FIRE Calculator — Financial Independence by Location
Calculate Your FIRE Number, Years to FI, and How Moving Changes Your Timeline
Enter your income, spending, and investing assumptions to estimate your FIRE number, your years to financial independence, and your projected FIRE age. Then compare how moving to a lower-cost or lower-tax city could bring that date forward.
Uses federal tax brackets, FICA, filing status, optional 401(k) contributions, and state-specific tax estimates to model after-tax income for planning comparisons.
Assumptions updated: March 2026
How the FIRE calculator works
Your FIRE number is based on how much you spend each year and your withdrawal rate. The most common starting point is the 4% rule: divide your annual expenses by 0.04 to estimate the portfolio size needed to support that spending.
But location changes the math. This calculator estimates after-tax income using federal tax brackets, FICA, filing status, optional 401(k) contributions, and a state-specific tax model. It then compares how different spending and location assumptions may affect your timeline to financial independence.
Estimates the portfolio you need to cover your full lifestyle indefinitely at your chosen withdrawal rate.
Your FIRE milestone
At your current pace you could reach financial independence at age 68, in about 38 years, around 2064.
FIRE at 68 · 38 years away
Your fastest path to financial independence
You're currently projected to reach your goal in 38 yrs. Here are the changes that would get you to financial independence fastest.
Moving to a lower-cost location reduces your living costs and the retirement target your portfolio needs to support.
1. Move to the lower-cost location
18 yrs soonerLower geographic costs can shorten the path materially.
2. Raise savings rate to 28%
9 yrs soonerMore of your income working for you sooner.
3. Lower spending by 10%
7 yrs soonerA smaller target means compounding has less ground to cover.
These are planning estimates, not guarantees. Small changes in return assumptions, taxes, and future spending can materially change the result.
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on your FIRE mode, not paid placement.
Get your roadmap to FIRE at 68
Withdrawal order, Roth conversion windows, healthcare bridge, and sequence-of-returns protection for your specific situation.
Get a personalized FIRE roadmap
A step-by-step plan to reach FIRE at 68 — account strategy, contribution order, and tax optimization.
Frequently asked questions
What changes your FIRE timeline most
Annual spending
Spending is the core driver of your FIRE number. Lower spending reduces the portfolio size you need.
Savings rate
The more you can invest each year, the faster your portfolio compounds toward financial independence.
Investment return assumptions
Growth assumptions matter, but they should be treated as planning estimates, not promises.
Location
Moving to a lower-cost or lower-tax location can reduce both your FIRE number and your years to FI.
Who this calculator is best for
This calculator is most useful for people who want to understand how income, spending, investing, and location work together in a financial independence plan.
It is especially useful if you are comparing cities, trying to lower expenses, or testing whether a move could bring your FIRE date closer.
What this calculator includes — and what it does not
Included
- FIRE number estimate
- Years to financial independence
- Projected FIRE age
- Location-based tax and spending comparison
Not fully modeled
- Every tax edge case or deduction
- Sequence-of-returns risk in full detail
- All future spending changes with precision
- Investment outcomes with certainty
This is a planning tool, not a guaranteed forecast. It is most useful for comparing scenarios and understanding directionally how your choices change the math.
Explore more FIRE and relocation tools
Compare other FIRE styles, explore city-to-city moves, or browse more tools across the site.
Planning estimate only. Not tax, legal, or financial advice.