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Affordability rankings · 50 states · cost of living · BEA, EIA, Census

Most Affordable States 2026: Cost of Living by State, Ranked

Mississippi is the most affordable state to live in for 2026, scoring 91.9 out of 100, with prices 13% below the US average and a $197,606 typical home value. Arkansas (89.7) and Louisiana (88.7) follow; Hawaii is the most expensive at 4.4.

This page ranks the cost of living in every state and breaks it into the lines a household pays: home values, rent, electricity, gasoline, other goods and childcare. It also shows what a single adult and a family of four keep after taxes and costs, and the cheapest and most expensive large cities. For home values and market trends, see home prices by state. How the score works →

#1 for affordability · Grade A+
Mississippi91.9
Affordability score out of 100
Price level (US = 100)
87.0
Typical home value
$197,606
Single adult at $75K keeps
$39,183 a year
Overall rank
#46
Full Mississippi profile →

Pick your state to see where it ranks for affordability, the numbers behind its rank, and how it compares with the #1 state. We'll remember it on the other ranking pages.

The Cost of Living by the Numbers

The national lines every state is measured against, from overall prices to the power bill.

Average affordability score
65.2
Median state: 69.4
Cost of living range
86.9–110.7
Arkansas to California · US = 100 · BEA
States cheaper than average
32
Price level below 100 · 16 above
Average typical home value
$383K
Average of states · US typical home $369K
Average electricity price
17.8¢
Per kWh · North Dakota 11.8¢ to Hawaii 40.6¢
Family of four on $100K
22 short
States where taxes and basic costs exceed income
Read the national overview

The typical state scores 65.2 out of 100 for affordability. In the latest BEA price data, 32 states are cheaper than the national average and 16 are more expensive, from 86.9 in Arkansas to 110.7 in California. Most of that spread is rent: the rent price level runs from 54.2 in West Virginia to 154.3 in California, while goods prices stay between 93.6 and 111.6. Geography sorts the table: the South averages 79.5 and the Northeast 49.1, and 6 of the 10 cheapest states are in the South. Lower costs come with lower pay: the 10 most affordable states have a median household income of $68,159, against $95,566 in the 10 most expensive.

Affordability Map: All 50 States

Darker states are more affordable. Hover, focus, or tap a state to see its affordability rank, score, and grade in the panel.

Create your own cost of living map →

Cheapest and Most Expensive States to Live In

The 10 most and least affordable states, with each state's typical home value and overall price level (US = 100). Mississippi is cheapest; Hawaii is the most expensive.

10 most affordable states

Score · grade
  1. 1Mississippi$198K home · prices 87.091.9A+
  2. 2Arkansas$227K home · prices 86.989.7A+
  3. 3Louisiana$217K home · prices 88.288.7A+
  4. 4Oklahoma$223K home · prices 87.888.6A+
  5. 5Iowa$240K home · prices 87.886.3A+
  6. 6West Virginia$179K home · prices 89.586.2A
  7. 7Alabama$242K home · prices 88.885.5A
  8. 8South Dakota$322K home · prices 88.684.7A
  9. 9North Dakota$292K home · prices 89.083.5A
  10. 10Kansas$250K home · prices 90.183.1A

10 most expensive states

Score · grade
  1. 50Hawaii$833K home · prices 110.04.4F
  2. 49California$764K home · prices 110.714.3F
  3. 48Massachusetts$662K home · prices 105.829.3D
  4. 47New York$527K home · prices 107.937.2D
  5. 46Washington$592K home · prices 107.039.1D
  6. 45New Jersey$580K home · prices 108.839.6D
  7. 44Oregon$496K home · prices 103.445.1D
  8. 43Rhode Island$511K home · prices 102.345.4D
  9. 42Alaska$399K home · prices 102.447.6C
  10. 41Connecticut$451K home · prices 103.648.0C

Cost of Living Index by State

The Bureau of Economic Analysis prices the same basket of goods, rents and services in every state against the national average (100). Arkansas is the cheapest at 86.9; California the most expensive at 110.7. The overall index is 20% of the affordability score.

