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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ohio is a genuine bargain: 6 of the 6 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Toledo leads at an index of 83 with rent at just $1,060/month — 44% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
265,304 residents · Ohio
Toledo earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 83 cost index sits 29 points below the national baseline, and the $47,532 — we had to double-check this one — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $126,270 — $341,100 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 57, while Healthcare trails at 85. Below the radar, but not for long.
188,701 residents · Ohio
Akron earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And in practical terms, the 84 cost index sits 28 points below the national baseline, and the $48,544 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $134,376 — $332,994 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 61, while Healthcare trails at 87.
135,512 residents · Ohio
Dayton is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,186/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 85. Income sits at $43,454. Pretty standard for this type of city.
362,656 residents · Ohio
So, Cleveland. Cost index of 87, rent at $1,344/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $39,187, which is below the national median. You get the picture.
311,097 residents · Ohio
A closer look at Cincinnati: the cost index of 94 — for better or worse — breaks down to a Housing index of 85 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (weakest). Median rent is $1,425/month — 25% below the national median — while household income sits at $51,707, meaning locals spend about 33% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
#1 Ranked: Toledo — cost index 83, rent $1,060/mo, income $47,532
Toledo rent up 5% over the past year
6 of 6 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
Ohio is a genuine bargain: 6 of the 6 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Toledo leads at an index of 83 with rent at just $1,060/month — 44% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Toledo earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 83 cost index sits 29 points below the national baseline, and the $47,532 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $126,270 — $341,100 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 57, while Healthcare trails at 85.
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.
Toledo ranks #1 in Ohio for this analysis with a cost index of 83 and median income of $47,532.
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.
Toledo (ranked #1) has a cost index of 83 and rent of $1,060/mo, while Columbus (ranked #6) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,415/mo — a 11-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 Toledo is $1,060/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $835 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Toledo is $126,270, which is 2.7× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Ohio has a 3.5% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.24%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.36%.
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.