Cost of Living by State Rankings
The cost of living index measures relative price levels across states, with 100 as the national average. States below 100 are cheaper than average; above 100 are more expensive. Housing is typically the biggest factor.
- Mississippi ranks #1 with the lowest col index at 83.3.
- Hawaii ranks last at 193.3 — the highest among all states.
- The top 5 states are Mississippi, West Virginia, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama.
- The ranking basis, source limitations, and calculation method are documented in the Methodology section below.
Top 3 States
All 50 States Ranked
Lowest to highest by col index
| # | State | COL Index | Median Home Price | Median Income | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 83.3 | $198,000 | $48,610 | COL Calculator |
| 2 | West Virginia | 84.1 | $183,000 | $48,850 | COL Calculator |
| 3 | Kansas | 86.3 | $253,000 | $64,521 | COL Calculator |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 86.6 | $225,000 | $55,826 | COL Calculator |
| 5 | Alabama | 88.1 | $242,000 | $56,929 | COL Calculator |
| 6 | Arkansas | 89 | $229,000 | $52,528 | COL Calculator |
| 7 | Tennessee | 89.7 | $339,000 | $56,071 | COL Calculator |
| 8 | Missouri | 89.8 | $272,000 | $60,905 | COL Calculator |
| 9 | Iowa | 90.1 | $241,000 | $65,573 | COL Calculator |
| 10 | Kentucky | 90.3 | $235,000 | $55,573 | COL Calculator |
| 11 | Indiana | 90.5 | $262,000 | $61,944 | COL Calculator |
| 12 | Nebraska | 90.8 | $284,000 | $66,644 | COL Calculator |
| 13 | Ohio | 90.8 | $252,000 | $58,642 | COL Calculator |
| 14 | Louisiana | 91.1 | $218,000 | $52,295 | COL Calculator |
| 15 | Michigan | 91.4 | $270,000 | $63,202 | COL Calculator |
| 16 | North Dakota | 92.5 | $294,000 | $68,131 | COL Calculator |
| 17 | South Dakota | 92.6 | $326,000 | $63,920 | COL Calculator |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 93.3 | $342,000 | $67,125 | COL Calculator |
| 19 | Georgia | 93.4 | $335,000 | $65,030 | COL Calculator |
| 20 | Texas | 93.9 | $303,000 | $67,321 | COL Calculator |
| 21 | New Mexico | 94.6 | $321,000 | $54,020 | COL Calculator |
| 22 | South Carolina | 95 | $309,000 | $56,227 | COL Calculator |
| 23 | North Carolina | 95.1 | $340,000 | $60,516 | COL Calculator |
| 24 | Wyoming | 95.2 | $373,000 | $65,003 | COL Calculator |
| 25 | Illinois | 96.4 | $299,000 | $72,205 | COL Calculator |
| 26 | Minnesota | 96.8 | $357,000 | $77,706 | COL Calculator |
| 27 | Idaho | 97.7 | $482,000 | $63,377 | COL Calculator |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | 98.7 | $294,000 | $67,587 | COL Calculator |
| 29 | Utah | 101.3 | $542,000 | $79,449 | COL Calculator |
| 30 | Delaware | 101.5 | $412,000 | $72,724 | COL Calculator |
| 31 | Montana | 101.6 | $476,000 | $60,560 | COL Calculator |
| 32 | Arizona | 102.2 | $423,000 | $72,581 | COL Calculator |
| 33 | Florida | 102.8 | $378,000 | $67,917 | COL Calculator |
| 34 | Virginia | 103.7 | $420,000 | $80,615 | COL Calculator |
| 35 | Nevada | 104.2 | $448,000 | $66,274 | COL Calculator |
| 36 | Colorado | 105.1 | $543,000 | $82,254 | COL Calculator |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 107.8 | $517,000 | $71,169 | COL Calculator |
| 38 | Maine | 109.4 | $424,000 | $64,767 | COL Calculator |
| 39 | Washington | 110.7 | $603,000 | $82,228 | COL Calculator |
| 40 | New Hampshire | 112.6 | $523,000 | $83,449 | COL Calculator |
| 41 | Connecticut | 112.8 | $455,000 | $83,771 | COL Calculator |
| 42 | Oregon | 113.1 | $504,000 | $70,084 | COL Calculator |
| 43 | Vermont | 114.5 | $402,000 | $65,792 | COL Calculator |
| 44 | New Jersey | 115.2 | $585,000 | $89,296 | COL Calculator |
| 45 | Maryland | 115.4 | $436,000 | $90,203 | COL Calculator |
| 46 | New York | 123.8 | $526,000 | $74,314 | COL Calculator |
| 47 | Alaska | 125.9 | $401,000 | $77,790 | COL Calculator |
| 48 | Massachusetts | 135 | $673,000 | $89,645 | COL Calculator |
| 49 | California | 142.2 | $776,000 | $91,905 | COL Calculator |
| 50 | Hawaii | 193.3 | $837,000 | $84,857 | COL Calculator |
Methodology
How we collected and ranked the data
Cost of living index from Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities. Index of 100 = national average. Housing, food, transportation, and other goods/services are weighted.
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View all 107 state comparisonsFrequently Asked Questions
Which state has the lowest cost of living?
Mississippi consistently ranks as the most affordable state, with a cost of living index well below 100. Oklahoma, Kansas, and Alabama are also very affordable.
What does a cost of living index of 90 mean?
A COL index of 90 means that state is 10% cheaper than the national average. You'd need $90,000 in that state to match the buying power of $100,000 nationally.