US Cost of Living (2026):
All 50 States Ranked
By Jodi Donnelly, Data Editor Published April 2026 A complete state-by-state breakdown of what it costs to run a household in every US state plus Washington DC. Source: Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) and the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), the most authoritative and longest-running state-level cost comparison available in the United States.
Portland, Oregon, ranked 13th most expensive state in the US for household cost of living.
Most expensive state
per month
Most affordable state
Hawaii vs Oklahoma
On a $60,000 salary, you live within your means in Oklahoma. In Hawaii, you are still $53,000 short of covering average household costs. The most current available MERIC/C2ER state cost data, published April 2026, covers all 50 states plus Washington DC.
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What the data shows
Every state above the national average is either coastal or in the Northeast. Every state in the ten most affordable is in the South or Midwest. The geographic pattern has held consistently for decades.
Coastal states face persistent upward pressure on housing. Demand has outpaced supply for decades, and geographic constraints limit new construction. The Northeast adds older building stock and high population density to an already expensive base. These states also tend to have higher state income taxes, compounding the headline cost figure.
Southern and Midwestern states benefit from abundant land, lower regulatory burden, and proximity to domestic supply chains that keep goods and services cheaper. Texas ranks 41st despite being the second largest economy in the country. No state income tax, low suburban housing costs, and a domestic energy base keep the overall number well below the national average.
Florida sits at rank 20, just above the national average, which surprises many who relocated expecting significant savings. A sustained wave of inbound migration since 2020 pushed housing costs higher, and property insurance premiums have risen sharply due to hurricane risk. The state is cheaper than California or New York, but not by the margin many residents expected.
Hawaii costs nearly double the US average
Hawaii scores 184 against the national baseline of 100, making it the only state where household costs approach twice the national figure. Groceries alone run 31% above average. Almost all goods must be shipped to the islands, adding a permanent freight premium to everyday spending.
Oklahoma is the most affordable state
Oklahoma scores 85 against the national baseline, placing it 15% below average on every dollar spent. Low housing costs, cheap utilities, and below-average prices across every major spending category keep household costs under $4,400 per month and well under $53,000 per year.
Florida surprises above the national average
Despite its tax-friendly reputation, Florida ranks 20th most expensive nationally. Rising insurance premiums and sustained demand-driven housing cost increases have eroded the affordability that first drew many residents south. Cheaper than California, yes. Average? No.
Only 20 states exceed the national average
Just 20 jurisdictions sit above $5,111 per month, including DC. The remaining 31 states all come in below. The national average is pulled upward by a small number of very high-cost states, meaning most American households live somewhere materially cheaper than the headline figure suggests.
On a $60,000 salary, you live within your means in Oklahoma. In Hawaii, you are still $53,000 short.
CostLiving ยท MERIC / C2ER 2025 Annual DataAll 50 states ranked
| Rankโผ | Stateโ | Annual costโ | Monthlyโ | vs US avgโ | Tier |
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These figures reflect household averages derived from official US government and MERIC survey data. For city-level cost of living breakdowns within individual states, see the CostLiving location guides. Those pages use a single-person methodology and are a complementary reference, not a direct comparison to the household figures on this page.
About this data
Source: Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) / Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Annual 2025. Data collected Q1 to Q3 2025. These are the most current available figures at time of publication.
The source
MERIC derives state rankings by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas, using prices collected through the C2ER survey. The survey has run quarterly since 1968, covers over 60 consumer goods and services across more than 270 urban areas, and is referenced in the US Census Bureau's Statistical Abstract. It is the most consistent long-running source for state-level cost comparisons in the United States.
How dollar figures are calculated
The index tells you how expensive a state is relative to the national average, not what a household spends in dollars. To produce an actionable figure, each state's index score is applied to the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual household expenditure of $61,334 (Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2025). Dividing by 12 gives the monthly equivalent.
Monthly cost = Annual cost / 12
Data window
The 2025 Annual Average uses prices collected across Q1 to Q3 2025. C2ER publishes the full annual average each Q4. This is the most current complete annual data available at time of publication in April 2026.
Limitations
Figures reflect a single BLS consumer unit, which may be one person, a couple, or a small family. The index is weighted toward metropolitan pricing; rural costs within a state can be meaningfully lower. State income tax (ranging from 0% in Texas and Florida to above 13% in California) is not captured in these figures.
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Copy the citation in your preferred format. Data source: MERIC / C2ER Annual 2025, Q1 to Q3 2025.