Texas Border Business
Wilmington, De. May 14, 2014 — Fixr.com, a small business network serving 28 cities in Texas, has created the Rio Grande Valley Affordability Atlas. The free online tool helps residents get detailed, color-coded information about cost of living expenses in cities such as Brownsville, Harlingen, and McAllen. Users can customize the map based on profession, salary, family size, home square footage, number and age of children, and even type of meal plan. The income data analyzed is specific to each Valley city, making the atlas a versatile and powerful tool to help with financial and budgeting decisions.
“We believe this free tool is so powerful that its many applications are just beginning to be seen,” said Andres Torrubia, who spearheaded the creation of the map. “Because you can customize your scenario very specifically, the tool can be used in many different ways. Families can use the map to learn about cost of food and childcare. Minimum wage workers can use the tool to budget for groceries and other expenses. Business owners can get insight into neighborhoods and nearby cities to expand into. Economic development organizations can use the map as a demographics tool to help them write policy and improve their communities.”
Fixr.com analyzed raw data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Dept. of Agriculture and other sources. The team uses a seven-factor formula to estimate cost of living, which is then displayed interactively down to the census tract level.
After details are entered into the map, the result produces a unique URL, which can be shared with others – a customized cost of living snapshot. TBB