Lowest cost of living

Price level
  1. 1Arkansas#2 for affordability86.9
  2. 2Mississippi#1 for affordability87.0
  3. 3Oklahoma#4 for affordability87.8
  4. 3Iowa#5 for affordability87.8
  5. 5Louisiana#3 for affordability88.2
  6. 6South Dakota#8 for affordability88.6
  7. 7Alabama#7 for affordability88.8
  8. 8North Dakota#9 for affordability89.0

Highest cost of living

Price level
  1. 50California#49 for affordability110.7
  2. 49Hawaii#50 for affordability110.0
  3. 48New Jersey#45 for affordability108.8
  4. 47New York#47 for affordability107.9
  5. 46Washington#46 for affordability107.0
  6. 45Massachusetts#48 for affordability105.8
  7. 44Maryland#39 for affordability105.0
  8. 43New Hampshire#40 for affordability104.2

Highest utility prices

Utilities level
  1. 1Hawaii#50 for affordability190.2
  2. 2California#49 for affordability158.9
  3. 3Massachusetts#48 for affordability152.1
  4. 4Rhode Island#43 for affordability146.7
  5. 5Connecticut#41 for affordability146.5
  6. 6Maine#36 for affordability135.2
  7. 7New York#47 for affordability134.4
  8. 8New Hampshire#40 for affordability133.7

BEA's utilities component (electricity, gas and water services), US = 100. Sort the full table by price level or rent level to see every state.

BEA Regional Price Parities →

What Everyday Costs Run in Each State

Each line a household pays, with the cheapest and priciest state and the average across the 50. The ratio shows how many times more the priciest state charges.

CostCheapest stateLowState avg.HighPriciest stateRatio
Typical home valueModeled estimate · scored 25%West Virginia$179K$383K$833KHawaii4.6x
Overall price levelBEA, US = 100 · scored 20%Arkansas86.997.0110.7California1.3x
Rent price levelBEA housing services, US = 100West Virginia54.291.4154.3California2.8x
Goods price levelBEA, US = 100 · scored 10%Arkansas93.698.1111.6Hawaii1.2x
ElectricityEIA, cents per kWh · scored 15%North Dakota11.8¢17.8¢40.6¢Hawaii3.4x
Infant care at a centerChild Care Aware, per year · scored 15%Mississippi$6,492$15,633$27,067Massachusetts4.2x
GasolinePer gallon · scored 10%Texas$2.88$3.32$4.73Hawaii1.6x
Natural gasEIA, $ per thousand cu ft · scored 5%Idaho$7.69$15.83$52.38Hawaii6.8x

Scored lines feed the affordability score at the weight shown; the rent, goods and infant-care lines are shown for context only. The scored childcare figure and the Child Care Aware infant-care price come from different surveys, so they do not match; the take-home budgets below and the affordability calculator use the Child Care Aware prices. Child Care Aware of America · EIA electricity by state

Where Your Paycheck Goes Furthest

What is left each year after federal and state income taxes, sales tax, housing, utilities, groceries and transport. A single adult earning $75,000 keeps the most in Louisiana; a family of four on $100,000, which also pays for childcare, comes up short in 22 states.

Single adult, $75,000: keeps the most

Left a year
  1. 1Louisiana#3 for affordability$39,240
  2. 2West Virginia#6 for affordability$39,203
  3. 3Mississippi#1 for affordability$39,183
  4. 4Arkansas#2 for affordability$37,972
  5. 5Oklahoma#4 for affordability$37,262

Single adult, $75,000: keeps the least

Left a year
  1. 50Hawaii#50 for affordability$9,722
  2. 49California#49 for affordability$12,129
  3. 48Massachusetts#48 for affordability$16,230
  4. 47New Jersey#45 for affordability$16,327
  5. 46New York#47 for affordability$20,271

Family of four, $100,000: keeps the most

Left a year
  1. 1Mississippi#1 for affordability$35,946
  2. 2West Virginia#6 for affordability$29,866
  3. 3Alabama#7 for affordability$27,682
  4. 4Arkansas#2 for affordability$27,475
  5. 5Louisiana#3 for affordability$26,630

Family of four, $100,000: furthest short

Left a year
  1. 50Hawaii#50 for affordability-$50,406
  2. 49Massachusetts#48 for affordability-$43,384
  3. 48California#49 for affordability-$41,078
  4. 47Washington#46 for affordability-$27,806
  5. 46New Jersey#45 for affordability-$24,896

Two adults and two young children in center-based care. Housing is a mortgage plus property tax on a home priced from the state's typical home value; groceries follow the USDA low-cost food plan scaled by the state's price level for goods. A negative figure means costs exceed income.

