Cost of living by state
California had the highest overall price level of any state in 2024, 110.7 (US = 100), followed by Hawaii (110.0) and the District of Columbia (109.9). The cheapest states were Arkansas (86.9), Mississippi (87.0) and Oklahoma (87.81).
Data as of February 19, 2026 (newest release used on this page).
Source: BEA, SARPP Regional Price Parities by state; Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files. Darker states are higher; DC is the dot. Period: 2024.
| 1 | California | 110.7 | Higher | 154.3 | 106.1 | 102.6 | $63,028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Hawaii | 110.0 | Higher | 125.3 | 111.6 | 102.9 | $52,272 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 109.9 | Higher | 155.0 | 106.5 | 103.0 | $81,872 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 108.8 | Higher | 134.3 | 107.1 | 103.5 | $63,142 |
| 5 | New York | 107.9 | Higher | 122.2 | 107.3 | 104.1 | $64,153 |
| 6 | Washington | 107.0 | Higher | 126.0 | 104.4 | 103.9 | $64,421 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 105.8 | Higher | 128.1 | 98.8 | 102.9 | $71,629 |
| 8 | Maryland | 105.0 | Higher | 121.1 | 102.5 | 101.6 | $61,111 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 104.2 | Higher | 114.9 | 98.6 | 103.9 | $64,632 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 103.6 | Higher | 117.0 | 97.3 | 102.7 | $74,254 |
| 11 | Florida | 103.4 | Higher | 122.1 | 98.1 | 101.3 | $57,131 |
| 12 | Oregon | 103.4 | Higher | 108.6 | 105.3 | 100.3 | $55,451 |
| 13 | Colorado | 103.1 | Higher | 127.4 | 98.7 | 99.6 | $65,223 |
| 14 | Alaska | 102.4 | Higher | 93.8 | 106.3 | 102.2 | $60,272 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 102.3 | Higher | 105.6 | 97.2 | 102.8 | $55,878 |
| 16 | Virginia | 101.1 | Higher | 106.8 | 100.4 | 100.2 | $61,914 |
| 17 | Arizona | 100.7 | Higher | 106.8 | 95.4 | 102.8 | $52,890 |
| 18 | Nevada | 100.0 | Lower | 114.1 | 96.3 | 98.7 | $56,503 |
| 19 | Illinois | 100.0 | Lower | 93.9 | 103.8 | 100.2 | $60,333 |
| 20 | Delaware | 99.8 | Lower | 102.0 | 96.2 | 101.2 | $55,185 |
| 21 | Utah | 98.9 | Lower | 107.8 | 96.4 | 99.0 | $55,116 |
| 22 | Minnesota | 98.6 | Lower | 91.3 | 100.5 | 100.2 | $62,039 |
| 23 | Vermont | 98.0 | Lower | 86.5 | 97.3 | 101.6 | $58,893 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | 97.6 | Lower | 85.1 | 99.4 | 99.8 | $58,620 |
| 25 | Texas | 97.1 | Lower | 96.5 | 98.1 | 97.1 | $58,219 |
| 26 | Maine | 97.1 | Lower | 78.9 | 97.2 | 103.2 | $57,480 |
| 27 | Georgia | 96.3 | Lower | 88.7 | 98.9 | 97.3 | $52,952 |
| 28 | Michigan | 96.2 | Lower | 82.3 | 96.0 | 100.9 | $53,569 |
| 29 | Idaho | 95.5 | Lower | 90.0 | 96.3 | 99.0 | $52,816 |
| 30 | Montana | 94.6 | Lower | 84.6 | 96.0 | 98.7 | $59,203 |
| 31 | North Carolina | 94.3 | Lower | 81.4 | 96.6 | 98.2 | $56,310 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 94.1 | Lower | 79.3 | 94.3 | 99.5 | $58,273 |
| 33 | South Carolina | 93.7 | Lower | 80.5 | 96.3 | 98.3 | $52,463 |
| 34 | Indiana | 93.3 | Lower | 73.9 | 95.5 | 99.1 | $55,562 |
| 35 | Ohio | 92.8 | Lower | 73.0 | 93.7 | 98.9 | $56,232 |
| 36 | Wyoming | 92.7 | Lower | 71.1 | 95.4 | 100.4 | $75,501 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 92.2 | Lower | 73.6 | 96.1 | 98.5 | $51,121 |
| 38 | Tennessee | 91.9 | Lower | 79.1 | 96.2 | 95.1 | $58,582 |
| 39 | Missouri | 90.8 | Lower | 69.9 | 96.3 | 95.2 | $57,850 |
| 40 | Kentucky | 90.2 | Lower | 64.3 | 96.0 | 97.3 | $52,290 |
| 41 | Nebraska | 90.1 | Lower | 75.2 | 94.1 | 93.0 | $65,297 |
| 42 | Kansas | 90.1 | Lower | 71.2 | 94.0 | 93.8 | $59,172 |
| 43 | West Virginia | 89.5 | Lower | 54.2 | 96.5 | 99.9 | $50,051 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 89.0 | Lower | 71.4 | 95.7 | 91.2 | $65,271 |
| 45 | Alabama | 88.8 | Lower | 61.8 | 96.4 | 96.7 | $52,216 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 88.6 | Lower | 67.6 | 95.5 | 91.9 | $69,153 |
| 47 | Louisiana | 88.2 | Lower | 63.1 | 93.7 | 95.7 | $56,789 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | 87.8 | Lower | 62.8 | 93.8 | 95.5 | $58,692 |
| 49 | Iowa | 87.8 | Lower | 65.3 | 93.7 | 92.9 | $60,144 |
| 50 | Mississippi | 87.0 | Lower | 56.5 | 96.2 | 96.1 | $48,465 |
| 51 | Arkansas | 86.9 | Lower | 58.2 | 93.6 | 95.3 | $55,219 |
| United States | 100.0 | 100.6 | 99.6 | 100.1 | $59,195 |
Source: BEA, SARPP Regional Price Parities by state. Period: 2024. "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.
