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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while Arkansas trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Frisco at index 118 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Arkansas.
Premium market, smart picks: while Arkansas trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Frisco at index 118 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Arkansas.
In plain English: the ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. You get the picture. Frisco (index 118, rent $1,751); Naperville (index 122, rent $2,157); Sugar Land (index 112, rent $1,990). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Real talk: Frisco earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 118 cost index sits 6 points above the national baseline, and the $146,158 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $653,858 — $186,488 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 108, while Housing trails at 145 (that's pre-tax, of course).
It checks most boxes — but the housing costs are the asterisk. In Frisco, the housing index sits at 145 — above average and worth factoring in (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
Rankings quantify the landscape. But the decision to move is personal. Use the spotlights above to zero in on 2-3 finalists, then run your actual salary through the calculator. The question isn't just "where is it cheapest?" — it's "where does my specific income buy the life I want?" Start here. Dig deeper on the linked city pages (more on that below).
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 118, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
175 of 285 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
225,007 residents · Texas
So, Frisco. Cost index of 118, rent at $1,751/month. It's higher than the national average. Median income is $146,158, which is above average. That alone makes it worth considering.
150,245 residents · Illinois
A closer look at Naperville: the cost index of 122 breaks down to a Utilities index of 112 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 154 (weakest). Median rent is $2,157/month — 14% above the national median — while household income sits at $150,937, meaning locals spend about 17% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
108,515 residents · Texas
Sugar Land earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 112 cost index sits 0 points above the national baseline, and the $137,511 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $440,419 — $26,951 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 103, while Housing trails at 130.
111,620 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in Allen? Start with the 15% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 100) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 122) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $129,130 — we had to double-check this one — and homes at $497,016 round out a profile that ranks #4 for clear reasons.
116,320 residents · Texas
Here's League by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And for many people, cost index: 105. Rent: $1,764/month. Income: $119,870/year. Home price: $368,400. Population: 116,320. The strongest category is Utilities at 97; the most expensive is Housing at 113. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,572 per year vs. the national median. That could be a concern depending on your priorities.
We pull all cities outside Arkansas and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Arkansas's averages surface first. Population and rent data provide additional context. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Frisco ranks #1 in Arkansas for this analysis with a cost index of 118 and median income of $146,158.
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.
Frisco (ranked #1) has a cost index of 118 and rent of $1,751/mo, while Mesquite (ranked #285) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,397/mo — a 24-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 Frisco is $1,751/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $144 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Frisco is $653,858, which is 4.5× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Arkansas has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.19%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.6%.
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.