Income against costs

Show income against costs

What the typical income buys

Price-adjusted
  1. 1Massachusetts$104,828 income · #48 for affordability$99,081
  2. 2Maryland$102,905 income · #39 for affordability$98,005
  3. 3Utah$96,658 income · #28 for affordability$97,733
  4. 4New Jersey$104,294 income · #45 for affordability$95,858
  5. 5New Hampshire$99,782 income · #40 for affordability$95,760

Median household income divided by the state's BEA price level: what the typical income would buy at national prices.

Cheap to live in, but low incomes

Median income
  1. 1Mississippi#50 of 50 for income$59,127
  2. 2Arkansas#47 of 50 for income$62,106
  3. 3Louisiana#48 of 50 for income$60,986
  4. 4Oklahoma#45 of 50 for income$66,148
  5. 6West Virginia#49 of 50 for income$60,798

States in the 15 most affordable that rank in the bottom 15 for median household income (# is the affordability rank). The reverse also holds: Colorado, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Connecticut are among the 15 most expensive yet in the top 15 for price-adjusted income.

Run your own income and household →

Home Values and Rent by State

The typical home value runs from $179,496 in West Virginia to $833,340 in Hawaii, against $368,697 for the US. Typical asking rent in each state's largest metro runs from $1,100 to $3,615 a month.

Lowest typical home value

  1. 1West Virginia#6 for affordability$179K
  2. 2Mississippi#1 for affordability$198K
  3. 3Louisiana#3 for affordability$217K
  4. 4Oklahoma#4 for affordability$223K
  5. 5Arkansas#2 for affordability$227K
  6. 6Kentucky#11 for affordability$233K
  7. 7Iowa#5 for affordability$240K
  8. 8Alabama#7 for affordability$242K

Highest typical home value

  1. 50Hawaii#50 for affordability$833K
  2. 49California#49 for affordability$764K
  3. 48Massachusetts#48 for affordability$662K
  4. 47Washington#46 for affordability$592K
  5. 46New Jersey#45 for affordability$580K
  6. 45Utah#28 for affordability$535K
  7. 44Colorado#38 for affordability$533K
  8. 43New York#47 for affordability$527K

Cheapest rent in the largest metro

Per month
  1. 1North DakotaFargo$1,100
  2. 2KansasWichita$1,205
  3. 3West VirginiaCharleston$1,229
  4. 4ArkansasLittle Rock$1,265
  5. 5South DakotaSioux Falls$1,289
  6. 6IowaDes Moines$1,297
  7. 7KentuckyLouisville$1,348
  8. 8OklahomaOklahoma City$1,388

Typical asking rent in the state's largest metro (Zillow Observed Rent Index), shown for context and not scored. Home values are Zillow's modeled typical value for mid-priced homes, not a sale median. Each state links to its housing page.

Home prices and markets in every state →Monthly housing reports →

All 50 States Ranked by Cost of Living

Every state's affordability score, price levels, scored cost lines, and what households keep after costs. Click a column header to re-sort, search for a state, or narrow the list by region, grade, or price level. The # column is always the affordability rank, even after you filter.

