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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
No sugarcoating: 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 (which, to be fair, is a metri…
No sugarcoating: 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 (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
Portland: high income, low cost — a rare combo. Portland earns above the national median ($88,792 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — vs $80,367) while keeping costs below average (index 100 vs 111). That combination is exceptionally rare — only 40 of 288 cities share it (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Dive into Portland's numbers: cost index 100 (11 points below national average), rent $1,710/month, income $88,792, and a home price of $524,251. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 100, while Healthcare runs 100. As a major city with 630,498 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
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. Portland (index 100, rent $1,710); Milwaukee (index 82, rent $1,398). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
But peel back one more layer: 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. Run the numbers annually, and it's like getting a bonus you didn't negotiate.
Bottom line: Portland, OR leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. 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: Portland, OR — cost index 100, rent $1,710/mo, income $88,792
Portland: high income, low cost — a rare combo
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 | PortlandOR | 100 | $1,710 | Details |
| 2 | MilwaukeeWI | 82 | $1,398 | Details |
630,498 residents · Oregon
What does daily life actually cost in Portland? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Healthcare (index 100) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 100) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $88,792 and homes at $524,251 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
561,385 residents · Wisconsin
Milwaukee earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 82 cost index sits 29 points below the national baseline, and the $51,888 — we had to double-check this one — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $216,278 — $251,092 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 82, while Healthcare trails at 96.
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 Milwaukee (ranked #2) has a cost index of 82 and rent of $1,398/mo — a 18-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.