Cost of living by state, ranked from cheapest to most expensive
Summary
- California ranks highest at 110.7; Arkansas is lowest at 86.9.
- 17 of 51 states (including DC) are above the US average. The middle value is 97.1 (Maine).
- Next highest: Hawaii (110.0), District of Columbia (109.9) and New Jersey (108.8).
official Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Most expensive states
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Overall (US = 100) | |
|---|---|
| California | 110.7 |
| Hawaii | 110.0 |
| District of Columbia | 109.9 |
| New Jersey | 108.8 |
| New York | 107.9 |
| Washington | 107.0 |
| Massachusetts | 105.8 |
| Maryland | 105.0 |
| New Hampshire | 104.2 |
| Connecticut | 103.6 |
Cheapest states
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Overall (US = 100) | |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | 86.9 |
| Mississippi | 87.0 |
| Iowa | 87.8 |
| Oklahoma | 87.8 |
| Louisiana | 88.2 |
| South Dakota | 88.6 |
| Alabama | 88.8 |
| North Dakota | 89.0 |
| West Virginia | 89.5 |
| Kansas | 90.1 |
What this ranking shows, and what it does not
The overall price level covers everything an average household buys: housing, goods, utilities and services, weighted by how much people in each state spend on them.
State averages mix cities and rural areas. A cheap state can still have expensive metro areas; each state page lists them.
Taxes are not included, so states with no income tax may be better value than this ranking shows, and high-tax states worse.
Full list
All 51 states (including DC). Select a column heading to sort.
| Rank | State | Overall (US = 100) | Housing | Goods | Utilities | Other services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 110.7 | 154.3 | 106.1 | 158.9 | 102.6 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 110.0 | 125.3 | 111.6 | 190.2 | 102.9 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 109.9 | 155.0 | 106.5 | 112.8 | 103.0 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 108.8 | 134.3 | 107.1 | 114.2 | 103.5 |
| 5 | New York | 107.9 | 122.2 | 107.3 | 134.4 | 104.1 |
| 6 | Washington | 107.0 | 126.0 | 104.4 | 92.9 | 103.9 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 105.8 | 128.1 | 98.8 | 152.1 | 102.9 |
| 8 | Maryland | 105.0 | 121.1 | 102.5 | 110.9 | 101.6 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 104.2 | 114.9 | 98.6 | 133.7 | 103.9 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 103.6 | 117.0 | 97.3 | 146.5 | 102.7 |
| 11 | Florida | 103.4 | 122.1 | 98.1 | 90.1 | 101.3 |
| 12 | Oregon | 103.4 | 108.6 | 105.3 | 107.0 | 100.3 |
| 13 | Colorado | 103.1 | 127.4 | 98.7 | 85.0 | 99.6 |
| 14 | Alaska | 102.4 | 93.8 | 106.3 | 119.0 | 102.2 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 102.3 | 105.6 | 97.2 | 146.7 | 102.8 |
| 16 | Virginia | 101.1 | 106.8 | 100.4 | 92.2 | 100.2 |
| 17 | Arizona | 100.7 | 106.8 | 95.4 | 92.3 | 102.8 |
| 18 | Nevada | 100.0 | 114.1 | 96.3 | 90.5 | 98.7 |
| 19 | Illinois | 100.0 | 93.9 | 103.8 | 85.0 | 100.2 |
| 20 | Delaware | 99.8 | 102.0 | 96.2 | 103.8 | 101.2 |
| 21 | Utah | 98.9 | 107.8 | 96.4 | 78.7 | 99.0 |
| 22 | Minnesota | 98.6 | 91.3 | 100.5 | 90.8 | 100.2 |
| 23 | Vermont | 98.0 | 86.5 | 97.3 | 125.8 | 101.6 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | 97.6 | 85.1 | 99.4 | 109.3 | 99.8 |
| 25 | Texas | 97.1 | 96.5 | 98.1 | 87.5 | 97.1 |
| 26 | Maine | 97.1 | 78.9 | 97.2 | 135.2 | 103.2 |
| 27 | Georgia | 96.3 | 88.7 | 98.9 | 92.8 | 97.3 |
| 28 | Michigan | 96.2 | 82.3 | 96.0 | 100.2 | 100.9 |
| 29 | Idaho | 95.5 | 90.0 | 96.3 | 70.4 | 99.0 |
| 30 | Montana | 94.6 | 84.6 | 96.0 | 72.3 | 98.7 |
| 31 | North Carolina | 94.3 | 81.4 | 96.6 | 88.6 | 98.2 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 94.1 | 79.3 | 94.3 | 89.9 | 99.5 |
| 33 | South Carolina | 93.7 | 80.5 | 96.3 | 88.3 | 98.3 |
| 34 | Indiana | 93.3 | 73.9 | 95.5 | 85.5 | 99.1 |
| 35 | Ohio | 92.8 | 73.0 | 93.7 | 95.8 | 98.9 |
| 36 | Wyoming | 92.7 | 71.1 | 95.4 | 78.4 | 100.4 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 92.2 | 73.6 | 96.1 | 77.9 | 98.5 |
| 38 | Tennessee | 91.9 | 79.1 | 96.2 | 72.1 | 95.1 |
| 39 | Missouri | 90.8 | 69.9 | 96.3 | 79.4 | 95.2 |
| 40 | Kentucky | 90.2 | 64.3 | 96.0 | 75.3 | 97.3 |
| 41 | Nebraska | 90.1 | 75.2 | 94.1 | 75.6 | 93.0 |
| 42 | Kansas | 90.1 | 71.2 | 94.0 | 88.4 | 93.8 |
| 43 | West Virginia | 89.5 | 54.2 | 96.5 | 92.2 | 99.9 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 89.0 | 71.4 | 95.7 | 73.7 | 91.2 |
| 45 | Alabama | 88.8 | 61.8 | 96.4 | 84.6 | 96.7 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 88.6 | 67.6 | 95.5 | 79.7 | 91.9 |
| 47 | Louisiana | 88.2 | 63.1 | 93.7 | 71.5 | 95.7 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | 87.8 | 62.8 | 93.8 | 73.9 | 95.5 |
| 49 | Iowa | 87.8 | 65.3 | 93.7 | 83.3 | 92.9 |
| 50 | Mississippi | 87.0 | 56.5 | 96.2 | 78.4 | 96.1 |
| 51 | Arkansas | 86.9 | 58.2 | 93.6 | 74.7 | 95.3 |
Other rankings
- Cost of living by city: all 387 US metro areas ranked
- Metro areas ranked by housing costs
- Metro areas ranked by utility prices
- Metro areas ranked by rent growth over five years
- Metro areas ranked by change in home values over five years
- Metro areas ranked by price-to-rent ratio
- States ranked by income adjusted for prices