY cost from EIA retail electricity price for the commercial and industrial sectors (state vs national), and local CONTEXT from US Census ACS median household income, per-capita income, and median gross rent (needs a Census key; degrades gracefully). Returns a headline relative-cost banding (LOW / MODERATE / HIGH cost vs national) from a labor-weighted composite of the labor and energy indices, with each dimension's numbers and its own banding shown. Labor and energy are state-level; a supplied metro refines the context leg and label only. A source that fails is noted, not fatal. Informational, not a guarantee.