Key Findings
- The most affordable state we track is Mississippi with an average cost index of 80 (20% below the national baseline).
- The most expensive is Hawaii at 192.
- The average across tracked states is 106 (100 = US average).
- 9 states levy no income tax: AK, FL, NV, TN, TX, WA, WY, SD, NH — a major factor for retirees and high earners.
Cost of Living Index Map — by State
Each tile is a state, colored from most affordable (green) to most expensive (red). The number is the state's population-weighted cost-of-living index (100 = US average).
8 Most Affordable States
| # | State | Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 80 |
| 2 | Puerto Rico | 83 |
| 3 | Kansas | 85 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 86 |
| 5 | Missouri | 86 |
| 6 | Alabama | 86 |
| 7 | Arkansas | 86 |
| 8 | West Virginia | 86 |
8 Most Expensive States
| # | State | Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 192 |
| 2 | New York | 177 |
| 3 | California | 158 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | 152 |
| 5 | Washington | 140 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 135 |
| 7 | Alaska | 128 |
| 8 | Oregon | 124 |
All States Ranked — Cost Index + Taxes
| # | State | Cost Index | Income Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 80 | 3-5% | 7.1% | 0.79% |
| 2 | Puerto Rico | 83 | — | — | — |
| 3 | Kansas | 85 | 3.1-5.7% | 8.7% | 1.41% |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 86 | 0.25-4.75% | 9.0% | 0.89% |
| 5 | Missouri | 86 | 0-4.95% | 8.3% | 0.97% |
| 6 | Alabama | 86 | 2-5% | 9.2% | 0.41% |
| 7 | Arkansas | 86 | 2-4.4% | 9.5% | 0.61% |
| 8 | West Virginia | 86 | 2.36-5.12% | 6.5% | 0.57% |
| 9 | Indiana | 88 | 3.05% | 7.0% | 0.84% |
| 10 | Iowa | 88 | 3.8% | 6.9% | 1.52% |
| 11 | Ohio | 89 | 0-3.5% | 7.2% | 1.59% |
| 12 | Michigan | 89 | 4.05% | 6.0% | 1.38% |
| 13 | Kentucky | 90 | 4.0% | 6.0% | 0.83% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 90 | 2.46-5.84% | 6.9% | 1.61% |
| 15 | Louisiana | 91 | 1.85-4.25% | 9.6% | 0.55% |
| 16 | Tennessee | 92 | None | 9.6% | 0.66% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 92 | 3.5-7.65% | 5.4% | 1.61% |
| 18 | South Dakota | 92 | None | 6.4% | 1.28% |
| 19 | North Dakota | 94 | 1.95-2.5% | 7.0% | 0.94% |
| 20 | Texas | 95 | None | 8.2% | 1.8% |
| 21 | North Carolina | 96 | 4.5% | 7.0% | 0.78% |
| 22 | New Mexico | 96 | 1.7-5.9% | 7.6% | 0.67% |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | 98 | 3.07% | 6.3% | 1.58% |
| 24 | Montana | 98 | 1-5.9% | 0.0% | 0.74% |
| 25 | Wyoming | 98 | None | 5.4% | 0.56% |
| 26 | Idaho | 99 | 5.8% | 6.0% | 0.69% |
| 27 | Georgia | 100 | 5.49% | 7.4% | 0.92% |
| 28 | Virginia | 100 | 2-5.75% | 5.7% | 0.81% |
| 29 | South Carolina | 100 | 0-6.4% | 7.5% | 0.55% |
| 30 | Delaware | 100 | 2.2-6.6% | 0.0% | 0.55% |
| 31 | Arizona | 103 | 2.5% | 8.4% | 0.62% |
| 32 | Minnesota | 103 | 5.35-9.85% | 8.0% | 1.05% |
| 33 | Illinois | 104 | 4.95% | 8.8% | 2.27% |
| 34 | Florida | 104 | None | 7.0% | 0.86% |
| 35 | Nevada | 105 | None | 8.2% | 0.55% |
| 36 | Rhode Island | 108 | 3.75-5.99% | 7.0% | 1.3% |
| 37 | Utah | 110 | 4.65% | 7.3% | 0.57% |
| 38 | Maryland | 111 | 2-5.75% | 6.0% | 1.05% |
| 39 | Maine | 111 | 5.8-7.15% | 5.5% | 1.24% |
| 40 | New Hampshire | 111 | None | 0.0% | 2.18% |
| 41 | Colorado | 117 | 4.4% | 7.8% | 0.51% |
| 42 | Vermont | 117 | 3.35-8.75% | 6.4% | 1.83% |
| 43 | New Jersey | 121 | 1.4-10.75% | 6.6% | 2.46% |
| 44 | Connecticut | 122 | 3-6.99% | 6.3% | 2.15% |
| 45 | Oregon | 124 | 4.75-9.9% | 0.0% | 0.93% |
| 46 | Alaska | 128 | None | 1.8% | 1.19% |
| 47 | Massachusetts | 135 | 5-9% | 6.3% | 1.17% |
| 48 | Washington | 140 | None | 9.2% | 0.93% |
| 49 | District of Columbia | 152 | 4-10.75% | 6.0% | 0.55% |
| 50 | California | 158 | 1-13.3% | 8.8% | 0.71% |
| 51 | New York | 177 | 4-10.9% | 8.5% | 1.72% |
| 52 | Hawaii | 192 | 1.4-11% | 4.5% | 0.27% |
Cost index is a population-weighted average of tracked cities per state; only states with tracked cities are shown. Tax data covers all 50 states + DC. Methodology.
Cite / Republish
Free to republish the map and data with attribution:
CostOfCity (2026). “Cost of Living by State 2026.” https://costofcity.com/studies/cost-of-living-by-state-2026/See also: US Cities Cost of Living Ranked 2026 · Press kit