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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 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.
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.
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). 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.
Now apply that to an actual budget: 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. If you've ever felt priced out, the numbers here offer a different path.
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 | TucsonAZ | 82 | $1,399 | Details |
985,843 residents · Florida
What does daily life actually cost in Jacksonville? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 92) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $66,981 and homes at $282,367 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (that's pre-tax, of course).
547,239 residents · Arizona
At $1,399/month for rent and a cost index of 82, Tucson is pretty much what you'd expect from a larger city in this part of the country. Income is $54,546. That's about what we'd expect given the state context (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 Tucson (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,399/mo — a 10-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.