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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Look, the numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Jacksonville stands out at 92 on the index, with rent of $1,576/month and household income of $66,981. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Look, the numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. Jacksonville stands out at 92 on the index, with rent of $1,576/month and household income of $66,981. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Straight up: the #1 spot goes to Jacksonville, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,576/month — saving renters $3,828 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 92, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 98. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
Quick aside: when housing takes less of your income, the secondary effects are real — less financial stress, more discretionary spending, better local businesses. And generally speaking, the math checks out.
And here's the trade-off: 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's the sort of advantage that turns renters into homeowners (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way). The definition of value.
No sugarcoating: Bottom line: Jacksonville, FL leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. That's a reasonable number. 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: Jacksonville, FL — cost index 92, rent $1,576/mo, income $66,981
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 | JacksonvilleFL | 92 | $1,576 | Details |
| 2 | FresnoCA | 99 | $1,693 | Details |
985,843 residents · Florida
A closer look at Jacksonville: the cost index of 92 breaks down to a Housing index of 92 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 98 (weakest). No major red flags in that number. Median rent is $1,576/month — 17% below the national median — while household income sits at $66,981, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
545,716 residents · California
Dive into Fresno's numbers: cost index 99 (12 points below national average), rent $1,693/month, income $66,804, and a home price of $386,426. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 99, while Healthcare runs 100. As a major city with 545,716 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.
Jacksonville (ranked #1) has a cost index of 92 and rent of $1,576/mo, while Fresno (ranked #2) has a cost index of 99 and rent of $1,693/mo — a 7-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 Jacksonville is $1,576/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $319 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Jacksonville is $282,367, 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.