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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The income-cost paradox: Frisco pays $146,158 — we had to double-check this one — — 82% above the national median — while costing just 102 on the index. You get the picture. Only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 284-city ranking for 2026 (that's pre-tax, of cours…
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 102. Income sits at $146,158. It's fine. Not great, not bad.
111,620 residents · Texas
Dive into Allen's numbers: cost index 95 (16 points below national average), rent $1,634/month, income $129,130, and a home price of $497,016. It's fine. Not great, not bad. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 95, while Healthcare runs 99. With 111,620 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
180,010 residents · North Carolina
Here's the thing: the #3 spot goes to Cary, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,649/month — saving renters $2,952 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 96, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 99. At a 15% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget (more on that below).
213,509 residents · Texas
At $1,675/month for rent and a cost index of 98, Mckinney 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 $120,273. Fairly typical for a city this size.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Look, Naperville 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 126 cost index sits 15 points above the national baseline, and the $150,937 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $594,498 — $127,128 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 105, while Housing trails at 126.
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 102, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
Frisco: high income, low cost — a rare combo
171 of 284 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
The income-cost paradox: Frisco pays $146,158 — we had to double-check this one — — 82% above the national median — while costing just 102 on the index. You get the picture. Only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 284-city ranking for 2026 (that's pre-tax, of course). The math checks out.
At $1,751/month for rent and a cost index of 102, 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 102 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , 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 (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.
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 Kentucky is far from monolithic in affordability.
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 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 #284) 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.
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.