Methodology & sources
Every active-conflict figure and the formula behind the ZIP lookup, with sources.
Active-conflict figures are re-verified weekly against primary sources; each figure shows the date it is current through.
Per-capita contribution formula
The zip-code contribution figure is computed as:
per_capita_defense = (zip_income_tax / national_income_tax) × dod_budget / zip_population
This measures what a community pays toward defense via income taxes — not what is spent in that community. Wealthier zip codes show higher per-capita contributions because they contribute more income tax. This is intentional: it reflects actual tax burden, not geographic allocation of military spending.
Data sources: IRS Statistics of Income (zip-level income tax), Census Bureau (zip/ZCTA population), DoD budget totals (Treasury Monthly Treasury Statement outlays for the historical ZIP drill-down; the enacted appropriation, P.L. 119-75, for the live headline). The IRS releases ZIP-level data roughly three to four years late; budget figures are current-year enacted.
Other data
Opportunity-cost unit prices (what the community total could have funded), with vintage:
- Teacher salary — $66,397 (NEA 2022-23 average)
- School lunch (year) — $874 (USDA NSLP estimate)
- College tuition (year) — $10,940 (College Board 2022-23)
- Section 8 housing voucher (year) — $11,088 (HUD average)
- Registered nurse salary — $81,220 (BLS 2022 median)
Casualty data: Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC/OSD), retrieved 2026-06-30.
Inflation adjustment: BLS CPI-U, 2021/2022 annual averages to May 2026.
Population: Census Population Estimates Program (PEP), Vintage 2025.
Daily-cost comparison basis: CRS RS22926, Iraq (OIF) appropriations FY2003–FY2010, converted to 2026 dollars via BLS CPI-U through May 2026. Current-war daily rates are computed as cost ÷ elapsed days through each figure’s as-of date — not days to today, since the cost range itself does not grow with the day counter. The Iraq average is a floor: the CRS total omits the FY2011–12 tail.
Ukraine is not shown: the US is not a combatant, and current US-appropriated military aid (~$400M/yr, FY2026 USAI) is under 1% of any war’s daily rate — most US weapons now flowing to Ukraine are purchased by NATO allies and Ukraine, not by US taxpayers.
US-Iran War — Operation Epic Fury
Data compiled as of July 13, 2026. Numbers change daily in active conflicts.
Conflict status & latest events
- CNN— US-Iran war live (Jul 13 2026): ceasefire disintegrates as the US and Iran trade strikes over the Strait of Hormuz; conflicting accounts on whether the Strait is open; Iran says the US is undermining Oman-mediated safe-passage talks near the 60-day MoU halfway mark. Most recent conflict-relevant event.
- Al Jazeera— US launches a new wave of strikes against Iran aimed at 'degrading' its military (Jul 12 2026); strikes expand beyond the coastal zone. Resolves the second-night July escalation.
- CENTCOM— U.S. Forces Complete Another Round of Strikes Against Iran (Jul 11 2026): ~140 Iranian military targets hit (missile/drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage, communications, coastal surveillance); CENTCOM cites 300+ targets over three nights this week. Primary source for the July 11 wave.
- Al Jazeera— Iran launches missiles and drones at Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Oman) after a night of US strikes (Jul 12 2026); CENTCOM says no US service members hurt (Qatar 3+ injured incl. a child; Kuwait 1). Resolves 'no new US deaths' in the July 11-12 exchange.
- CNBC— US and Iran exchange strikes as the Strait of Hormuz standoff escalates (Jul 13 2026); Brent crude +2.8% to ~$78/bbl; ~14 vessels (half Iranian) transited the Strait per Kpler as fewer ships risk it.
- Stars and Stripes— US naval buildup near Iran (Jul 2026): ~24 warships including carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush and 15 destroyers; amphib USS Boxer joined July 1. Documents the two-carrier-strike-group presence near Iran (Iran schema keeps naval_presence/oil_blockade null; buildup is prose-only).
- CNN— US-Iran war live (Jul 11 2026): Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz closed again and strikes a container ship; the US answers with new strikes; an Iranian delegation still travels to Oman for mediated talks. Bridges the July 9-10 pause to the July 11-12 re-escalation.