Grade
Price level
50 states
#GradeRegion
1Mississippi91.987.056.5$198K14.0¢$2.9096.2$6,492$39,183$35,946#46A+South
2Arkansas89.786.958.2$227K12.8¢$2.9293.6$9,727$37,972$27,475#48A+South
3Louisiana88.788.263.1$217K12.6¢$2.9093.7$11,133$39,240$26,630#50A+South
4Oklahoma88.687.862.8$223K13.1¢$3.0493.8$11,012$37,262$24,097#43A+South
5Iowa86.387.865.3$240K13.7¢$3.1293.7$13,253$35,836$16,820#14A+Midwest
6West Virginia86.289.554.2$179K15.4¢$3.3396.5$9,339$39,203$29,866#44ASouth
7Alabama85.588.861.8$242K16.1¢$2.8996.4$8,859$36,789$27,682#37ASouth
8South Dakota84.788.667.6$322K13.4¢$3.2395.5$8,859$35,354$23,643#3AMidwest
9North Dakota83.589.071.4$292K11.8¢$3.3195.7$12,281$36,471$18,965#5AMidwest
10Kansas83.190.171.2$250K14.6¢$3.1094.0$12,741$34,911$17,209#27AMidwest
11Kentucky83.090.264.3$233K13.2¢$3.1796.0$13,075$36,838$18,744#41B+South
12Nebraska81.690.175.2$281K12.3¢$3.2194.1$15,080$33,659$10,440#10B+Midwest
13New Mexico81.092.273.6$318K15.1¢$3.0296.1n/a$33,992$14,504#49B+West
14Missouri79.890.869.9$268K13.5¢$3.0396.3$15,080$35,531$12,825#34B+Midwest
15Ohio78.492.873.0$249K17.0¢$3.2593.7$13,936$36,659$16,082#33B+Midwest
16South Carolina78.493.780.5$306K15.0¢$2.9996.3$10,474$34,233$20,626#36B+South
17Tennessee77.991.979.1$334K13.2¢$3.0896.2$13,926$35,908$14,428#24B+South
18Wyoming76.592.771.1$372K13.4¢$3.1295.4$13,120$34,506$13,787#2B+West
19Indiana75.793.373.9$260K16.2¢$3.0795.5$17,461$36,449$9,162#22BMidwest
20Texas74.497.196.5$299K15.5¢$2.8898.1$10,894$35,541$19,943#32BSouth
21North Carolina73.894.381.4$335K14.0¢$3.1896.6$13,916$32,784$10,465#23BSouth
22Michigan73.396.282.3$266K20.0¢$3.1096.0$14,064$34,427$13,391#45BMidwest
23Georgia73.196.388.7$331K14.7¢$2.9598.9$11,066$32,185$15,940#26BSouth
24Idaho72.195.590.0$479K11.8¢$3.3596.3$10,887$26,637$6,773#4BWest
25Wisconsin69.894.179.3$340K18.2¢$3.2894.3$18,604$30,650-$2,234#11BMidwest
26Montana68.994.684.6$472K13.0¢$3.3396.0$15,476$26,443-$2,540#7BWest
27Pennsylvania66.797.685.1$290K19.3¢$3.4099.4$15,302$33,202$7,695#25C+Northeast
28Utah63.298.9107.8$535K13.1¢$3.3396.4$14,533$24,094-$5,228#6C+West
29Minnesota63.198.691.3$351K15.8¢$3.15100.5$20,592$30,192-$5,961#12C+Midwest
30Delaware62.199.8102.0$406K17.1¢$3.3196.2$17,252$29,275-$1,912#30C+Northeast
31Florida61.9103.4122.1$375K15.2¢$3.0898.1$14,230$33,384$9,601#21C+South
32Illinois61.8100.093.9$298K17.7¢$3.18103.8$19,601$30,341-$4,984#39C+Midwest
33Nevada61.7100.0114.1$442K13.2¢$3.9696.3$15,633$30,194$1,053#40C+West
34Virginia60.5101.1106.8$415K15.3¢$3.09100.4$17,264$28,402-$3,300#15C+South
35Arizona60.3100.7106.8$418K15.3¢$3.8095.4$16,384$29,757-$111#38CWest
36Maine56.997.178.9$416K27.8¢$3.3597.2$16,144$27,266-$1,691#9CNortheast
37Vermont55.798.086.5$399K22.9¢$3.3697.3$21,670$27,316-$13,395#8CNortheast
38Colorado53.1103.1127.4$533K15.8¢$3.1398.7$20,978$25,165-$16,343#18CWest
39Maryland50.3105.0121.1$428K19.5¢$3.32102.5$20,124$26,870-$11,784#31CNortheast
40New Hampshire48.9104.2114.9$516K24.6¢$3.2598.6$16,462$24,216-$10,125#1CNortheast
41Connecticut48.0103.6117.0$451K29.4¢$3.3797.3$18,616$24,682-$12,453#16CNortheast
42Alaska47.6102.493.8$399K26.1¢$4.72106.3$12,425$28,904$4,629#42CWest
43Rhode Island45.4102.3105.6$511K29.5¢$3.3497.2$18,972$23,466-$14,995#19DNortheast
44Oregon45.1103.4108.6$496K15.4¢$4.06105.3$21,774$20,952-$23,936#35DWest
45New Jersey39.6108.8134.3$580K22.6¢$3.20107.1$17,977$16,327-$24,896#28DNortheast
46Washington39.1107.0126.0$592K13.1¢$4.07104.4$23,136$22,132-$27,806#20DWest
47New York37.2107.9122.2$527K26.4¢$3.17107.3$20,978$20,271-$24,516#29DNortheast
48Massachusetts29.3105.8128.1$662K30.5¢$3.3398.8$27,067$16,230-$43,384#13DNortheast
49California14.3110.7154.3$764K32.5¢$4.42106.1$23,071$12,129-$41,078#47FWest
50Hawaii4.4110.0125.3$833K40.6¢$4.73111.6$25,096$9,722-$50,406#17FWest

