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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Midwest dominates with 7 of top 10. 7 of the 10 top-ranked cities are in the Midwest. Rust Belt affordability and steady incomes keep these cities competitive. We analyzed 286 cities across the country to build this ranking using 2026 federal data. Toledo, OH takes the #1 spot with a cost index of 8…
Rent ranges from $1,060/mo in Toledo to $3,478/mo in Sunnyvale — a monthly difference of $2,418, or $29,016 per year.
Toledo (index 83) and Sunnyvale (index 212) sit 129 points apart on the cost index — proof that the US is far from monolithic in affordability.
7 of the 10 top-ranked cities are in the Midwest. Rust Belt affordability and steady incomes keep these cities competitive.
The race is tight: Toledo, Detroit, Akron, Shreveport, Jackson are all within 1 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
Midwest dominates with 7 of top 10. 7 of the 10 top-ranked cities are in the Midwest. Rust Belt affordability and steady incomes keep these cities competitive. We analyzed 286 cities across the country to build this ranking using 2026 federal data. Toledo, OH takes the #1 spot with a cost index of 83 — for better or worse — and rent of $1,060/month.
$2,418/mo — a detail that tends to get overlooked — rent gap across the ranking. Rent ranges from $1,060/mo in Toledo to $3,478/mo in Sunnyvale — a monthly difference of $2,418, or $29,016 per year.
What does daily life actually cost in Toledo? Start with the 27% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. On the category level, Housing (index 57) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 85) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $47,532 and homes at $126,270 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
The food & groceries sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 83 (the top-10 average here) means food & groceries costs are about 17% below the national median. Toledo leads at 81, followed by Detroit (83) and Akron (83). Note: a low food & groceries index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Balance that against the cost side: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 112, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. There's real money on the table here.
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.
#1 Ranked: Toledo, OH — cost index 83, rent $1,060/mo, income $47,532
$2,418/mo rent gap across the ranking
176 of 286 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
| Rank | City | Food & Groceries Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ToledoOH | 81 | 83 | $1,060 | Details |
| 2 | DetroitMI | 83 | 84 | $1,318 | Details |
| 3 | AkronOH | 83 | 84 | $1,134 | Details |
| 4 | ShreveportLA | 83 | 85 | $1,170 | Details |
| 5 | JacksonMS | 83 | 84 | $1,283 | Details |
| 6 | DaytonOH | 83 | 85 | $1,186 | Details |
| 7 | EvansvilleIN | 83 | 85 | $1,010 | Details |
| 8 | MemphisTN | 85 | 86 | $1,234 | Details |
| 9 | WichitaKS | 85 | 87 | $1,125 | Details |
| 10 | ClevelandOH | 85 | 87 | $1,344 | Details |
| 11 | BirminghamAL | 85 | 87 | $1,309 | Details |
| 12 | MaconGA | 85 | 87 | $1,207 | Details |
| 13 | RockfordIL | 85 | 86 | $1,151 | Details |
| 14 | Des MoinesIA | 86 | 88 | $1,141 | Details |
| 15 | MontgomeryAL | 86 | 88 | $1,317 | Details |
| 16 | Cedar RapidsIA | 86 | 88 | $1,158 | Details |
| 17 | TopekaKS | 86 | 87 | $1,169 | Details |
| 18 | BeaumontTX | 86 | 88 | $1,275 | Details |
| 19 | LansingMI | 86 | 88 | $1,283 | Details |
| 20 | TulsaOK | 87 | 89 | $1,207 | Details |
| 21 | Little RockAR | 87 | 89 | $1,171 | Details |
| 22 | AmarilloTX | 87 | 89 | $1,245 | Details |
| 23 | AugustaGA | 87 | 89 | $1,321 | Details |
| 24 | MobileAL | 87 | 89 | $1,264 | Details |
| 25 | OklahomaOK | 88 | 89 | $1,255 | Details |
265,304 residents · Ohio
The #1 spot goes to Toledo, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,060/month — saving renters $10,020 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 57, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 85. A 27% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
633,218 residents · Michigan
The #2 spot goes to Detroit, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,318/month — saving renters $6,924 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. The 40% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
188,701 residents · Ohio
Akron is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,134/month — we had to double-check this one — , which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 84. Income sits at $48,544. You get the picture.
177,959 residents · Louisiana
A closer look at Shreveport: the cost index of 85 breaks down to a Housing index of 62 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 87 (weakest). Median rent is $1,170/month — 38% below the national median — while household income sits at $48,465, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
143,709 residents · Mississippi
Dive into Jackson's numbers: cost index 84 — for better or worse — (28 points below national average), rent $1,283/month, income $43,238, and a home price of $86,017. You get the picture. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 61, while Healthcare runs 87. With 143,709 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Cities are ranked by their food & groceries cost sub-index. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. An index of 90 means food & groceries costs 10% less than the national median. 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.
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 Sunnyvale (ranked #286) has a cost index of 212 and rent of $3,478/mo — a 129-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.
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.