Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
High income and low costs rarely coexist — but Frisco pulls it off. At $146,158 median household income and a 102 cost index, residents enjoy purchasing power that 98% exceeds the national average. We found this pattern across 264 cities in Florida using 2026 data.
High income and low costs rarely coexist — but Frisco pulls it off. At $146,158 median household income and a 102 cost index, residents enjoy purchasing power that 98% exceeds the national average. We found this pattern across 264 cities in Florida using 2026 data.
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.
Frisco earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 102 cost index sits 9 points below the national baseline, and the $146,158 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $653,858 — $186,488 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 100, while Housing trails at 102.
Overlay the tax picture, and things shift again: State context matters: Florida's 22 cities average a 127 cost index with $2,171/month median rent and $69,398 household income. No income tax, booming migration, and rising rents. Cross-reference this ranking with the state salary page. The overlap is telling.
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.
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 102, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
Frisco: high income, low cost — a rare combo
167 of 264 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
225,007 residents · Texas
Straight up: Why Frisco ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 102 on the cost index, residents save roughly 9% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,751/month while the median household pulls in $146,158/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 100, though Housing (102) lags behind. Home prices average $653,858 — $186,488 above the national median.
111,620 residents · Texas
Why Allen ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 95 on the cost index, residents save roughly 16% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,634/month while the median household pulls in $129,130/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 95, though Healthcare (99) lags behind. Home prices average $497,016 — $29,646 above the national median.
180,010 residents · North Carolina
What does daily life actually cost in Cary? Start with the 15% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 96) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 99) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $129,399 and homes at $620,401 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
213,509 residents · Texas
The #4 spot goes to Mckinney, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,675/month — saving renters $2,640 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 98, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. At a 17% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Naperville earns its position at #5 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 126 cost index sits 15 points above the national baseline, and the $150,937 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $594,498 — $127,128 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 105, while Housing trails at 126.
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.
Frisco (index 102) and New York (index 216) sit 114 points apart on the cost index — proof that Florida is far from monolithic in affordability.
Rent ranges from $1,751/mo in Frisco to $3,706/mo in New York — a monthly difference of $1,955, or $23,460 per year.
We pull all cities outside Florida and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Florida'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 Florida 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 New York (ranked #264) has a cost index of 216 and rent of $3,706/mo — a 114-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.
Florida 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.