Score combines typical home value (25%), the BEA price level (20%), electricity (15%), center-based infant care (15%), gasoline (10%), the BEA price level for goods (10%) and natural gas (5%), each inverted on a fixed scale. Price level, Rent level and Goods are the latest BEA Regional Price Parities (US = 100); Goods covers all goods, not only groceries. Infant care is the Child Care Aware of America price; New Mexico has none (n/a) and its score rescales the other weights. Home value is Zillow Research's typical home value. Single keeps and Family keeps are what is left each year after federal and state taxes and basic costs at $75,000 (single adult) and $100,000 (family of four with two young children); red means costs exceed income. Overall is the state's rank across all 11 categories.

The Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities to Live In

Housing affordability among the 346 tracked cities with at least 100,000 residents and local data. Brownsville, TX is the most affordable, with a median home value of $139,900 and rent of $923 a month; San Mateo, CA is the least.

Most affordable cities

#CityScoreHome valueTypical valueRent / moRent burdenPrice / incomePrice level
1BrownsvilleTX88.9$140K$199K$92321.2%2.7x86.0
2ShreveportLA87.1$179K$148K$98724.3%3.7x84.8
3ToledoOH87.0$115K$134K$90121.7%2.3x91.5
4DaytonOH86.7$101K$141K$91824.3%2.2x92.7
5JacksonMS86.7$112K$86K$1,05530.1%2.7x89.0
6TopekaKS86.4$144K$198K$97920.6%2.5x88.8
7EdinburgTX85.9$190K$217K$99620.1%3.2x85.9
8ClevelandOH85.6$102K$120K$94527.8%2.5x93.9
9DavenportIA85.3$166K$196K$97817.7%2.5x89.1
10McAllenTX85.3$190K$229K$1,04920.4%3.1x85.9

Least affordable cities

#CityScoreHome valueTypical valueRent / moRent burdenPrice / incomePrice level
1San MateoCA14.2$1.62M$1.67M$3,07724.1%10.5x115.6
2FremontCA15.0$1.40M$1.45M$2,93319.4%7.7x115.6
3IrvineCA15.4$1.19M$1.49M$2,99726.3%8.7x113.6
4SunnyvaleCA17.3$1.80M$1.99M$3,03919.6%9.7x110.4
5Santa ClaraCA17.3$1.58M$1.65M$3,01620.2%8.8x110.4
6CarlsbadCA18.7$1.26M$1.59M$2,80823.6%8.8x111.9
7Daly CityCA19.6$1.11M$1.12M$2,55124.8%9.0x115.6
8San FranciscoCA20.5$1.39M$1.42M$2,47621.1%9.9x115.6
9CambridgeMA21.0$1.09M$1.03M$2,78725.6%8.4x108.3
10San JoseCA21.2$1.23M$1.36M$2,66921.9%8.4x110.4

City scores combine the Census median home value (35%), median rent (30%) and the BEA price level (35%), each inverted on a fixed scale. The price level is published for metro areas and each state's nonmetro area, not for single cities. Cities in the same metro share one price level: Edinburg and McAllen (McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX), San Mateo, Fremont, Daly City, and San Francisco (San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA), and Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and San Jose (San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA). Rent burden is a year of median rent as a share of median household income; price-to-income is the median home value divided by that income. Only cities with their own Census home value and rent are listed.

Search all 1,312 cities →

How the Affordability Score Is Calculated

Seven public cost measures, each placed on a fixed scale and weighted into one score. Here is what each input means and what the score leaves out.

