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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. No major red flags in that number. We found this pattern across 283 cities in Indiana using 2026 data.
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 102, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
Frisco: high income, low cost — a rare combo
170 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
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. No major red flags in that number. We found this pattern across 283 cities in Indiana using 2026 data.
Here's the part that changes the math: Frisco: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Frisco earns above the national median ($146,158 — we had to double-check this one — 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.
A closer look at Frisco: the cost index of 102 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 100 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 102 (weakest). Median rent is $1,751/month — 8% below the national median — while household income sits at $146,158, meaning locals spend about 14% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
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 102, rent $1,751); Allen (index 95, rent $1,634); Cary (index 96, rent $1,649). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Look, Zooming out, Here's the state-level backdrop: Indiana averages a 69 cost index, $1,175/mo rent, and $58,513 income across 3 cities. And more often than not, that's $720 less than the national rent average. Solidly affordable Rust Belt living — and that context shapes every city in this ranking (that's pre-tax, of course).
Bottom line: Frisco leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And depending on your situation, 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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes). Not flashy. Just effective.
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 Indiana is far from monolithic in affordability.
225,007 residents · Texas
The #1 spot goes to Frisco, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,751/month — saving renters $1,728 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 102. At a 14% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
111,620 residents · Texas
So, Allen. Cost index of 95, rent at $1,634/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $129,130, which is above average. That tracks.
180,010 residents · North Carolina
Cary earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 96 cost index sits 15 points below the national baseline, and the $129,399 — a detail that tends to get overlooked — median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Standard stuff, really. Homes list at $620,401 — $153,031 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 96, while Healthcare trails at 99.
213,509 residents · Texas
Here's Mckinney by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 98. Rent: $1,675/month — for better or worse — . Income: $120,273/year. Home price: $483,340. Population: 213,509. The strongest category is Housing at 98; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,640 per year vs. the national median. At this level, the city practically pays for your move.
150,245 residents · Illinois
A closer look at Naperville: the cost index of 126 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 105 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 126 (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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
We pull all cities outside Indiana and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Indiana'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 Indiana 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.
Indiana 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.