A dollar doesn’t go equally far everywhere. Depending on where you live, your purchasing power can vary by 30-50%. Here’s how every state stacks up.
Table of Contents
Cost of Living Index by State (All 50 States + DC)
100 = national average. Below 100 means cheaper; above 100 means more expensive.
| Rank | State | Overall Index | Housing | Groceries | Healthcare | Utilities | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 84.8 | 62.3 | 93.0 | 87.5 | 85.2 | 90.3 |
| 2 | West Virginia | 85.2 | 60.8 | 94.5 | 88.0 | 91.0 | 92.1 |
| 3 | Arkansas | 85.9 | 63.5 | 92.8 | 86.2 | 87.5 | 91.5 |
| 4 | Alabama | 86.5 | 65.0 | 93.5 | 86.0 | 88.3 | 90.8 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 87.1 | 66.2 | 93.2 | 87.8 | 86.5 | 91.0 |
| 6 | Kansas | 87.5 | 67.0 | 92.5 | 89.0 | 88.0 | 92.0 |
| 7 | Missouri | 87.8 | 68.5 | 93.0 | 86.5 | 89.5 | 91.5 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 88.5 | 72.0 | 92.0 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 90.5 |
| 9 | Georgia | 88.8 | 73.5 | 94.0 | 88.5 | 85.0 | 91.0 |
| 10 | Indiana | 89.0 | 70.5 | 93.5 | 88.0 | 90.0 | 92.5 |
| 11 | Iowa | 89.2 | 69.0 | 93.0 | 91.0 | 88.5 | 93.0 |
| 12 | Kentucky | 89.5 | 71.5 | 93.0 | 85.5 | 90.0 | 91.5 |
| 13 | Texas | 89.8 | 73.0 | 93.5 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 92.0 |
| 14 | Nebraska | 90.0 | 72.0 | 93.5 | 90.5 | 88.0 | 93.0 |
| 15 | Louisiana | 90.3 | 74.0 | 94.0 | 86.0 | 91.0 | 90.5 |
| 16 | South Dakota | 90.5 | 73.5 | 94.0 | 91.0 | 87.5 | 93.5 |
| 17 | North Dakota | 90.8 | 74.0 | 95.0 | 92.0 | 88.0 | 93.0 |
| 18 | Ohio | 91.0 | 72.5 | 94.5 | 89.0 | 90.5 | 93.0 |
| 19 | New Mexico | 91.5 | 76.0 | 95.5 | 87.0 | 89.0 | 92.5 |
| 20 | Michigan | 91.8 | 73.0 | 94.0 | 90.5 | 92.0 | 93.5 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 92.0 | 76.5 | 94.5 | 88.0 | 89.0 | 92.0 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 92.5 | 78.0 | 95.0 | 89.5 | 87.5 | 92.5 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 93.0 | 77.0 | 95.0 | 91.0 | 91.5 | 94.0 |
| 24 | Wyoming | 93.5 | 80.0 | 96.0 | 90.0 | 86.0 | 93.0 |
| 25 | Idaho | 94.0 | 82.0 | 95.5 | 89.0 | 88.5 | 93.5 |
| 26 | Montana | 94.5 | 83.5 | 96.0 | 89.5 | 87.0 | 94.0 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | 95.0 | 80.0 | 96.5 | 92.0 | 93.5 | 94.5 |
| 28 | Nevada | 95.5 | 85.0 | 96.0 | 91.0 | 89.0 | 95.0 |
| 29 | Florida | 96.0 | 88.0 | 96.5 | 90.0 | 90.0 | 94.0 |
| 30 | Illinois | 96.5 | 82.5 | 96.0 | 93.0 | 94.0 | 95.5 |
| 31 | Minnesota | 97.0 | 84.0 | 96.5 | 93.5 | 92.0 | 95.0 |
| 32 | Arizona | 97.5 | 88.5 | 97.0 | 91.5 | 90.5 | 95.5 |
| 33 | Utah | 98.0 | 90.0 | 96.5 | 90.0 | 89.0 | 95.0 |
| 34 | Virginia | 98.5 | 92.0 | 97.0 | 92.0 | 91.5 | 95.5 |
| 35 | Delaware | 99.0 | 90.5 | 97.5 | 93.0 | 93.0 | 96.0 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | 100.5 | 94.5 | 98.0 | 94.0 | 95.0 | 96.5 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 101.5 | 96.0 | 98.5 | 94.0 | 96.0 | 97.0 |
| 38 | Vermont | 102.0 | 97.0 | 99.0 | 95.0 | 98.0 | 97.5 |
| 39 | Maine | 102.5 | 95.0 | 99.0 | 94.5 | 97.0 | 97.0 |
| 40 | Oregon | 103.5 | 102.0 | 99.5 | 91.0 | 92.0 | 96.5 |
| 41 | Alaska | 104.0 | 98.0 | 115.0 | 95.0 | 104.0 | 100.0 |
| 42 | Colorado | 105.0 | 108.5 | 99.0 | 93.0 | 93.5 | 97.0 |
| 43 | Maryland | 105.5 | 108.0 | 99.5 | 94.0 | 95.0 | 98.0 |
| 44 | Washington | 106.0 | 112.0 | 101.0 | 92.5 | 90.0 | 97.5 |
| 45 | Connecticut | 107.5 | 110.0 | 100.5 | 96.0 | 100.0 | 98.0 |
| 46 | New Jersey | 108.0 | 114.0 | 101.0 | 95.0 | 97.0 | 98.5 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | 111.8 | 125.0 | 102.0 | 96.0 | 100.5 | 99.0 |
| 48 | California | 113.4 | 135.0 | 103.0 | 94.0 | 96.0 | 100.0 |
| 49 | New York | 115.9 | 140.0 | 103.5 | 95.0 | 102.0 | 99.5 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | 116.3 | 145.0 | 104.0 | 96.0 | 98.0 | 100.0 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 192.9 | 288.0 | 130.0 | 98.0 | 169.0 | 115.0 |
Purchasing Power of $75,000 by State
What $75,000 feels like in the cheapest and most expensive states:
| State | Equivalent Purchasing Power | “Feels Like” Income |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $88,443 | Comfortable |
| West Virginia | $88,028 | Comfortable |
| Arkansas | $87,311 | Comfortable |
| Alabama | $86,705 | Comfortable |
| Oklahoma | $86,109 | Comfortable |
| National average | $75,000 | Baseline |
| Washington | $70,755 | Average |
| New Jersey | $69,444 | Tight |
| Massachusetts | $67,084 | Tight |
| California | $66,138 | Tight |
| New York | $64,711 | Stretched |
| Hawaii | $38,880 | Very stretched |
Best Value: Income-Adjusted by Cost of Living
Which states offer the best combination of high income AND low cost of living?
