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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Toledo rent up 5% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Toledo has increased from $1,014 to $1,060/mo over the past 12 months — a 5% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
#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
Toledo rent up 5% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Toledo has increased from $1,014 to $1,060/mo over the past 12 months — a 5% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
The numbers are clear: 6 of 6 cities in Ohio beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Toledo stands out at 83 on the index, with rent of $1,060/month — we had to double-check this one — and household income of $47,532. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
No sugarcoating: Dive into Toledo's numbers: cost index 83 (29 points below national average), rent $1,060/month, income $47,532, and a home price of $126,270. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 57, while Healthcare runs 85. With 265,304 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Real talk: but drill into the categories and a different story appears: The 6 cities we track in Ohio paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 88. Median rent: $1,261/month. Household income: $49,292. Ohio is known for Rust Belt revival with some of the lowest costs in the US — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
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.
265,304 residents · Ohio
Why Toledo ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 83 on the cost index, residents save roughly 29% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,060/month — for better or worse — while the median household pulls in $47,532/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 57, though Healthcare (85) lags behind. It lines up with what you'd expect. Home prices average $126,270 — $341,100 below the national median.
188,701 residents · Ohio
No sugarcoating: a closer look at Akron: the cost index of 84 — worth pausing on — breaks down to a Housing index of 61 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 87 (weakest). Median rent is $1,134/month — 40% below the national median — while household income sits at $48,544, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
135,512 residents · Ohio
What does daily life actually cost in Dayton? Start with the 33% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Housing (index 63) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 88) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $43,454 — whether that matters depends on your situation — and homes at $133,852 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
362,656 residents · Ohio
Why Cleveland ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. It's fine. Not great, not bad. At 87 on the cost index, residents save roughly 25% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,344/month while the median household pulls in $39,187/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 67, though Healthcare (89) lags behind. Home prices average $113,669 — $353,701 below the national median.
311,097 residents · Ohio
Dive into Cincinnati's numbers: cost index 94 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — (18 points below national average), rent $1,425/month, income $51,707, and a home price of $244,309. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 85, while Healthcare runs 97. With 311,097 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Toledo ranks #1 in Ohio for this analysis with a cost index of 83 and median income of $47,532.
Toledo, OH has the lowest food & groceries index at 81, compared to the national average of 100.
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.