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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
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…
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.
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, Healthcare (index 100) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 102) 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 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.
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. That ratio is hard to beat anywhere else.
What you won't find on most comparison sites: Here's the state-level backdrop: Kansas averages a 84 cost index, $1,438/mo rent, and $83,761 income across 4 cities. That's $457 less than the national rent average. Plains affordability with steady incomes — 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.
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 102, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
Frisco: high income, low cost — a rare combo
169 of 282 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
Dive into Frisco's numbers: cost index 102 (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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
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
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
What does daily life actually cost in Mckinney? Start with the 17% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 98) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 100) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $120,273 and homes at $483,340 round out a profile that ranks #4 for clear reasons (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
150,245 residents · Illinois
Straight up: 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
Frisco ranks #1 in Kansas 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 #282) 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.
Kansas 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.