InputWeightScores 100 atScores 0 atUnit
Typical home value25%$170K or less$800K or moredollars
Overall price level20%87 or less113 or moreindex, US = 100
Residential electricity price15%10 or less35 or morecents per kWh
Center-based infant care15%$6K or less$26K or moredollars a year
Gasoline price10%$2.80 or less$5.00 or moredollars per gallon
Goods price level10%93 or less112 or moreindex, US = 100
Residential natural gas price5%$7.00 or less$30.00 or moredollars per thousand cubic feet

Fixed scales, not a curve

Each cost maps onto 0-100 between the fixed bounds above, inverted so a lower cost scores higher. Values outside a band count as 0 or 100. Close states get close scores, and every state can improve at once.

Letter grades

Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1-5, A for 6-10, B+ for 11-18, B for 19-26, C+ for 27-34, C for 35-42, D for 43-48, and F for 49-50.

Weight in the overall score

10%

Affordability is one of 11 categories in each state's composite score, weighted at 10%, behind the economy (15%) and safety, health and education (12% each). See the overall rankings →

Cost of living index

The BEA Regional Price Parity for all items, US = 100, from the latest BEA release; the price-level columns on this page show the same release with its rent, goods and utilities parts. The goods part is also scored on its own as the price level for goods (it covers all goods, not only groceries).

Take-home budgets

What a single adult ($75,000) and a family of four ($100,000) keep after federal and state income tax, FICA, sales tax, a mortgage and property tax on a home priced from the state's typical home value, utilities, groceries, transport and, for the family, center-based childcare. These come from the affordability calculator and are not part of the score.

Home values

Zillow Research typical home value (the Zillow Home Value Index for the latest month, rounded to the nearest $100) is the scored home price. It is a modeled value for homes in the middle of the market (35th to 65th percentile), not a sale median. Rents are shown for context and are not scored.

What is not counted

Incomes, income and property taxes, and insurance premiums are not scored here, though taxes appear in the take-home budgets. The fiscal category covers each state's tax burden, and the economy category its incomes.

Always the latest releases

This page is rebuilt from the most recent release each source has published (checked October 2026). Scores change when a new release moves a state's prices.

Why cost of living indexes disagree

SourceWhat it measuresBest for
America's Dashboard (this page)Home values, the BEA price level, electricity, center-based infant care, gasoline, goods prices and natural gas on fixed scales, with take-home budgets shown alongsideOne comparable cost score per state, built from public figures you can check
BEA Regional Price ParitiesThe price of the same basket of goods, rents and services in each state, relative to the US (100)A single official cost of living index, without item-level or childcare detail
MERIC / C2ER Cost of Living IndexPrices of about 60 items in participating cities, averaged to statesItem-level price comparisons between specific cities
Budget calculators (EPI, MIT Living Wage)What a household needs for a modest standard of living by county or metroPlanning a budget for a specific household and place
Read the full methodology →

Key Takeaways

Patterns in the cost data that the table alone does not show.

  1. The South is where costs are lowest

    6 of the 10 most affordable states are in the South: Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Alabama. 5 of the 10 most expensive are in the Northeast: Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. By average score the South leads at 79.5 and the Northeast trails at 49.1.

  2. Rent, not goods prices, makes a state expensive

    In the latest BEA price data, what goods cost runs only from 93.6 in Arkansas to 111.6 in Hawaii (US = 100). The rent price level runs from 54.2 in West Virginia to 154.3 in California. Most of the gap between cheap and expensive states is housing.

  3. Cheap states also pay less

    The 10 most affordable states have a median household income of $68,159, about 29% less than the $95,566 in the 10 most expensive. Adjusted for local prices the gap narrows: $77,098 versus $89,960 in what the income buys.

  4. A $75K salary goes furthest in Louisiana

    After federal and state taxes, housing, utilities, groceries and transport, a single adult earning $75,000 keeps about $39,240 a year in Louisiana and $9,722 in Hawaii. A family of four on $100,000 comes up short in 22 states once childcare is counted.

  5. Electricity costs 3.4 times as much in Hawaii

    Residential power costs 40.6¢ per kWh in Hawaii and 11.8¢ in North Dakota, against a 17.8¢ average across the states. Electricity is 15% of the score, as much as childcare and more than gasoline or goods prices.

