US cost of living rankings
These rankings sort all 51 US states and DC by the cost-of-living questions people search for most: which states are the most expensive, which are the cheapest, and which have the highest median household income. Price levels are the BEA Regional Price Parities (US = 100); income is from the Census ACS.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), all items. Data as of June 2026.
States ranked from highest to lowest overall price level (BEA RPP, US = 100).
Cheapest statesThe most affordable states by overall price level — where a paycheck goes furthest.
Highest median household incomeStates ranked by Census median household income, with their price level for context.
Want every state in one table? See the full state index. To convert a salary between two states, use the calculator.
Last updated: 2026-06-18