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.
- Oklahoma ranks #1 with the lowest col index at 83.
- Hawaii ranks last at 185.8 — the highest among all states.
- The top 5 states are Oklahoma, Alabama, Iowa, West Virginia, Kansas.
- 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 | Oklahoma | 83 | $225,000 | $66,148 | COL Calculator |
| 2 | Alabama | 86 | $242,000 | $66,659 | COL Calculator |
| 3 | Iowa | 86.1 | $241,000 | $75,501 | COL Calculator |
| 4 | West Virginia | 87 | $183,000 | $60,798 | COL Calculator |
| 5 | Kansas | 87.1 | $253,000 | $75,514 | COL Calculator |
| 6 | Mississippi | 87.4 | $198,000 | $59,127 | COL Calculator |
| 7 | Missouri | 88.2 | $272,000 | $71,589 | COL Calculator |
| 8 | Arkansas | 89 | $229,000 | $62,106 | COL Calculator |
| 9 | Indiana | 89.7 | $262,000 | $71,959 | COL Calculator |
| 10 | Tennessee | 89.7 | $339,000 | $71,997 | COL Calculator |
| 11 | Georgia | 90.1 | $335,000 | $79,991 | COL Calculator |
| 12 | Nebraska | 90.1 | $284,000 | $76,376 | COL Calculator |
| 13 | New Mexico | 90.2 | $321,000 | $67,816 | COL Calculator |
| 14 | North Dakota | 90.5 | $294,000 | $77,871 | COL Calculator |
| 15 | Texas | 90.8 | $303,000 | $79,721 | COL Calculator |
| 16 | Louisiana | 91.3 | $218,000 | $60,986 | COL Calculator |
| 17 | Michigan | 92.1 | $270,000 | $72,389 | COL Calculator |
| 18 | South Carolina | 92.7 | $309,000 | $72,350 | COL Calculator |
| 19 | Ohio | 93 | $252,000 | $72,212 | COL Calculator |
| 20 | Minnesota | 93.4 | $357,000 | $87,117 | COL Calculator |
| 21 | South Dakota | 93.5 | $326,000 | $76,881 | COL Calculator |
| 22 | Kentucky | 94 | $235,000 | $64,526 | COL Calculator |
| 23 | Wyoming | 94.4 | $373,000 | $75,532 | COL Calculator |
| 24 | Illinois | 94.5 | $299,000 | $83,211 | COL Calculator |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | 95.3 | $294,000 | $77,545 | COL Calculator |
| 26 | Wisconsin | 95.7 | $342,000 | $77,488 | COL Calculator |
| 27 | North Carolina | 96.7 | $340,000 | $73,958 | COL Calculator |
| 28 | Utah | 98.4 | $542,000 | $96,658 | COL Calculator |
| 29 | Virginia | 99 | $420,000 | $92,090 | COL Calculator |
| 30 | Idaho | 99.4 | $482,000 | $81,166 | COL Calculator |
| 31 | Delaware | 100.6 | $412,000 | $87,534 | COL Calculator |
| 32 | Florida | 100.8 | $378,000 | $77,735 | COL Calculator |
| 33 | Colorado | 102.7 | $543,000 | $97,113 | COL Calculator |
| 34 | Connecticut | 103.6 | $455,000 | $96,049 | COL Calculator |
| 35 | Nevada | 105.4 | $448,000 | $81,134 | COL Calculator |
| 36 | Montana | 106 | $476,000 | $75,340 | COL Calculator |
| 37 | New Hampshire | 108.5 | $523,000 | $99,782 | COL Calculator |
| 38 | Arizona | 108.6 | $423,000 | $81,486 | COL Calculator |
| 39 | Oregon | 110.4 | $504,000 | $85,220 | COL Calculator |
| 40 | Rhode Island | 110.9 | $517,000 | $83,504 | COL Calculator |
| 41 | Maine | 112.9 | $424,000 | $76,442 | COL Calculator |
| 42 | Vermont | 113.4 | $402,000 | $82,730 | COL Calculator |
| 43 | Washington | 115.1 | $603,000 | $99,389 | COL Calculator |
| 44 | Maryland | 118.8 | $436,000 | $102,905 | COL Calculator |
| 45 | New Jersey | 119.2 | $585,000 | $104,294 | COL Calculator |
| 46 | Alaska | 124.5 | $401,000 | $95,665 | COL Calculator |
| 47 | New York | 132.6 | $526,000 | $85,820 | COL Calculator |
| 48 | California | 140.3 | $776,000 | $100,149 | COL Calculator |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 148.1 | $673,000 | $104,828 | COL Calculator |
| 50 | Hawaii | 185.8 | $837,000 | $100,745 | 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?
On the C2ER index this page uses (Q2 2026), Oklahoma has the lowest cost of living at 83, followed by Alabama (86), Iowa (86.1), and West Virginia (87); 100 is the national average.
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.