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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Most rankings ignore this. We think it's the whole point: 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 (not adju…
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 102, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
Frisco: high income, low cost — a rare combo
171 of 283 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
Most rankings ignore this. We think it's the whole point: 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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
The income-cost paradox: Frisco pays $146,158 — 82% above the national median — while costing just 102 on the index. Only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 283-city ranking for 2026.
Dive into Frisco's numbers: cost index 102 — this is the part where it gets real — (9 points below national average), rent $1,751/month, income $146,158, and a home price of $653,858. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 100, while Housing runs 102. With 225,007 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
It's worth mentioning — though it's outside our data model — that cities with these economics tend to attract remote workers, which can push prices up over time.
Still, the overall picture holds: State context matters: Idaho's 3 cities average a 101 cost index with $1,739/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — median rent and $84,039 household income. Pandemic migration boom has reshaped prices. Look at what happens when you add healthcare costs.
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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
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 practical impact: more room for childcare, savings, or just breathing room.
111,620 residents · Texas
Put it this way: 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, Housing (index 95) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 99) 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 #2 for clear reasons.
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
The #5 spot goes to Naperville, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,157/month — costing renters $3,144 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 105, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 126. At a 17% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
We pull all cities outside Idaho and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Idaho'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 Idaho 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 #283) 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.
Idaho 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.