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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Fort Worth proves it with a cost index of 91, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Let's be honest: these cities aren't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Fort Worth proves it with a cost index of 91, and we've ranked all 2 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
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. Fort Worth (index 91, rent $1,554); Seattle (index 128, rent $2,187). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
The #1 spot goes to Fort Worth, and the breakdown explains why. And in practical terms, renters here pay $1,554/month — saving renters $4,092 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 91, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 98. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
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: Fort Worth, TX — cost index 91, rent $1,554/mo, income $76,602
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
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort WorthTX | 91 | $1,554 | Details |
| 2 | SeattleWA | 128 | $2,187 | Details |
978,468 residents · Texas
Here's Fort Worth by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). That alone makes it worth considering. Cost index: 91. Rent: $1,554/month. Income: $76,602/year. Home price: $295,822. Population: 978,468. The strongest category is Housing at 91; the most expensive is Healthcare at 98. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,092 per year vs. the national median. In a market where everything is going up, this stands still — in a good way (that's pre-tax, of course).
755,078 residents · Washington
Here's Seattle by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. And in most cases, cost index: 128. Rent: $2,187/month. Income: $121,984/year. Home price: $848,869. Population: 755,078. The strongest category is Healthcare at 106; the most expensive is Housing at 128. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $3,504 more per year vs. the national median. If two cities have the same income, this cost gap is the tiebreaker.
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 Seattle (ranked #2) has a cost index of 128 and rent of $2,187/mo — a 37-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.