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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Midwest dominates with 7 of top 10. And as a general rule, 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…
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 as a general rule, 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 and rent of $1,060/month (more on that below).
A closer look at Toledo: the cost index of 83 — for better or worse — breaks down to a Housing index of 57 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 85 (weakest). Median rent is $1,060/month — 44% below the national median — while household income sits at $47,532, meaning locals spend about 27% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
The transportation sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. And from what we can tell, a score of 81 (the top-10 average here) means transportation costs are about 19% below the national median. Toledo leads at 79, followed by Detroit (80) and Akron (80). Note: a low transportation index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
One more thing before the rankings — this context changes everything: $2,418/mo 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. On a teacher's salary, this difference is the line between paycheck-to-paycheck and comfortable.
Now apply that to an actual budget: Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 112, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. And generally speaking, the cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That level of affordability is getting rarer every year.
Bottom line: Toledo, OH 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.
#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 | Transportation Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ToledoOH | 79 | 83 | $1,060 | Details |
| 2 | DetroitMI | 80 | 84 | $1,318 | Details |
| 3 | AkronOH | 80 | 84 | $1,134 | Details |
| 4 | JacksonMS | 80 | 84 | $1,283 | Details |
| 5 | ShreveportLA | 81 | 85 | $1,170 | Details |
| 6 | DaytonOH | 81 | 85 | $1,186 | Details |
| 7 | EvansvilleIN | 81 | 85 | $1,010 | Details |
| 8 | MemphisTN | 82 | 86 | $1,234 | Details |
| 9 | ClevelandOH | 82 | 87 | $1,344 | Details |
| 10 | RockfordIL | 82 | 86 | $1,151 | Details |
| 11 | WichitaKS | 83 | 87 | $1,125 | Details |
| 12 | Des MoinesIA | 83 | 88 | $1,141 | Details |
| 13 | BirminghamAL | 83 | 87 | $1,309 | Details |
| 14 | MontgomeryAL | 83 | 88 | $1,317 | Details |
| 15 | MaconGA | 83 | 87 | $1,207 | Details |
| 16 | TopekaKS | 83 | 87 | $1,169 | Details |
| 17 | LansingMI | 83 | 88 | $1,283 | Details |
| 18 | TulsaOK | 84 | 89 | $1,207 | Details |
| 19 | Little RockAR | 84 | 89 | $1,171 | Details |
| 20 | MobileAL | 84 | 89 | $1,264 | Details |
| 21 | Cedar RapidsIA | 84 | 88 | $1,158 | Details |
| 22 | BeaumontTX | 84 | 88 | $1,275 | Details |
| 23 | OklahomaOK | 85 | 89 | $1,255 | Details |
| 24 | St LouisMO | 85 | 89 | $1,326 | Details |
| 25 | Fort WayneIN | 85 | 90 | $1,160 | Details |
265,304 residents · Ohio
Here's Toledo by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 83. Rent: $1,060/month — we had to double-check this one — . 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. Over a five-year window, that difference is life-changing.
633,218 residents · Michigan
A closer look at Detroit: the cost index of 84 — we had to double-check this one — breaks down to a Housing index of 61 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 87 (weakest). Median rent is $1,318/month — 30% below the national median — while household income sits at $39,575, meaning locals spend about 40% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median (that's pre-tax, of course).
188,701 residents · Ohio
Dive into Akron's numbers: cost index 84 — for better or worse — (28 points below national average), rent $1,134/month, income $48,544, and a home price of $134,376. It's fine. Not great, not bad. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 61, while Healthcare runs 87. With 188,701 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
143,709 residents · Mississippi
A closer look at Jackson: the cost index of 84 breaks down to a Housing index of 61 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 87 (weakest). Median rent is $1,283/month — 32% below the national median — while household income sits at $43,238, meaning locals spend about 36% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
177,959 residents · Louisiana
Why Shreveport ranks #5: the numbers tell a clear story. At 85 on the cost index, residents save roughly 27% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,170/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — while the median household pulls in $48,465/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 62, though Healthcare (87) lags behind. Home prices average $134,461 — $332,909 below the national median.
Cities are ranked by their transportation cost sub-index. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. An index of 90 means transportation 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 transportation index at 79, 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.