Loading
Assembling your view…
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. Fort Worth stands out at 98 on the index, with rent of $1,554/month — and that's before you even look at taxes — and household income of $76,602. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (we double-check…
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Fort Worth stands out at 98 on the index, with rent of $1,554/month — and that's before you even look at taxes — and household income of $76,602. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (we double-checked this one).
Here's Fort Worth by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 98. Rent: $1,554/month. Income: $76,602/year. Home price: $295,822. Population: 978,468. The strongest category is Utilities at 90; the most expensive is Healthcare at 101. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,092 per year vs. the national median. On a teacher's salary, this difference is the line between paycheck-to-paycheck and comfortable.
(Tangentially — this is the kind of city where you can actually build equity on a median salary, which is increasingly rare.)
Keep reading — the next section adds critical context. 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. Not many cities can claim this.
Bottom line: Fort Worth, TX leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And in most cases, 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 98, rent $1,554/mo, income $76,602
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
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort WorthTX | 98 | $1,554 | Details |
| 2 | ColumbusOH | 94 | $1,415 | Details |
978,468 residents · Texas
Dive into Fort Worth's numbers: cost index 98 (14 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 — Utilities is the cheapest category at 90, while Healthcare runs 101. As a major city with 978,468 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
913,175 residents · Ohio
Dive into Columbus's numbers: cost index 94 (18 points below national average), rent $1,415/month, income $65,327, and a home price of $243,005. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 84, while Healthcare runs 96. As a major city with 913,175 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 98 and rent of $1,554/mo, while Columbus (ranked #2) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,415/mo — a 4-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.