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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
A 165-point spread tells the whole story: Evansville at index 59 vs. San Francisco at 224. The difference translates to roughly $2,820/month in rent alone ($1,010 vs. $3,830). Which side of that divide you land on shapes your entire budget. Full 286-city ranking below.
A 165-point spread tells the whole story: Evansville at index 59 vs. San Francisco at 224. The difference translates to roughly $2,820/month in rent alone ($1,010 vs. $3,830). Which side of that divide you land on shapes your entire budget. Full 286-city ranking below.
What does daily life actually cost in Evansville? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 59) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 92) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $52,251 and homes at $194,790 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
Look, What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#1 Ranked: Evansville, IN — cost index 59, rent $1,010/mo, income $52,251
173 of 286 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EvansvilleIN | $1,010 | 10% | 59 | Details |
| 2 | ToledoOH | $1,060 | 10% | 62 | Details |
| 3 | FargoND | $1,096 | 11% | 64 | Details |
| 4 | WichitaKS | $1,125 | 11% | 66 | Details |
| 5 | AkronOH | $1,134 | 11% | 66 | Details |
| 6 | Des MoinesIA | $1,141 | 11% | 67 | Details |
| 7 | RockfordIL | $1,151 | 11% | 67 | Details |
| 8 | Cedar RapidsIA | $1,158 | 11% | 68 | Details |
| 9 | Fort WayneIN | $1,160 | 11% | 68 | Details |
| 10 | TopekaKS | $1,169 | 11% | 68 | Details |
| 11 | ShreveportLA | $1,170 | 11% | 68 | Details |
| 12 | Little RockAR | $1,171 | 11% | 68 | Details |
| 13 | DaytonOH | $1,186 | 11% | 69 | Details |
| 14 | TulsaOK | $1,207 | 12% | 70 | Details |
| 15 | MaconGA | $1,207 | 12% | 70 | Details |
| 16 | SpringfieldMO | $1,209 | 12% | 71 | Details |
| 17 | MemphisTN | $1,234 | 12% | 72 | Details |
| 18 | AmarilloTX | $1,245 | 12% | 73 | Details |
| 19 | OklahomaOK | $1,255 | 12% | 73 | Details |
| 20 | MobileAL | $1,264 | 12% | 74 | Details |
| 21 | Sioux FallsSD | $1,265 | 12% | 74 | Details |
| 22 | McallenTX | $1,272 | 12% | 74 | Details |
| 23 | BeaumontTX | $1,275 | 12% | 74 | Details |
| 24 | LafayetteLA | $1,279 | 12% | 75 | Details |
| 25 | KilleenTX | $1,280 | 12% | 75 | Details |
115,332 residents · Indiana
What does daily life actually cost in Evansville? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. And roughly speaking, on the category level, Housing (index 59) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 92) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $52,251 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — and homes at $194,790 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
265,304 residents · Ohio
Why Toledo ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 62 on the cost index, residents save roughly 49% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,060/month while the median household pulls in $47,532/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 62, though Healthcare (92) lags behind. Home prices average $126,270 — $341,100 below the national median.
133,188 residents · North Dakota
Look, Dive into Fargo's numbers: cost index 64 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — (47 points below national average), rent $1,096/month, income $66,029, and a home price of $312,872. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 64, while Healthcare runs 93. With 133,188 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
396,119 residents · Kansas
At $1,125/month for rent and a cost index of 66, Wichita is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $63,072. About what you'd guess.
188,701 residents · Ohio
Dive into Akron's numbers: cost index 66 (45 points below national average), rent $1,134/month, income $48,544, and a home price of $134,376. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 66, while Healthcare runs 93. With 188,701 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Evansville, IN | 3.05% | 7% | 0.78% | $40,112 |
2Toledo, OH | 3.5% | 7.24% | 1.36% | $39,877 |
3Fargo, ND | 1.95% | 7.04% | 0.94% | $40,687 |
4Wichita, KS | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $38,727 |
5Akron, OH | 3.5% | 7.24% | 1.36% | $39,877 |
6Des Moines, IA | 5.7% | 6.94% | 1.43% | $38,727 |
7Rockford, IL | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $39,119 |
8Cedar Rapids, IA | 5.7% | 6.94% | 1.43% | $38,727 |
9Fort Wayne, IN | 3.05% | 7% | 0.78% | $40,112 |
10Topeka, KS | 5.7% | 8.7% | 1.28% | $38,727 |
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Evansville (ranked #1) has a cost index of 59 and rent of $1,010/mo, while San Francisco (ranked #286) has a cost index of 224 and rent of $3,830/mo — a 165-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Evansville is $1,010/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $885 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Evansville is $194,790, which is 3.7× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.