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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Dallas stands out at 99 on the index, with rent of $1,591/month and household income of $67,760. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Dallas stands out at 99 on the index, with rent of $1,591/month and household income of $67,760. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The #1 spot goes to Dallas, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,591/month — saving renters $3,648 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 91, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 102. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
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. Dallas (index 99 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — , rent $1,591); Kansas (index 94, rent $1,418). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Stepping back, 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. If you're debt-free, those savings go straight to building wealth.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#1 Ranked: Dallas, TX — cost index 99, rent $1,591/mo, income $67,760
2 of 2 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
1,302,868 residents · Texas
The #1 spot goes to Dallas, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,591/month — saving renters $3,648 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 91, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 102. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
510,704 residents · Missouri
The #2 spot goes to Kansas, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,418/month — saving renters $5,724 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 85, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 97. A 25% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
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.
Dallas (ranked #1) has a cost index of 99 and rent of $1,591/mo, while Kansas (ranked #2) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,418/mo — a 5-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 Dallas is $1,591/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $304 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Dallas is $305,523, which is 4.5× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.