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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Real talk: the numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Houston stands out at 90 on the index, with rent of $1,542/month and household income of $62,894. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Real talk: the numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Houston stands out at 90 on the index, with rent of $1,542/month and household income of $62,894. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Houston is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,542/month — we had to double-check this one — , which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 90. Income sits at $62,894. That's about what we'd expect given the state context (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#1 Ranked: Houston, TX — cost index 90, rent $1,542/mo, income $62,894
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
2,314,157 residents · Texas
So, Houston. Cost index of 90, rent at $1,542/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $62,894, which is below the national median. That's more or less in line with the region.
633,218 residents · Michigan
The #2 spot goes to Detroit, and the breakdown explains why. And generally speaking, renters here pay $1,318/month — saving renters $6,924 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 77, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 95. The 40% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended (that's pre-tax, of course). The definition of value.
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.
Houston (ranked #1) has a cost index of 90 and rent of $1,542/mo, while Detroit (ranked #2) has a cost index of 77 and rent of $1,318/mo — a 13-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 Houston is $1,542/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $353 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Houston is $261,976, which is 4.2× 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.