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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
A closer look at Frisco: the cost index of 118 breaks down to a Utilities index of 108 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 145 (weakest). Median rent is $1,751/month — 8% below the national median — while household income sits at $146,158, meaning locals spend about 14% of income on rent. Th…
225,007 residents · Texas
The #1 spot goes to Frisco, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,751/month — saving renters $1,728 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 108, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 145. At a 14% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Naperville earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 122 cost index sits 10 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, Utilities leads the way at 112, while Housing trails at 154.
108,515 residents · Texas
Sugar Land earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 112 cost index sits 0 points above the national baseline, and the $137,511 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $440,419 — $26,951 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. Not the most exciting stat, but it matters. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 103, while Housing trails at 130 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
111,620 residents · Texas
The #4 spot goes to Allen, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,634/month — saving renters $3,132 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 122. At a 15% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
116,320 residents · Texas
Why League ranks #5: the numbers tell a clear story. And for the typical household, at 105 on the cost index, residents save roughly 7% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,764/month while the median household pulls in $119,870/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 97, though Housing (113) lags behind. Home prices average $368,400 — $98,970 below the national median.
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 118, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
173 of 281 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
A closer look at Frisco: the cost index of 118 breaks down to a Utilities index of 108 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 145 (weakest). Median rent is $1,751/month — 8% below the national median — while household income sits at $146,158, meaning locals spend about 14% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
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, 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.
Premium market, smart picks: while Nevada 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 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Nevada.
Now, stack that against what people actually earn here: The 5 cities we track in Nevada paint a surprisingly balanced picture. Average cost index: 111. Median rent: $1,817/month. Household income: $80,315. Nevada is known for no income tax and Vegas-fueled growth — and the data backs that reputation convincingly (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
No sugarcoating: 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. The data is here; the decision is yours.
Frisco ranks #1 in Nevada 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 #281) 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.
Nevada 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.