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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while Kentucky trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Frisco at index 118 — we had to double-check this one — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Kentucky (that's p…
225,007 residents · Texas
In plain English: Frisco is one of the cheaper options here. That alone makes it worth considering. Rent is $1,751/month — for better or worse — , which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 118. Income sits at $146,158. It's fine. Not great, not bad.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Dive into Naperville's numbers: cost index 122 (10 points above national average), rent $2,157/month, income $150,937, and a home price of $594,498. It's fine. Not great, not bad. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 112, while Housing runs 154. With 150,245 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
108,515 residents · Texas
Here's the thing: the #3 spot goes to Sugar Land, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,990/month — costing renters $1,140 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 103, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 130. At a 17% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget (more on that below).
111,620 residents · Texas
At $1,634/month for rent and a cost index of 109, Allen is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. Income is $129,130. Fairly typical for a city this size.
116,320 residents · Texas
Look, League earns its position at #5 through a combination that's hard to replicate. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. The 105 cost index sits 7 points below the national baseline, and the $119,870 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $368,400 — $98,970 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 97, while Housing trails at 113.
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 118, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
174 of 284 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
Premium market, smart picks: while Kentucky trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Frisco at index 118 — we had to double-check this one — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Kentucky (that's pre-tax, of course). The math checks out.
At $1,751/month for rent and a cost index of 118, Frisco is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $146,158. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
Real talk: 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 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , rent $1,751); Naperville (index 122, rent $2,157); Sugar Land (index 112, rent $1,990). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons (that's pre-tax, of course). No gimmicks — just good numbers.
Here's the thing: the definition of value.
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.
We pull all cities outside Kentucky and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Kentucky'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 Kentucky 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 #284) 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.
Kentucky 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.