  6. Big states split

    The 10 most populous states land between #15 (Ohio) and #49 (California). 2 of them rank in the top 20 for affordability.

  7. Low costs often come with low pay

    10 states rank in the 15 most affordable but in the bottom 15 for median household income, among them Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Cheap is a better deal for people who bring their income with them, such as remote workers and retirees.

Average affordability score by region

Mean affordability score of the states in each Census region, with the region's average BEA price level.

  1. 1South14 states · prices 92.679.5
  2. 2Midwest12 states · prices 92.676.8
  3. 3West13 states · prices 100.952.9
  4. 4Northeast11 states · prices 102.749.1

The typical South state's home value averages $279,598, against $471,524 in the Northeast.

Go Deeper

Affordability calculator →

Enter your income and household to see what you would keep in every state.

Home prices by state →

Zillow home values since 2000, rent vs. buy, and market temperature for every state.

Compare two states →

Costs, taxes, and every other category side by side.

Best states for retirees →

Taxes, health, housing costs, and what a retiree couple keeps in each state.

Where Americans are moving →

State-to-state migration and the incomes of the people moving.

Pay after cost of living →

Wages for 20 occupations by metro, adjusted for local prices.

Other categoriesEconomySafetyHealthEducationFiscal HealthGrowthEnvironmentOutdoor AccessTransportationLivability

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most affordable state to live in?

Mississippi is the most affordable state in 2026, with an affordability score of 91.9 out of 100. Its typical home value is $197,606 and overall prices are 13% below the US average in the latest BEA data. Arkansas (89.7) and Louisiana (88.7) rank second and third. The score combines home prices, the BEA price level, electricity, childcare, gasoline, goods prices and natural gas.

What are the 10 cheapest states to live in?

The 10 most affordable states are Mississippi (91.9), Arkansas (89.7), Louisiana (88.7), Oklahoma (88.6), Iowa (86.3), West Virginia (86.2), Alabama (85.5), South Dakota (84.7), North Dakota (83.5), and Kansas (83.1). 6 of the 10 are in the South.

What is the most expensive state to live in?

Hawaii ranks last (#50) for affordability with a score of 4.4. Its typical home value is $833,340, overall prices are 10% above the US average, and residential electricity costs 40.6¢ per kWh. California (#49, 14.3) and Massachusetts (#48, 29.3) are next.

What are the 10 most expensive states to live in?

From most expensive, they are Hawaii (#50), California (#49), Massachusetts (#48), New York (#47), Washington (#46), New Jersey (#45), Oregon (#44), Rhode Island (#43), Alaska (#42), and Connecticut (#41). 5 of the 10 are in the Northeast. Their typical home value averages $581,522, against $238,930 in the 10 most affordable states.

What is the cost of living index by state?

The standard measure is the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity, which compares the price of the same basket of goods, rent and services in each state with the national average (US = 100). In the latest release it runs from 86.9 in Arkansas to 110.7 in California. 32 states are below 100 and 16 are above it. The full table on this page lists every state's price level with its rent, goods and utilities components.

Which state has the lowest cost of living?

By overall price level, Arkansas has the lowest cost of living at 86.9, 13% below the US average. Mississippi (87.0), Oklahoma (87.8), and Iowa (87.8) follow. The affordability score, which also counts home prices, utilities, gasoline and childcare, puts Mississippi first; Arkansas ranks #2.

Which states have the cheapest housing?

West Virginia has the lowest typical home value at $179,496, followed by Mississippi ($197,606), Louisiana ($217,039), and Oklahoma ($223,261), against $368,697 nationally. The most expensive is Hawaii at $833,340. Home prices are a quarter of the affordability score. State housing markets are covered in depth at americadashboard.com/housing.

Which state has the cheapest electricity?

North Dakota has the cheapest residential electricity at 11.8¢ per kWh, followed by Idaho (11.8¢), Nebraska (12.3¢), and Louisiana (12.6¢). The most expensive is Hawaii at 40.6¢, then California (32.5¢) and Massachusetts (30.5¢). Electricity prices come from the Energy Information Administration and count for 15% of the score.

Which states have the cheapest gas?

