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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 3 points on the cost index. Frisco, Sugar Land, Allen, League, Cary are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers. Her…
225,007 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in Frisco? Start with the 14% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 108) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 145) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $146,158 and homes at $653,858 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
108,515 residents · Texas
A closer look at Sugar Land: the cost index of 112 breaks down to a Utilities index of 103 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 130 (weakest). Median rent is $1,990/month — 5% above the national median — while household income sits at $137,511, meaning locals spend about 17% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
111,620 residents · Texas
In plain English: 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 and homes at $497,016 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
116,320 residents · Texas
Why League ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 105 on the cost index, residents save roughly 7% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,764/month — we had to double-check this one — while the median household pulls in $119,870/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 97, though Housing (113) lags behind. Home prices average $368,400 — $98,970 below the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
180,010 residents · North Carolina
Here's Cary by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 115. Rent: $1,649/month. Income: $129,399/year. Home price: $620,401. Population: 180,010. The strongest category is Utilities at 106; the most expensive is Housing at 137. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,952 per year vs. the national median. For families with student loans, that cost gap is a second income.
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 118, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
Top 5 separated by only 3 points
172 of 281 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
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 3 points on the cost index. Frisco, Sugar Land, Allen, League, Cary are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers. Here's the full breakdown.
In plain English: If you've ever wondered why some 'cheap' cities don't feel cheap, this explains it: Top 5 separated by only 3 points. The race is tight: Frisco, Sugar Land, Allen, League, Cary are all within 3 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
What does daily life actually cost in Frisco? Start with the 14% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 108) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 145) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $146,158 and homes at $653,858 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
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. Frisco (index 118, rent $1,751); Sugar Land (index 112, rent $1,990); Allen (index 109, rent $1,634). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
With that foundation in place: Here's the state-level backdrop: Illinois averages a 104 cost index, $1,779/mo rent, and $91,148 income across 5 cities. That's $116 less than the national rent average. Chicago's premium versus downstate bargains — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
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.
We pull all cities outside Illinois and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Illinois'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 Illinois 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 #281) 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.
Illinois 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.