Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The income-cost paradox: Denver pays $91,681 — 14% above the national median — while costing just 106 on the index. Only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 2-city ranking for 2026.
The income-cost paradox: Denver pays $91,681 — 14% above the national median — while costing just 106 on the index. Only 40 of 288 tracked cities share this unusual profile. Here's the full 2-city ranking for 2026.
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. Denver (index 106, rent $1,818); El Paso (index 84, rent $1,441). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Dive into Denver's numbers: cost index 106 (5 points below national average), rent $1,818/month, income $91,681, and a home price of $530,920. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 101, while Housing runs 106. As a major city with 716,577 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
Here's the detail that turns a good deal into a great one: Denver: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Denver earns above the national median ($91,681 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 106 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it. If you've ever felt priced out, the numbers here offer a different path.
Bottom line: Denver, CO 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: Denver, CO — cost index 106, rent $1,818/mo, income $91,681
Denver: 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
716,577 residents · Colorado
The #1 spot goes to Denver, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,818/month — saving renters $924 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 101, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 106. Nothing too surprising there. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
678,958 residents · Texas
A closer look at El Paso: the cost index of 84 breaks down to a Housing index of 84 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (weakest). Median rent is $1,441/month — 24% below the national median — while household income sits at $58,734, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way).
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.
Denver (ranked #1) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,818/mo, while El Paso (ranked #2) has a cost index of 84 and rent of $1,441/mo — a 22-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 Denver is $1,818/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $77 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Denver is $530,920, which is 5.8× 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.