| Rank | State | Median HH Income | CoL Index | Adjusted Income | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $90,325 | 106.0 | $85,212 | Excellent |
| 2 | Virginia | $87,249 | 98.5 | $88,578 | Excellent |
| 3 | Minnesota | $84,313 | 97.0 | $86,921 | Excellent |
| 4 | Utah | $86,833 | 98.0 | $88,605 | Excellent |
| 5 | Texas | $73,035 | 89.8 | $81,331 | Very good |
| 6 | Tennessee | $63,109 | 88.5 | $71,311 | Very good |
| 7 | Georgia | $66,559 | 88.8 | $74,953 | Very good |
| 8 | North Carolina | $66,186 | 92.5 | $71,552 | Good |
| 9 | Indiana | $62,743 | 89.0 | $70,498 | Good |
| 10 | Iowa | $65,573 | 89.2 | $73,512 | Good |
Worst Value (Low Income + High Cost)
| Rank | State | Median HH Income | CoL Index | Adjusted Income | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $84,857 | 192.9 | $43,990 | Poor |
| 2 | California | $84,907 | 113.4 | $74,873 | Below average |
| 3 | New York | $75,910 | 115.9 | $65,496 | Below average |
| 4 | Oregon | $73,893 | 103.5 | $71,394 | Below average |
| 5 | Maine | $64,767 | 102.5 | $63,187 | Below average |
Housing Affordability by State
Housing is the biggest cost-of-living variable:
| Category | States | Median Home Price | Median Rent (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very affordable | MS, WV, AR, AL, OK | $145,000-$180,000 | $750-$900 |
| Affordable | KS, MO, TN, IN, IA | $180,000-$230,000 | $900-$1,050 |
| Moderate | TX, GA, NC, FL, OH | $230,000-$320,000 | $1,050-$1,350 |
| Expensive | CO, WA, OR, CT, NJ | $350,000-$500,000 | $1,400-$1,800 |
| Very expensive | CA, NY, MA, HI | $500,000-$850,000 | $1,800-$3,000+ |
Cost of Living for Retirees
Which states are best for retirees factoring in CoL, taxes, and healthcare?
| Rank | State | CoL Index | State Income Tax | Property Tax Rate | Healthcare Cost Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 88.5 | 0% | 0.64% | 87.0 |
| 2 | Georgia | 88.8 | 5.49% flat | 0.87% | 88.5 |
| 3 | Texas | 89.8 | 0% | 1.68% | 90.0 |
| 4 | Florida | 96.0 | 0% | 0.86% | 90.0 |
| 5 | Alabama | 86.5 | 5.0% | 0.40% | 86.0 |
| 6 | South Carolina | 92.0 | 6.5% | 0.55% | 88.0 |
| 7 | Nevada | 95.5 | 0% | 0.55% | 91.0 |
| 8 | Arkansas | 85.9 | 4.4% | 0.61% | 86.2 |
| 9 | Mississippi | 84.8 | 5.0% | 0.65% | 87.5 |
| 10 | Wyoming | 93.5 | 0% | 0.56% | 90.0 |
Remote Work: Live Cheap, Earn Big
For remote workers earning a coast salary, affordable states offer enormous advantages:
| Scenario | Salary | Location | CoL-Adjusted Value | Annual Savings vs. NYC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineer (remote) | $150,000 | San Francisco | $110,000 | — |
| Software engineer (remote) | $150,000 | New York City | $96,000 | Baseline |
| Software engineer (remote) | $150,000 | Austin, TX | $142,000 | +$46,000 |
| Software engineer (remote) | $150,000 | Boise, ID | $155,000 | +$59,000 |
| Software engineer (remote) | $150,000 | Tulsa, OK | $170,000 | +$74,000 |
| Software engineer (remote) | $150,000 | Little Rock, AR | $175,000 | +$79,000 |
A remote worker earning $150K in Little Rock has the equivalent purchasing power of someone earning ~$270K in San Francisco.
Related: Cost of Living by State | Average Rent by State | Average Income | Income to Live Comfortably
