Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The income-cost paradox: Frisco pays $146,158 — 82% above the national median — while costing just 102 on the index. Only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 282-city ranking for 2026.
#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
The income-cost paradox: Frisco pays $146,158 — 82% above the national median — while costing just 102 on the index. Only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 282-city ranking for 2026.
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.
Frisco earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 102 cost index sits 9 points below the national baseline, and the $146,158 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $653,858 — $186,488 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 100, while Housing trails at 102.
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.
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.
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 Louisiana is far from monolithic in affordability.
225,007 residents · Texas
Here's Frisco by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 102. Rent: $1,751/month. Income: $146,158/year. Home price: $653,858. Population: 225,007. The strongest category is Healthcare at 100; the most expensive is Housing at 102. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,728 per year vs. the national median. That's a meaningful edge in practice. Not even close to the national average.
111,620 residents · Texas
Here's Allen by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 95. Rent: $1,634/month. Income: $129,130/year. Home price: $497,016. Population: 111,620. The strongest category is Housing at 95; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $3,132 per year vs. the national median. This is where the math gets real for actual people. Solidly above average.
180,010 residents · North Carolina
Here's Cary by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 96. Rent: $1,649/month. Income: $129,399/year. Home price: $620,401. Population: 180,010. The strongest category is Housing at 96; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,952 per year vs. the national median. If you're a planner, this number should anchor your spreadsheet.
213,509 residents · Texas
Why Mckinney ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 98 on the cost index, residents save roughly 13% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,675/month while the median household pulls in $120,273/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 98, though Healthcare (100) lags behind. Home prices average $483,340 — $15,970 above the national median. That's not nothing.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Here's Naperville by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 126. Rent: $2,157/month. Income: $150,937/year. Home price: $594,498. Population: 150,245. The strongest category is Healthcare at 105; the most expensive is Housing at 126. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $3,144 more per year vs. the national median. If you've ever felt priced out, the numbers here offer a different path.
We pull all cities outside Louisiana and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Louisiana'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 Louisiana 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.
Louisiana 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.