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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Frisco earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 118 cost index sits 6 points above the national baseline, and the $146,158 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $653,858 — $186,488 above the national median, r…
225,007 residents · Texas
Dive into Frisco's numbers: cost index 118 (6 points above national average), rent $1,751/month, income $146,158, and a home price of $653,858. And roughly speaking, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 108, while Housing runs 145. With 225,007 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Real talk: Why Naperville ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. Standard stuff, really. At 122 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 10% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,157/month while the median household pulls in $150,937/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 112, though Housing (154) lags behind. Home prices average $594,498 — $127,128 above the national median.
108,515 residents · Texas
No sugarcoating: Dive into Sugar Land's numbers: cost index 112 (0 points above national average), rent $1,990/month, income $137,511, and a home price of $440,419. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 103, while Housing runs 130. With 108,515 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
111,620 residents · Texas
A closer look at Allen: the cost index of 109 breaks down to a Utilities index of 100 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 122 (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.
116,320 residents · Texas
Here's League by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 105. Rent: $1,764/month. Income: $119,870/year. Home price: $368,400. Population: 116,320. The strongest category is Utilities at 97; the most expensive is Housing at 113. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,572 per year vs. the national median. Over a five-year window, that difference is life-changing.
#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
Frisco earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 118 cost index sits 6 points above the national baseline, and the $146,158 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $653,858 — $186,488 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 108, while Housing trails at 145.
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. And with some exceptions, frisco (index 118, 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.
Let's be honest: Minnesota isn't cheap. Not the most exciting stat, but it matters. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Frisco proves it with a cost index of 118, the lowest in Minnesota, and we've ranked all 284 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Still, the overall picture holds: Minnesota — Twin Cities prosperity, outstate thrift. The 2 cities we track here average a cost index of 99 and median income of $76,662. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,562/month, which is $333 less than the national median (that's pre-tax, of course).
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. That's more or less in line with the region. The data is here; the decision is yours.
We pull all cities outside Minnesota and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than Minnesota'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 Minnesota 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.
Minnesota 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.