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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 111. Fort Worth stands out at 91 on the index, with rent of $1,554/month and household income of $76,602. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Fort Worth stands out at 91 on the index, with rent of $1,554/month and household income of $76,602. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Dive into Fort Worth's numbers: cost index 91 (20 points below national average), rent $1,554/month, income $76,602, and a home price of $295,822. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 91, while Healthcare runs 98. As a major city with 978,468 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
Bottom line: Fort Worth, TX 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: Fort Worth, TX — cost index 91, rent $1,554/mo, income $76,602
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
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort WorthTX | 91 | $1,554 | Details |
| 2 | AtlantaGA | 110 | $1,888 | Details |
978,468 residents · Texas
Look, Why Fort Worth ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 91 on the cost index, residents save roughly 20% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,554/month while the median household pulls in $76,602/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 91, though Healthcare (98) lags behind. Home prices average $295,822 — $171,548 below the national median.
510,823 residents · Georgia
Dive into Atlanta's numbers: cost index 110 (1 points below national average), rent $1,888/month, income $81,938, and a home price of $381,549. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 110. As a major city with 510,823 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
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.
Fort Worth (ranked #1) has a cost index of 91 and rent of $1,554/mo, while Atlanta (ranked #2) has a cost index of 110 and rent of $1,888/mo — a 19-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 Fort Worth is $1,554/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $341 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Fort Worth is $295,822, which is 3.9× 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.