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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
After analyzing hundreds of cities, one thing stands out: Frisco: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Frisco earns above the national median ($146,158 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 102 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it. That lev…
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 102, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
Frisco: high income, low cost — a rare combo
170 of 226 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
After analyzing hundreds of cities, one thing stands out: Frisco: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Frisco earns above the national median ($146,158 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 102 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it. That level of affordability is getting rarer every year.
Frisco breaks the usual trade-off between income and cost of living. Most affordable cities pay less — but Frisco delivers a median household income of $146,158 (82% above the national median) while keeping costs 9 points below national average. That's a rare combination shared by only 40 of the 288 cities we track.
Frisco comes in at #1. Rent is $1,751 a month. Household income is $146,158. The cost of living index is 102. That tracks.
Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. State context matters: California's 61 cities average a 155 cost index with $2,629/month median rent and $102,752 household income. Sky-high costs from the coast to the valley. The linked city profiles go deeper than this ranking ever could (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling). The definition of value.
Bottom line: Frisco 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.
Frisco earns above the national median ($146,158 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 102 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it.
Rent ranges from $1,751/mo in Frisco to $2,964/mo in Miami — a monthly difference of $1,213, or $14,556 per year.
Frisco (index 102) and Miami (index 173) sit 71 points apart on the cost index — proof that California is far from monolithic in affordability.
225,007 residents · Texas
Here's Frisco by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 102. Rent: $1,751/month. Income: $146,158/year. Home price: $653,858. Population: 225,007. The strongest category is Healthcare at 100; the most expensive is Housing at 102. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,728 per year vs. the national median. The data here speaks for itself.
111,620 residents · Texas
A closer look at Allen: the cost index of 95 breaks down to a Housing index of 95 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 99 (weakest). Median rent is $1,634/month — 14% below the national median — while household income sits at $129,130, meaning locals spend about 15% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
180,010 residents · North Carolina
Here's Cary by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 96. Rent: $1,649/month — we had to double-check this one — . Income: $129,399/year. Home price: $620,401. Population: 180,010. The strongest category is Housing at 96; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,952 per year vs. the national median. The practical impact: more room for childcare, savings, or just breathing room (that's pre-tax, of course).
213,509 residents · Texas
Mckinney earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 98 cost index sits 13 points below the national baseline, and the $120,273 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $483,340 — $15,970 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 98, while Healthcare trails at 100.
150,245 residents · Illinois
What does daily life actually cost in Naperville? Start with the 17% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Healthcare (index 105) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 126) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $150,937 and homes at $594,498 round out a profile that ranks #5 for clear reasons.
Frisco ranks #1 in California for this analysis with a cost index of 102 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 102 and rent of $1,751/mo, while Miami (ranked #226) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 71-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.
California 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.