Private, on-device cost-of-living & money tool
See where your money would go furthest.
Headroom shows how your month stands in plain dollars — then ranks every U.S. state and county by how much you'd have left living there. On your own pay, or a job's local pay. No score, no bank connection, and your numbers never leave your phone.
Private on-device app. Organizations can start a pilot conversation.
left each month in Arkansas
Two questions, answered honestly
“How does my month stand — and where would my money go furthest?” Headroom answers both from the numbers you enter and real public data, on your device. Nothing more, nothing sold.
Where you stand now
Your income is a bar; essentials fill it; what's left is your room. A Safe Line marks where basics are best kept under — your whole month at a glance, no score, no judgment.
Where your money goes furthest
Rank every U.S. state and county by how much you'd have left living there — using each place's real typical rent (Census) and utilities (EIA). Perspective, never a nudge to move.
Same job, new place
Pick from 300+ occupations and rank by that job's local pay in each state (real BLS wage data) — because the same career earns very differently across the country.
Cost of living, localized
For any state or county, see its rent and utilities against the U.S. average — a plain “46% lower than the U.S.” read, honest about which costs don't vary by place.
The fastest way out
Carrying debt? See where it would clear soonest — a cheaper place or better local pay frees up money, and every spare dollar clears the balance faster. An on-device simulation, not a promise.
Explain
A deterministic assistant answers from your own figures — “why am I short?”, “where does my money go?”, “where would my money go furthest?” It never invents numbers, and points you to free help when things are tight.
How it works — in three steps
Enter a few numbers
Your income and monthly essentials — rent or mortgage, food, utilities, debt. No bank connection, no account. Rough numbers are fine.
See where you stand
Instantly, in plain dollars: what's left this month, a calm read, and your odds for the year ahead — with the biggest lever to change them.
Explore where you'd have more room
Open Places to see where your money — or your job's local pay — would stretch furthest across the country, and what a move would really cost. Everything stays on your phone.
Why it's different
Typical money apps
- Ask you to link your bank
- Push credit cards, loans, or subscriptions
- Reduce you to a score or grade
- Stop at “here's your budget”
Headroom
- You type your own numbers — no bank access
- No ads, no upsells, nothing to buy
- Plain dollars, no score, no judgment
- Shows where your money would actually go furthest
Private by design
Your income, rent, debt, verdicts, place rankings, and simulation results never leave your device. There's no account, no server for your financial data, no bank connection, no ads, and no tracking. The comparison data is bundled in the app, so it works fully offline.
Read the privacy details · See the methodology · Check the data sources
Honest about what it is
- A clear, private picture of your month — and where it would stretch further
- Educational information with cited public data
- A pointer to free, reputable help when you need it
- Not financial, legal, tax, or housing advice
- Not a promise to prevent debt, eviction, or bankruptcy — and never a push to move
- Not a bank connection, a loan, or a product to buy
Common questions
What does the “where your money goes furthest” part do?
It ranks U.S. states and counties by how much you'd have left each month living there — running your own numbers against each place's real typical rent (Census) and utilities (EIA). You can rank by your current pay or by a chosen job's local pay across 300+ occupations (BLS wage data). It's for perspective, never a nudge to move. More on how it works.
Is it really private?
Yes. The numbers you enter are stored only on your device and are never uploaded. There's no server for your financial data, no analytics, and no tracking — it works fully offline, even in Airplane Mode. More on privacy.
Do I have to connect my bank?
No — and you can't. Headroom never links to a bank or credit account. You type a few numbers yourself, which keeps it private and simple.
Where do the rent, utilities, and pay numbers come from?
Public U.S. data, bundled inside the app: typical rent from the Census Bureau, energy from the EIA, and occupation wages from the BLS. They're typical figures for perspective, never a target or a guarantee. See the sources.
Is it telling me to move?
No. Headroom shows where your money would stretch further as perspective — the trade-offs of a move (family, jobs, community) are yours alone. It never ranks a place as “better” for your life, only how the dollars would compare.
Does the “Explain” feature use AI that sees my data?
No. Explain is deterministic — it computes every figure from your own numbers on your device and never sends anything to a server or guesses. It won't invent numbers, and it points you to free help for anything that needs a real person.
Is this financial advice?
No. Headroom is educational information about your own money, with cited public data — not financial, legal, tax, or housing advice, and it doesn't promise any outcome. For decisions, it points you to free, reputable help like 211 and HUD-approved counselors.
When can I get it?
A TestFlight beta is open. Join the list and we'll let you know how to get in.
See where your money would go furthest.
Private, on-device, and honest. Try Headroom in the TestFlight beta.
Join the beta