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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Jacksonville leads at an index of 92 with rent at just $1,576/month — 17% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
These cities are a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Jacksonville leads at an index of 92 with rent at just $1,576/month — 17% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
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. Jacksonville (index 92, rent $1,576); Louisville (index 79, rent $1,352). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Look, Why Jacksonville ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 92 on the cost index, residents save roughly 19% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,576/month — for better or worse — while the median household pulls in $66,981/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 92, though Healthcare (98) lags behind. Home prices average $282,367 — $185,003 below the national median.
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: 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 | LouisvilleKY | 79 | $1,352 | Details |
985,843 residents · Florida
Here's Jacksonville by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 92. Rent: $1,576/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Income: $66,981/year. Home price: $282,367. Population: 985,843. The strongest category is Housing at 92; the most expensive is Healthcare at 98. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $3,828 per year vs. the national median. This is quietly one of the better values out there.
622,981 residents · Kentucky
Dive into Louisville's numbers: cost index 79 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — (32 points below national average), rent $1,352/month, income $64,731, and a home price of $259,139. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 79, while Healthcare runs 96. As a major city with 622,981 residents, amenities and job markets are robust (that's pre-tax, of course).
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 Louisville (ranked #2) has a cost index of 79 and rent of $1,352/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 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.