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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in South Carolina — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Frisco (index 118 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , rent $1,751/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 283 cities to find where your money go…
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in South Carolina — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Frisco (index 118 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , rent $1,751/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 283 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 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.
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.
There's more to the story, though. State context matters: South Carolina's 3 cities average a 105 cost index with $1,752/month median rent and $69,493 household income. Lowcountry charm and migration-driven growth. In the comparison grid, two cities swap places when you switch from rent to total cost (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
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.
#1 Ranked: Frisco — cost index 118, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
174 of 283 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
225,007 residents · Texas
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.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Why Naperville ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 122 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 10% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,157/month — whether that matters depends on your situation — 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
The #3 spot goes to Sugar Land, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,990/month — this is the part where it gets real — — 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.
111,620 residents · Texas
Here's Allen by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 109. Rent: $1,634/month. Income: $129,130/year. Home price: $497,016. Population: 111,620. The strongest category is Utilities at 100; the most expensive is Housing at 122. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $3,132 per year vs. the national median. For anyone running the numbers, this is where it clicks.
116,320 residents · Texas
A closer look at League: the cost index of 105 breaks down to a Utilities index of 97 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 113 (weakest). Median rent is $1,764/month — 7% below the national median — while household income sits at $119,870, meaning locals spend about 18% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
We pull all cities outside South Carolina and rank them by value ratio (income ÷ cost index). Cities offering lower costs or higher income than South Carolina'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 South Carolina 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 #283) 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.
South Carolina 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.