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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111 — worth pausing on — . Leading the pack: Dallas at index 93, where median rent of $1,591/month saves renters $3,648/year versus the national median.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111 — worth pausing on — . Leading the pack: Dallas at index 93, where median rent of $1,591/month saves renters $3,648/year versus the national median.
So, Dallas. Cost index of 93, rent at $1,591/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $67,760, which is below the national median. Not the most exciting stat, but it matters.
(Tangentially — this is the kind of city where you can actually build equity on a median salary, which is increasingly rare.) (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
In plain English: What makes this tricky: The national baseline: 111 cost index, $1,895/month rent, $80,367 household income. And with some exceptions, that's the yardstick. The cities ranked here blow past it — starting with Dallas at just 93 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. 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: Dallas, TX — cost index 93, rent $1,591/mo, income $67,760
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
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, Housing is the standout at index 93, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 99. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
618,639 residents · Tennessee
What does daily life actually cost in Memphis? Start with the 29% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 72) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 94) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $51,211 — we had to double-check this one — and homes at $142,870 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
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 93 and rent of $1,591/mo, while Memphis (ranked #2) has a cost index of 72 and rent of $1,234/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 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.