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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 3 points on the cost index. And for many people, beaumont, Amarillo, Killeen, Mcallen, Waco are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — bec…
#1 Ranked: Beaumont — cost index 88, rent $1,275/mo, income $57,530
Top 5 separated by only 3 points
38 of 40 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
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 3 points on the cost index. And for many people, beaumont, Amarillo, Killeen, Mcallen, Waco are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers. Here's the full breakdown.
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 77 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about 23% below the national median. Beaumont leads at 70, followed by Amarillo (73) and Killeen (76). Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Beaumont earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And as a general rule, the 88 cost index sits 24 points below the national baseline, and the $57,530 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $165,122 — $302,248 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 70, while Healthcare trails at 90 (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way).
It checks most boxes — but the healthcare costs are the asterisk. And depending on your situation, in Beaumont, the healthcare index sits at 90 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
Top 5 separated by only 3 points. It lines up with what you'd expect. The race is tight: Beaumont, Amarillo, Killeen, Mcallen, Waco are all within 3 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
Bottom line: Beaumont 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.
112,193 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in Beaumont? Start with the 27% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 70) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 90) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $57,530 — for better or worse — and homes at $165,122 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
202,408 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in Amarillo? Start with the 24% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 73) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 92) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $62,469 and homes at $202,835 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
159,643 residents · Texas
The #3 spot goes to Killeen, and the breakdown explains why. And most of the time, renters here pay $1,280/month — saving renters $7,380 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 76, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 93. A 26% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
146,593 residents · Texas
The #4 spot goes to Mcallen, and the breakdown explains why. And in practical terms, renters here pay $1,272/month — saving renters $7,476 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 77, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 93. A 25% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
144,816 residents · Texas
The numbers for Waco are straightforward: 91 on the cost index, $1,368/month rent, $51,468 income. And more often than not, not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That's about what we'd expect given the state context (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Cities are ranked by their housing cost sub-index within Texas. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
Beaumont ranks #1 in Texas for this analysis with a cost index of 88 and median income of $57,530.
Beaumont, TX has the lowest housing index at 70, 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.
Beaumont (ranked #1) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,275/mo, while Frisco (ranked #40) has a cost index of 118 and rent of $1,751/mo — a 30-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 Beaumont is $1,275/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $620 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Beaumont is $165,122, which is 2.9× 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.
Texas 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.