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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.
Denver earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 106 cost index sits 5 points below the national baseline, and the $91,681 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $530,920 — $63,550 above the national median, reflecting the metro premium. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 101, while Housing trails at 106.
We ran the numbers three times. The result held every time: Denver: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Denver earns above the national median ($91,681 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 106 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it. For anyone relocating from a high-cost market, this will feel like a raise.
The trade-off becomes clearer when you add healthcare into the mix. Nationally, the 288 cities in our database average a cost index of 111, rent of $1,895/month, and household income of $80,367. The cities in this ranking significantly outperform those benchmarks. That level of affordability is getting rarer every year.
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: Denver, CO — cost index 106, rent $1,818/mo, income $91,681
Denver: high income, low cost — a rare combo
1 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
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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
455,924 residents · Florida
Miami earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 173 cost index sits 62 points above the national baseline, and the $59,390 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $573,963 — $106,593 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 115, while Housing trails at 173.
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 Miami (ranked #2) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 67-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.