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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 38 of 40 cities in Texas beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Frisco stands out at 118 on the index, with rent of $1,751/month and household income of $146,158. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 38 of 40 cities in Texas beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Frisco stands out at 118 on the index, with rent of $1,751/month and household income of $146,158. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
In plain English: a closer look at Frisco: the cost index of 118 breaks down to a Utilities index of 108 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 145 (weakest). Median rent is $1,751/month — 8% below the national median — while household income sits at $146,158, meaning locals spend about 14% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
Quick aside: when housing takes less of your income, the secondary effects are real — less financial stress, more discretionary spending, better local businesses.
The other side of the coin: Texas — no income tax, massive metros, and wide-open affordability. The 40 cities we track here average a cost index of 99 and median income of $79,780. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,536/month, which is $359 less than the national median.
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: Frisco — cost index 118, rent $1,751/mo, income $146,158
38 of 40 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
225,007 residents · Texas
Frankly, Frisco is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,751/month — though some people might weigh that differently — , which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 118. Income sits at $146,158. Not the most exciting stat, but it matters. That tracks.
108,515 residents · Texas
Here's Sugar Land by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Pretty standard for this type of city. Cost index: 112. Rent: $1,990/month. Income: $137,511/year. Home price: $440,419. Population: 108,515. The strongest category is Utilities at 103; the most expensive is Housing at 130. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $1,140 more per year vs. the national median. Over a five-year window, that difference is life-changing.
290,190 residents · Texas
Here's Plano by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And as far as the data shows, cost index: 110. Rent: $1,717/month — and yes, that's adjusted for the region — . Income: $108,649/year. Home price: $501,564. Population: 290,190. The strongest category is Utilities at 102; the most expensive is Housing at 126. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,136 per year vs. the national median. That adds up much faster than people realize. The math checks out.
213,509 residents · Texas
Dive into Mckinney's numbers: cost index 109 (3 points below national average), rent $1,675/month, income $120,273, and a home price of $483,340. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 100, while Housing runs 122. With 213,509 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
111,620 residents · Texas
What does daily life actually cost in Allen? Start with the 15% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 100) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 122) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $129,130 and homes at $497,016 round out a profile that ranks #5 for clear reasons.
Frisco ranks #1 in Texas for this analysis with a cost index of 118 and median income of $146,158.
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.
Frisco (ranked #1) has a cost index of 118 and rent of $1,751/mo, while Beaumont (ranked #40) has a cost index of 88 and rent of $1,275/mo — a 30-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 Frisco is $1,751/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $144 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Frisco is $653,858, which is 4.5× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Texas has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.19%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.6%.
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.