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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Midwest dominates with 7 of top 10. And roughly speaking, 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. It's fine. Not great, not bad…
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, Jackson, Shreveport are all within 2 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. And roughly speaking, 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. It's fine. Not great, not bad. Toledo, OH takes the #1 spot with a cost index of 83 and rent of $1,060/month. Solidly above average.
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. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
Solidly above average.
Put differently: The national baseline: 112 cost index, $1,895/month rent, $80,367 household income. That's the yardstick. The cities ranked here blow past it — starting with Toledo at just 83 on the index.
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. And for many people, 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 | Housing Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ToledoOH | 57 | 83 | $1,060 | Details |
| 2 | DetroitMI | 61 | 84 | $1,318 | Details |
| 3 | AkronOH | 61 | 84 | $1,134 | Details |
| 4 | JacksonMS | 61 | 84 | $1,283 | Details |
| 5 | ShreveportLA | 62 | 85 | $1,170 | Details |
| 6 | DaytonOH | 63 | 85 | $1,186 | Details |
| 7 | EvansvilleIN | 63 | 85 | $1,010 | Details |
| 8 | MemphisTN | 66 | 86 | $1,234 | Details |
| 9 | RockfordIL | 66 | 86 | $1,151 | Details |
| 10 | ClevelandOH | 67 | 87 | $1,344 | Details |
| 11 | MaconGA | 67 | 87 | $1,207 | Details |
| 12 | WichitaKS | 68 | 87 | $1,125 | Details |
| 13 | BirminghamAL | 68 | 87 | $1,309 | Details |
| 14 | TopekaKS | 68 | 87 | $1,169 | Details |
| 15 | Des MoinesIA | 69 | 88 | $1,141 | Details |
| 16 | MontgomeryAL | 70 | 88 | $1,317 | Details |
| 17 | Cedar RapidsIA | 70 | 88 | $1,158 | Details |
| 18 | BeaumontTX | 70 | 88 | $1,275 | Details |
| 19 | LansingMI | 70 | 88 | $1,283 | Details |
| 20 | Little RockAR | 71 | 89 | $1,171 | Details |
| 21 | MobileAL | 72 | 89 | $1,264 | Details |
| 22 | OklahomaOK | 73 | 89 | $1,255 | Details |
| 23 | TulsaOK | 73 | 89 | $1,207 | Details |
| 24 | AmarilloTX | 73 | 89 | $1,245 | Details |
| 25 | AugustaGA | 73 | 89 | $1,321 | Details |
265,304 residents · Ohio
Real talk: What does daily life actually cost in Toledo? Start with the 27% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. 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.
633,218 residents · Michigan
Dive into Detroit's numbers: cost index 84 (28 points below national average), rent $1,318/month, income $39,575, and a home price of $74,828. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 61, while Healthcare runs 87. As a major city with 633,218 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
188,701 residents · Ohio
Akron earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 84 cost index sits 28 points below the national baseline, and the $48,544 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $134,376 — $332,994 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 61, while Healthcare trails at 87.
143,709 residents · Mississippi
So, Jackson. Cost index of 84, rent at $1,283/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $43,238, which is below the national median. Not the most exciting stat, but it matters.
177,959 residents · Louisiana
Real talk: So, Shreveport. Cost index of 85, rent at $1,170/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $48,465, which is below the national median. That tracks.
Cities are ranked by their housing cost sub-index. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. An index of 90 means housing 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 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 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.