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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
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 and household income of $47,532. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
#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
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 and household income of $47,532. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. You get the picture. A score of 70 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about 30% below the national median. Toledo leads at 57, followed by Akron (61) and Dayton (63). Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
A closer look at Toledo: the cost index of 83 — we had to double-check this one — breaks down to a Housing index of 57 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 85 (weakest). Median rent is $1,060/month — 44% below the national median — while household income sits at $47,532, meaning locals spend about 27% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
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.
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.
265,304 residents · Ohio
Dive into Toledo's numbers: cost index 83 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — (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.
188,701 residents · Ohio
The #2 spot goes to Akron, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,134/month — saving renters $9,132 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 61, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 87. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
135,512 residents · Ohio
Why Dayton ranks #3: the numbers tell a clear story. At 85 on the cost index, residents save roughly 27% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,186/month while the median household pulls in $43,454/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 63, though Healthcare (88) lags behind. Home prices average $133,852 — $333,518 below the national median.
362,656 residents · Ohio
A closer look at Cleveland: the cost index of 87 breaks down to a Housing index of 67 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 89 (weakest). Median rent is $1,344/month — 29% below the national median — while household income sits at $39,187, meaning locals spend about 41% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median (that's pre-tax, of course).
201,877 residents · Ohio
Columbus comes in at #5. Rent is $1,415 a month. Household income is $65,327. The cost of living index is 94. It's fine. Not great, not bad. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
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 housing index at 57, 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 Cincinnati (ranked #6) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,425/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.