- CNBC— US strikes ~90 Iran targets after ship attacks, per CENTCOM (Jul 8 2026): air defense, coastal surveillance, missile/drone storage, naval capabilities; Trump declares ceasefire over.
- RFE/RL— US insists Iran 'does not control' the Strait of Hormuz (Jul 2026); US reimposed naval blockade and is building up naval forces to enforce it.
- Army Recognition— US Navy redirects/maneuvers carrier strike groups (USS Abraham Lincoln, USS George H.W. Bush) around Iran amid the Hormuz crisis (Jul 2026); 20+ warships in the Middle East; Trump considering an expanded port blockade. Iran naval buildup documented in prose only (Iran schema keeps naval_presence/oil_blockade null).
- CENTCOM (via GlobalSecurity)— US forces complete new round of offensive strikes against Iran, July 7 2026: 80+ targets hit with precision munitions in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Resolves the ceasefire collapse and resumption of strikes.
- CNN— US conducting new strikes in Iran after Trump said the ceasefire is 'over' (Jul 8 2026); US reimposing naval blockade of Hormuz and oil sanctions.
- NPR— US launches new strikes against Iran after three ships hit in the Strait of Hormuz (Jul 7 2026).
- Al Jazeera— US strikes southern Iran; Tehran claims attacks on US military sites (Jul 7 2026). Strait of Hormuz ship attacks and the strike exchange.
- RFE/RL (via GlobalSecurity)— Iran claims attacks on US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait after new US strikes (Jul 8 2026): IRGC says it struck ~85 US military sites including the Fifth Fleet at Salman Port (Bahrain) and Ali Al Salem air base (Kuwait).
- Axios— US and Iran agree to halt strikes and meet (Jun 28 2026): after the ~Jun 26-27 Strait of Hormuz strike exchange, both sides agreed to stop striking and hold talks. Resolves the ceasefire-holding status.
- Al Jazeera— US-Iran talks in Doha (Jul 2 2026): technical talks concluded with Qatar reporting 'positive progress' on Hormuz shipping and frozen funds. Most recent conflict-relevant event.
- UK House of Commons Library— US-Iran ceasefire and nuclear talks in 2026: timeline of the June 17 memorandum and its fragile hold into early July 2026.
- CNBC— Successor to Iran's slain leader Khamenei does not appear at funeral (Jul 5 2026): confirms Khamenei was killed (Feb 28 opening strikes) and the early-July funeral is a state funeral, not a new death. Successor Mojtaba Khamenei named ~Mar 9, not seen publicly.
Cost to date
- OMB— Office of Management and Budget supplemental request documentation
- CSIS— Comprehensive Operation Epic Fury cost analysis including base and facility damage
- MilitarySpend.org (aggregator)— Live cost tracker (~$36B). AGGREGATOR ESTIMATE, not official -- listed for provenance and explicitly excluded from the official cost range. A higher ~$113B 'all-in' figure that circulates is likewise non-official.
Emergency supplemental request
- Government Executive— Iran War supplemental deepens FY27 budget uncertainty (Jul 2026): $87.6B request still pending congressional action, facing stiff opposition; passage in doubt. Confirms supplemental NOT enacted.
- CRS— Congressional Research Service reports (official index; search Iran supplemental)
US military deaths
- CENTCOM / DoD— U.S. Central Command / Dept. of Defense press releases (official releases index)
- Al Jazeera— Iran launches missiles and drones at Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Oman) after a night of US strikes (Jul 12 2026); CENTCOM says no US service members hurt (Qatar 3+ injured incl. a child; Kuwait 1). Resolves 'no new US deaths' in the July 11-12 exchange.
- Middle East Eye— US says no casualties reported in the Iranian missile/drone attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait bases (Jul 8 2026). Resolves 'no new US deaths.'
Air-campaign deaths inside Iran (NON-US; US + Israel combined)
- HRANA— Human Rights Activists in Iran (US-based monitor): 3,636 documented deaths in Iran as of Apr 7 2026 -- 1,701 civilians, 1,221 military, 714 unclassified. Cautions military deaths are likely undercounted. Counts the combined US-Israel campaign, not US-only.