Texas has the cheapest gasoline at $2.88 a gallon, followed by Alabama ($2.89), Mississippi ($2.90), and Louisiana ($2.90). Hawaii is the most expensive at $4.73. Gasoline is 10% of the score.

How much does childcare cost by state?

In Child Care Aware of America's latest survey, a year of center-based infant care costs the least in Mississippi ($6,492) and the most in Massachusetts ($27,067). New Mexico has no published price. South Carolina and Colorado show the prior survey's price. The same prices count for 15% of the affordability score; where no price is published, the other measures carry the score, and they feed the family budgets on this page and the calculator.

Where does a $75,000 salary go the furthest?

For a single adult earning $75,000, the most money left each year after taxes and basic living costs is in Louisiana ($39,240), West Virginia ($39,203), and Mississippi ($39,183). The least is in Hawaii ($9,722), California ($12,129), and Massachusetts ($16,230). Costs cover housing, utilities, groceries and transport, plus federal, state and sales taxes. Try other incomes and household types at americadashboard.com/affordability.

Can a family of four live on $100,000 a year?

In 28 states, yes: after taxes, housing, childcare for two young children, utilities, groceries and transport, a family of four earning $100,000 has money left over, most in Mississippi ($35,946). In 22 states those costs exceed the income; the shortfall is largest in Hawaii (-$50,406). Childcare is usually the line that tips the budget.

Are the cheapest states good places to live?

Some are. South Dakota (#3 overall) and North Dakota (#5 overall) are both among the 10 most affordable and in the overall top 10. Mississippi (#46), Arkansas (#48), Louisiana (#50), Oklahoma (#43), and West Virginia (#44) rank in the bottom 10 overall, so the low costs come with trade-offs in health, safety, schools or jobs. Compare any two states category by category at americadashboard.com/compare.

Which states give you the most for your money?

Dividing each state's median household income by its price level shows what the typical income buys. Massachusetts ($99,081), Maryland ($98,005), and Utah ($97,733) lead; West Virginia is last at $67,931. Iowa is the highest-ranked affordable state (#5) whose price-adjusted income is also above the median state.

What is the cheapest state in each region?

The most affordable state in each Census region: Northeast, Pennsylvania (#27); Midwest, Iowa (#5); South, Mississippi (#1); West, New Mexico (#13). The South has the highest average affordability score (79.5) and the Northeast the lowest (49.1).

Where do California, Texas, Florida, and New York rank for affordability?

Among the 10 most populous states, Ohio is #15, Texas is #20, North Carolina is #21, Michigan is #22, Georgia is #23, Pennsylvania is #27, Florida is #31, Illinois is #32, New York is #47, and California is #49. The most affordable big state, Ohio, scores 78.4; the least, California, scores 14.3.

What are the cheapest cities to live in?

Among cities with at least 100,000 residents, the most affordable for housing are Brownsville, TX, Shreveport, LA, Toledo, OH, Dayton, OH, and Jackson, MS. Brownsville has a median home value of $139,900 and a median rent of $923 a month. The least affordable are San Mateo, CA, Fremont, CA, and Irvine, CA. City scores use Census home values and rents and the BEA price level for the metro area.

How is the affordability score calculated?

Seven cost measures, each inverted so lower costs score higher and placed on a fixed 0-100 scale: typical home value (25%), overall price level (20%), residential electricity price (15%), center-based infant care (15%), gasoline price (10%), goods price level (10%), and residential natural gas price (5%). The bounds are fixed, for example $170K to $800K for home prices, so a state's score improves when its own costs fall, not only when another state's rise. Incomes are not part of the score.

How much does affordability count in the overall state rankings?

Affordability is 10% of each state's composite score, behind the economy (15%) and safety, health and education (12% each). Mississippi, the most affordable state, ranks #46 overall; Hawaii, the least affordable, ranks #17.

Where does the cost of living data come from, and how current is it?

Typical home values and rents come from Zillow Research; overall, rent, goods and utilities price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities; electricity and natural gas prices from the Energy Information Administration; center-based infant care prices from Child Care Aware of America; and household incomes from the Census American Community Survey. The page shows the latest release of each source and is rebuilt when a new one is published.

Affordability Rank for Every State

Every state's affordability rank, score, and price level. Click through for the full profile, including its cities and household budgets.