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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The gap is staggering: 96 points separate #1 Evansville (index 85) from #286 San Francisco (index 181). It's fine. Not great, not bad. That spread means your housing, groceries, and daily expenses can cost 53% more depending on which city you choose. Here are all 286 cities, ranked with 2026 data (a…
The gap is staggering: 96 points separate #1 Evansville (index 85) from #286 San Francisco (index 181). It's fine. Not great, not bad. That spread means your housing, groceries, and daily expenses can cost 53% more depending on which city you choose. Here are all 286 cities, ranked with 2026 data (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes). Solidly above average.
A closer look at Evansville: the cost index of 85 breaks down to a Housing index of 63 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 88 (weakest). And more often than not, median rent is $1,010/month — 47% below the national median — while household income sits at $52,251, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
In plain English: What you won't find on most comparison sites: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 112, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. Year over year, that savings rate is portfolio-grade.
Bottom line: Evansville, IN leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Evansville, IN — cost index 85, rent $1,010/mo, income $52,251
176 of 286 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
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 | 13% | 85 | Details |
| 2 | ToledoOH | $1,060 | 14% | 83 | Details |
| 3 | FargoND | $1,096 | 15% | 92 | Details |
| 4 | WichitaKS | $1,125 | 15% | 87 | Details |
| 5 | AkronOH | $1,134 | 15% | 84 | Details |
| 6 | Des MoinesIA | $1,141 | 15% | 88 | Details |
| 7 | RockfordIL | $1,151 | 15% | 86 | Details |
| 8 | Cedar RapidsIA | $1,158 | 15% | 88 | Details |
| 9 | Fort WayneIN | $1,160 | 15% | 90 | Details |
| 10 | TopekaKS | $1,169 | 16% | 87 | Details |
| 11 | ShreveportLA | $1,170 | 16% | 85 | Details |
| 12 | Little RockAR | $1,171 | 16% | 89 | Details |
| 13 | DaytonOH | $1,186 | 16% | 85 | Details |
| 14 | TulsaOK | $1,207 | 16% | 89 | Details |
| 15 | MaconGA | $1,207 | 16% | 87 | Details |
| 16 | SpringfieldMO | $1,209 | 16% | 90 | Details |
| 17 | MemphisTN | $1,234 | 16% | 86 | Details |
| 18 | AmarilloTX | $1,245 | 17% | 89 | Details |
| 19 | Oklahoma CityOK | $1,255 | 17% | 89 | Details |
| 20 | MobileAL | $1,264 | 17% | 89 | Details |
| 21 | Sioux FallsSD | $1,265 | 17% | 95 | Details |
| 22 | McallenTX | $1,272 | 17% | 91 | Details |
| 23 | BeaumontTX | $1,275 | 17% | 88 | Details |
| 24 | LafayetteLA | $1,279 | 17% | 90 | Details |
| 25 | KilleenTX | $1,280 | 17% | 90 | Details |
115,332 residents · Indiana
Dive into Evansville's numbers: cost index 85 (27 points below national average), rent $1,010/month, income $52,251, and a home price of $194,790. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 63, while Healthcare runs 88. With 115,332 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs. That's not nothing.
265,304 residents · Ohio
A closer look at Toledo: the cost index of 83 breaks down to a Housing index of 57 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 85 (weakest). Median rent is $1,060/month — 44% below the national median — while household income sits at $47,532, meaning locals spend about 27% of income on rent. That alone makes it worth considering. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
133,188 residents · North Dakota
Dive into Fargo's numbers: cost index 92 (20 points below national average), rent $1,096/month, income $66,029, and a home price of $312,872. And with some exceptions, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 80, while Healthcare runs 95. With 133,188 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
396,119 residents · Kansas
Wichita earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And most of the time, the 87 cost index sits 25 points below the national baseline, and the $63,072 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $198,074 — $269,296 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 68, while Healthcare trails at 90.
188,701 residents · Ohio
Akron is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,134/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 84. Income sits at $48,544. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
| 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 | 2.5% | 7.04% | 0.94% | $40,399 |
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 85 and rent of $1,010/mo, while San Francisco (ranked #286) has a cost index of 181 and rent of $3,830/mo — a 96-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.