- CENTCOM— U.S. Forces Complete Another Round of Strikes Against Iran (Jul 11 2026): ~140 Iranian military targets hit (missile/drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage, communications, coastal surveillance); CENTCOM cites 300+ targets over three nights this week. Primary source for the July 11 wave.
- Al Jazeera— US strikes on southern Iran (Bushehr, Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, Jask, Sirik) over Jul 7-9 killed ~14 and wounded ~78 (incl. 3 at a Sirik fishing pier); resolves the Iranian death toll from the resumed US strikes.
- Al Jazeera— US-Israel attacks on Iran death-toll live tracker: Iran Health Ministry 3,468 killed (7 infants, 376 children, 496 women; 26,500+ injured) as of Jun 10 2026. Explicitly attributes deaths to combined 'US-Israeli attacks since February 28.'
- The Soufan Center— IntelBrief (Apr 7 2026): cites HRANA that 1,600+ civilians in Iran killed since Epic Fury and Roaring Lion began Feb 28; frames casualties as arising from the joint US-Israel operations without a per-attacker breakdown.
- MilitarySpend.org— Iran war casualty tracker aggregating named sources: HRANA 3,636 (civ/mil split), Foundation of Martyrs 3,468, Forensic Medicine Org 3,375, IDF 6,000+ IRGC. States it does not sum contested figures across sides and does not disaggregate US-caused from Israel-caused deaths.
Daily-cost comparison (Iraq War average)
- CRS RL33110— The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations — Iraq-only peak $143.9B in FY2008 (~$393M/day nominal, ~$610M/day in 2026 dollars via CPI-U)
- CRS RS22926— Costs of Major U.S. Wars — cross-era totals; comparisons are appropriations-based and era definitions differ (Vietnam = DoD incremental cost; Iraq = enacted war appropriations)
US-Venezuela / Caribbean Operations — Operation Southern Spear
Data compiled as of July 13, 2026. Numbers change daily in active conflicts.
Cost to date
- Brown University's Costs of War— Budgetary costs of US military operations in Venezuela, the Caribbean, and the Eastern Pacific (Homestead & Kavanagh, Apr 23 2026)
- CSIS— Ongoing Military Operations Around Venezuela Cost $31 Million per Day (Jan 20 2026)
- Brown University's Costs of War (PDF)— Primary report PDF
- Responsible Statecraft— DoD spent $4.7 billion for Venezuela, Caribbean ops: Report
- The Intercept— Trump Has Already Spent at Least $4.7 Billion Attacking Latin America (Apr 23 2026)
Daily run-rate cost
- CSIS— Ongoing Military Operations Around Venezuela Cost $31 Million per Day (Jan 20 2026)
Unbudgeted daily cost
- CSIS— Ongoing Military Operations Around Venezuela Cost $31 Million per Day (Jan 20 2026)
Vessel-strike deaths (NON-US)
- Just Security— Timeline of boat strikes aggregating official SOUTHCOM strike announcements; 66 strikes and 215 killed as of Jun 21 2026
Maduro raid deaths (NON-US, Jan 3 2026)
- Washington Post— Maduro raid killed about 75 in Venezuela, U.S. officials assess (Jan 6 2026)
- Military.com (AP)— At Least 24 Venezuelan Security Officers Killed (Jan 6 2026); names AG Saab plus 32 Cuban personnel
- Al Jazeera— Nearly 50 Venezuelan soldiers killed in US operation to seize Maduro (Jan 17 2026): Venezuela's defense minister revised the toll to ~47 troops killed / 83 total.
- CNBC— Venezuela says 100 killed in the US operation that captured Maduro (Jan 7 2026); source for the Venezuelan 100+ claim and 7 US injured
- Spokesman-Review— Syndication of the Washington Post ~75 assessment (non-paywalled)
Naval presence
- SOUTHCOM (via GlobalSecurity)— USS San Antonio (LPD-17) arrived pierside at La Guaira July 9 2026 and relieved USS Fort Lauderdale as the primary afloat coordination hub for the State Dept-led relief mission, beginning a 'sustained recovery phase'; SOUTHCOM stresses the presence is temporary. Freshest naval/status source (July 2026).
