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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Seattle at index 128 — for better or worse — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving a desirable market (and tha…
Premium market, smart picks: while the market trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Seattle at index 128 — for better or worse — is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving a desirable market (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Why Seattle ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 128 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 17% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,187/month while the median household pulls in $121,984/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 106, though Housing (128) lags behind. Home prices average $848,869 — $381,499 above the national median.
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: Seattle, WA — cost index 128, rent $2,187/mo, income $121,984
0 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 | SeattleWA | 128 | $2,187 | Details |
| 2 | SacramentoCA | 117 | $2,006 | Details |
755,078 residents · Washington
Dive into Seattle's numbers: cost index 128 (17 points above national average), rent $2,187/month, income $121,984, and a home price of $848,869. And generally speaking, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 106, while Housing runs 128. As a major city with 755,078 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
526,384 residents · California
A closer look at Sacramento: the cost index of 117 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 103 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 117 (weakest). Median rent is $2,006/month — 6% above the national median — while household income sits at $83,753, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
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.
Seattle (ranked #1) has a cost index of 128 and rent of $2,187/mo, while Sacramento (ranked #2) has a cost index of 117 and rent of $2,006/mo — a 11-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 Seattle is $2,187/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $292 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Seattle is $848,869, which is 7.0× 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.