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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The income-cost paradox: Austin pays $91,461 — 14% above the national median — while costing just 89 on the index. And roughly speaking, only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 2-city ranking for 2026 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Austin earns above the national median ($91,461 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 89 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it.
Rent in #1-ranked Austin has decreased from $1,578 to $1,531/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% decrease. The downward trend makes it an even stronger pick.
The income-cost paradox: Austin pays $91,461 — 14% above the national median — while costing just 89 on the index. And roughly speaking, only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 2-city ranking for 2026 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
At $1,531/month — we had to double-check this one — for rent and a cost index of 89, Austin is pretty much what you'd expect from a larger city in this part of the country. That tracks. Income is $91,461. That's more or less in line with the region. Not even close to the national average.
Here's the thing: the ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. About what you'd guess. Austin (index 89, rent $1,531); Atlanta (index 110, rent $1,888). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Solidly above average.
Bottom line: Austin, TX leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And broadly, it's fine. Not great, not bad. 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
#1 Ranked: Austin, TX — cost index 89, rent $1,531/mo, income $91,461
Austin: high income, low cost — a rare combo
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
979,882 residents · Texas
The way we see it, Here's Austin by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). That's more or less in line with the region. Cost index: 89. Rent: $1,531/month. Income: $91,461/year. Home price: $500,627. Population: 979,882. The strongest category is Housing at 89; the most expensive is Healthcare at 98. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,368 per year vs. the national median. That could be a concern depending on your priorities. One to watch.
510,823 residents · Georgia
Look, Atlanta is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,888/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 110. Income sits at $81,938. It's fine. Not great, not bad.
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.
Austin (ranked #1) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,531/mo, while Atlanta (ranked #2) has a cost index of 110 and rent of $1,888/mo — a 21-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 Austin is $1,531/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $364 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Austin is $500,627, which is 5.5× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. 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.