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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Here's Phoenix by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And in practical terms, cost index: 91. Rent: $1,556/month — for better or worse — . Income: $77,041/year. Home price: $407,665. Population: 1,650,070. The strongest category is Housing at 91; the most expensive is He…
Here's Phoenix by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And in practical terms, cost index: 91. Rent: $1,556/month — for better or worse — . Income: $77,041/year. Home price: $407,665. Population: 1,650,070. 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 $4,068 per year vs. the national median. If two cities have the same income, this cost gap is the tiebreaker (that's pre-tax, of course).
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. Phoenix (index 91, rent $1,556); Fresno (index 99, rent $1,693). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Dollar for dollar, these cities represent some of the best deals in America. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Phoenix at index 91, where median rent of $1,556/month saves renters $4,068/year versus the national median.
Contrast this with: 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. This is the kind of number that should get your attention.
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: Phoenix, AZ — cost index 91, rent $1,556/mo, income $77,041
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
1,650,070 residents · Arizona
Phoenix comes in at #1. Rent is $1,556 a month. Household income is $77,041. The cost of living index is 91. That's a reasonable number.
545,716 residents · California
Fresno earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 99 cost index sits 12 points below the national baseline, and the $66,804 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $386,426 — $80,944 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 99, while Healthcare trails at 100.
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.
Phoenix (ranked #1) has a cost index of 91 and rent of $1,556/mo, while Fresno (ranked #2) has a cost index of 99 and rent of $1,693/mo — a 8-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 Phoenix is $1,556/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $339 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Phoenix is $407,665, which is 5.3× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. 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.