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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
$2,418/mo rent gap across the ranking. And depending on your situation, 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.
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.
$2,418/mo rent gap across the ranking. And depending on your situation, 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.
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 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — and rent of $1,060/month.
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 zoom in on the cost categories. 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. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
Rankings quantify the landscape. But the decision to move is personal. Use the spotlights above to zero in on 2-3 finalists, then run your actual salary through the calculator. The question isn't just "where is it cheapest?" — it's "where does my specific income buy the life I want?" Start here. Dig deeper on the linked city pages.
#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 | Healthcare Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ToledoOH | 85 | 83 | $1,060 | Details |
| 2 | DetroitMI | 87 | 84 | $1,318 | Details |
| 3 | AkronOH | 87 | 84 | $1,134 | Details |
| 4 | ShreveportLA | 87 | 85 | $1,170 | Details |
| 5 | JacksonMS | 87 | 84 | $1,283 | Details |
| 6 | DaytonOH | 88 | 85 | $1,186 | Details |
| 7 | EvansvilleIN | 88 | 85 | $1,010 | Details |
| 8 | MemphisTN | 89 | 86 | $1,234 | Details |
| 9 | ClevelandOH | 89 | 87 | $1,344 | Details |
| 10 | RockfordIL | 89 | 86 | $1,151 | Details |
| 11 | WichitaKS | 90 | 87 | $1,125 | Details |
| 12 | Des MoinesIA | 90 | 88 | $1,141 | Details |
| 13 | BirminghamAL | 90 | 87 | $1,309 | Details |
| 14 | MontgomeryAL | 90 | 88 | $1,317 | Details |
| 15 | MaconGA | 90 | 87 | $1,207 | Details |
| 16 | Cedar RapidsIA | 90 | 88 | $1,158 | Details |
| 17 | TopekaKS | 90 | 87 | $1,169 | Details |
| 18 | BeaumontTX | 90 | 88 | $1,275 | Details |
| 19 | LansingMI | 90 | 88 | $1,283 | Details |
| 20 | Little RockAR | 91 | 89 | $1,171 | Details |
| 21 | Oklahoma CityOK | 92 | 89 | $1,255 | Details |
| 22 | TulsaOK | 92 | 89 | $1,207 | Details |
| 23 | St LouisMO | 92 | 89 | $1,326 | Details |
| 24 | Fort WayneIN | 92 | 90 | $1,160 | Details |
| 25 | AmarilloTX | 92 | 89 | $1,245 | Details |
265,304 residents · Ohio
So, Toledo. Cost index of 83, rent at $1,060/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $47,532, which is below the national median. It lines up with what you'd expect.
633,218 residents · Michigan
Here's Detroit by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And in practical terms, cost index: 84. Rent: $1,318/month. Income: $39,575/year. Home price: $74,828. Population: 633,218. The strongest category is Housing at 61; the most expensive is Healthcare at 87. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $6,924 per year vs. the national median. If you plug these numbers into any cost calculator, they hold up.
188,701 residents · Ohio
Why Akron ranks #3: the numbers tell a clear story. At 84 on the cost index, residents save roughly 28% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,134/month while the median household pulls in $48,544/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 61, though Healthcare (87) lags behind. Home prices average $134,376 — $332,994 below the national median.
177,959 residents · Louisiana
Here's Shreveport by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 85. Rent: $1,170/month. Income: $48,465/year. Home price: $134,461. Population: 177,959. The strongest category is Housing at 62; the most expensive is Healthcare at 87. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,700 per year vs. the national median. The data here speaks for itself.
143,709 residents · Mississippi
The way we see it, Here's Jackson by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 84. Rent: $1,283/month. Income: $43,238/year. Home price: $86,017. Population: 143,709. The strongest category is Housing at 61; the most expensive is Healthcare at 87. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $7,344 per year vs. the national median. This is the type of edge you don't see advertised.
Cities are ranked by their healthcare cost sub-index. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. An index of 90 means healthcare 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 healthcare index at 85, 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.