- USNI News (Fleet & Marine Tracker)— Fleet & Marine Tracker July 7 2026: no carrier in the Caribbean; USS Nimitz at Mayport, FL (FLEETEX before a planned transit to New York for America 250); only USS Fort Lauderdale + USS Billings remain in-theater on earthquake relief. Confirms 'no carrier on station.'
- USNI News (Fleet & Marine Tracker)— Fleet & Marine Tracker June 29 2026: USS Nimitz (CVN-68) arrived Mayport, FL having concluded Southern Seas 2026; Iwo Jima ARG + 22nd MEU returned from deployment; only USS Fort Lauderdale + USS Billings remain in the Caribbean. Resolves 'no carrier on station.'
- USNI News— USS Nimitz: An Aircraft Carrier's Final Journey (July 3 2026): Nimitz transiting home on its final pre-decommissioning voyage via the International Naval Review, confirming it has left the Caribbean.
- USNI News— Amphibs USS Fort Lauderdale + USS Billings headed to Venezuela for relief (Jun 26 2026)
- Navy Times— USS Nimitz arrives in Caribbean; SOUTHCOM announced it operating in the Caribbean Sea May 21 2026
- USNI News— USS Gerald R. Ford now in the Mediterranean Sea (Feb 20 2026); confirms Ford left the Caribbean
- The Aviationist— Gerald R. Ford Ordered to the Middle East (Feb 14 2026); crew informed Feb 12 2026
Oil blockade / tankers seized
- NPR— U.S. forces stop a 2nd merchant vessel off Venezuela coast, officials say (Dec 20 2025)
- Al Jazeera— US forces seize a seventh Venezuela-linked oil tanker, Sagitta (Jan 21 2026)
- Al Jazeera— US seizes fifth oil tanker (Jan 9 2026)
- PBS NewsHour— U.S. seizes sixth sanctioned tanker tied to Venezuela (Jan 15 2026)
- Al Jazeera— US seizes Venezuela-linked oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean (Feb 9 2026), the eighth seizure; Panama-flagged, ~700,000 bbl bound for China, boarded after a pursuit from the Caribbean.
- PBS NewsHour— US military boards sanctioned oil tanker (Aquila II) after pursuit from Caribbean to Indian Ocean (Feb 2026); named-source confirmation of the eighth seizure.
Economic impact of blockade
- Fortune— US naval blockade of Venezuela has cost $700M, rising $9M daily (Jan 8 2026, citing CNAS; Ford-specific, now stale)
Conflict status & latest events
- SOUTHCOM (via GlobalSecurity)— USS San Antonio (LPD-17) arrived pierside at La Guaira July 9 2026 and relieved USS Fort Lauderdale as the primary afloat coordination hub for the State Dept-led relief mission, beginning a 'sustained recovery phase'; SOUTHCOM stresses the presence is temporary. Freshest naval/status source (July 2026).
- USNI News (Fleet & Marine Tracker)— Fleet & Marine Tracker July 7 2026: no carrier in the Caribbean; USS Nimitz at Mayport, FL (FLEETEX before a planned transit to New York for America 250); only USS Fort Lauderdale + USS Billings remain in-theater on earthquake relief. Confirms 'no carrier on station.'
- USNI News (Fleet & Marine Tracker)— Fleet & Marine Tracker June 29 2026: USS Nimitz (CVN-68) arrived Mayport, FL having concluded Southern Seas 2026; Iwo Jima ARG + 22nd MEU returned from deployment; only USS Fort Lauderdale + USS Billings remain in the Caribbean. Resolves 'no carrier on station.'
- France 24— Venezuela's La Guaira port reopened June 30 2026 to receive earthquake aid, US military delivering relief. Latest event; documents the humanitarian-relief posture.
- U.S. State Department— Update on US assistance to Venezuela (June 2026): US earthquake aid raised to $300M+; military relief in cooperation with Venezuelan authorities.