What the index measures
The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes regional price parities: the average price level of each state relative to the nation (US = 100). A value of 110.7 means prices in California were on average 11% above the US figure (100.0); 86.9 means prices in Arkansas were 13% below the US figure (100.0)1. The index covers the goods and services that households buy, weighted by what people in each state spend, with housing measured by rents.
17 states, counting DC, are above the national level and 34 are below. That imbalance is expected: the most expensive states are also among the most populous, so they pull the national average up. The median state sits at 97.01.
Housing drives the gap
Prices of goods vary little from state to state: from 93.6 in Arkansas to 111.6 in Hawaii. Other services range from 91.2 in North Dakota to 104.1 in New York. Housing is different: rents range from 54.2 in West Virginia to 154.3 in California and 155.0 in the District of Columbia1.
Source: BEA, SARPP Regional Price Parities by state. Period: 2024.
Show the numbers
| State | Housing rents |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 155.0 |
| California | 154.3 |
| New Jersey | 134.3 |
| Massachusetts | 128.1 |
| Colorado | 127.4 |
| Washington | 126.0 |
| Hawaii | 125.3 |
| New York | 122.2 |
| Florida | 122.1 |
| Maryland | 121.1 |
Regionally, the West and Northeast are the most expensive. California tops the West and New Jersey the Northeast (108.8); in the Midwest even the most expensive state, Illinois, is at the national average (100.0), and in the South Arkansas1 is the cheapest state in the country.
Income after prices
Higher prices usually come with higher incomes, so the cheapest states are not necessarily where money goes furthest. The BEA also publishes real personal income per person, adjusted with these price levels. In 2024 it ranged from $48,465 in Mississippi to $81,872 in the District of Columbia, against $59,195 nationally. Mississippi has one of the lowest price levels but still the lowest income after prices; California, the most expensive state, has real income per person of $63,0281, above the national figure.
Limits of a state average
- A state is not one market. Prices in a large metro area can be far above those in the rest of the same state. The BEA publishes separate parities for metro areas, which this site does not cover.
- Rents, not purchase prices. Housing in the index is measured by rents, not by what it costs to buy a home today. See the median home value ranking for purchase prices.
- Taxes are not included. The index covers consumer prices only; state and local taxes are outside this site's scope.
- Latest year: 2024. The BEA has scheduled the 2025 parities for December 10, 2026; this page will be updated when they appear.
Questions about the cost of living by state
What is the cheapest state to live in?
On the Bureau of Economic Analysis measure of average prices, Arkansas (86.9) and Mississippi (87.0) had the lowest price levels in 2024; prices in Arkansas were 13% below the US figure (100.0)1. The difference comes mostly from housing.
What is the most expensive state to live in?
California, at 110.7 in 2024, just ahead of Hawaii (110.0) and the District of Columbia (109.91). The District of Columbia is a single city, so its price level is not comparable with that of a whole state that includes rural areas.
Is the cost of living index the same as inflation?
No. Inflation measures how prices change over time. Regional price parities compare price levels between places in the same year, so a state can have low prices and high inflation at the same time.
Related rankings
Sources
- BEA, SARPP Regional Price Parities by state; 2024; released February 19, 2026. apps.bea.gov
- Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files; table cb_2024_us_state_20m; 2024; released April 10, 2025. www2.census.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.