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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. Not even close to the national average.
#1 Ranked: Toledo — cost index 83, rent $1,060/mo, income $47,532
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. Not even close to the national average.
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.
Now, stack that against what people actually earn here: Ohio — Rust Belt revival with some of the lowest costs in the US. The 6 cities we track here average a cost index of 88 and median income of $49,292. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,261/month, which is $634 less than the national median.
Bottom line: Toledo leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And for many people, 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. Not even close to the national average.
265,304 residents · Ohio
Here's Toledo by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And most of the time, cost index: 83. Rent: $1,060/month. Income: $47,532/year. Home price: $126,270. Population: 265,304. The strongest category is Housing at 57; the most expensive is Healthcare at 85. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $10,020 per year vs. the national median. That's a strong position by any measure (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
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
The #3 spot goes to Dayton, and the breakdown explains why. And generally speaking, renters here pay $1,186/month — we had to double-check this one — — saving renters $8,508 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 63, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 88. The 33% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended (that's pre-tax, of course).
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). Standard stuff, really. 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.
311,097 residents · Ohio
Here's Cincinnati by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 94. Rent: $1,425/month. Income: $51,707/year. Home price: $244,309. Population: 311,097. The strongest category is Housing at 85; the most expensive is Healthcare at 97. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,640 per year vs. the national median. That's not something you see often in the data.
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 utilities index at 76, 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.