Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
High income and low costs rarely coexist — but Portland pulls it off. At $88,792 median household income and a 100 cost index, residents enjoy purchasing power that 23% exceeds the national average. We found this pattern across 2 cities using 2026 data (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling)…
High income and low costs rarely coexist — but Portland pulls it off. At $88,792 median household income and a 100 cost index, residents enjoy purchasing power that 23% exceeds the national average. We found this pattern across 2 cities using 2026 data (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
The numbers tell a story most people wouldn't expect. Portland: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Portland earns above the national median ($88,792 vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 100 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it. That kind of value just doesn't show up in expensive metros. Honestly, this is the kind of city that makes you wonder why more people aren't paying attention. The numbers are right there — rent that doesn't eat your paycheck, costs that actually leave room for a life. And yet it barely shows up in the national conversation about affordable places to live. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that's what keeps it affordable. Not flashy. Just effective.
Real talk: Portland comes in at #1. Rent is $1,710 a month. Household income is $88,792. The cost of living index is 100. It's fine. Not great, not bad. The math checks out.
One more layer before the full breakdown: For context: the typical American city has a cost index of 111, pays $1,895/month in rent, and earns $80,367 per household. The top-ranked cities here tell a dramatically different story — one that's worth exploring city by city.
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: Portland, OR — cost index 100, rent $1,710/mo, income $88,792
Portland: high income, low cost — a rare combo
1 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 | PortlandOR | 100 | $1,710 | Details |
| 2 | MiamiFL | 173 | $2,964 | Details |
630,498 residents · Oregon
A closer look at Portland: the cost index of 100 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 100 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 100 (weakest). Median rent is $1,710/month — 10% below the national median — while household income sits at $88,792, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
455,924 residents · Florida
Look, Dive into Miami's numbers: cost index 173 (62 points above national average), rent $2,964/month, income $59,390, and a home price of $573,963. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 115, while Housing runs 173. It's fine. Not great, not bad. With 455,924 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
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.
Portland (ranked #1) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,710/mo, while Miami (ranked #2) has a cost index of 173 and rent of $2,964/mo — a 73-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 Portland is $1,710/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $185 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Portland is $524,251, which is 5.9× 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.