State ranking · Cost of Living

Most Affordable States

A pure affordability view: living cost index, housing values and income tax treatment.

Published Feb 11, 2026 · Reviewed Jul 9, 2026 · US360 analysis of the published state dataset

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Methodology

Where does an average household budget stretch furthest?

Weights, planned factors and limitations are published before the table so the result can be judged fairly.

Factors and weights

cost index45%
median home35%
income tax20%

Planned factors — not yet sourced

Median rent
Utility cost
Grocery basket
Childcare cost

Limitations

Affordability inside a state varies more than between states — metro figures are not yet published per city.

Full methodology

Full ranking

All state hubs, scored identically

Most Affordable States — US360 composite score out of 100, computed from the published state dataset.
Rank	State	Score	Cost of living index (45%)	Median home value (35%)	State income tax treatment (20%)
1	MississippiSouth	99.7	10083	99$175,000	100Flat state income tax
2	IowaMidwest	95.8	9687	93$215,000	100Flat state income tax
3	KentuckySouth	95.1	9687	91$225,000	100Flat state income tax
4	IndianaMidwest	93.9	9588	89$240,000	100Flat state income tax plus county rates
5	MichiganMidwest	92.7	9390	88$245,000	100Flat state income tax
6	PennsylvaniaNortheast	89.4	8895	85$265,000	100Flat state income tax plus local wage taxes
7	IllinoisMidwest	89	8895	84$275,000	100Flat state income tax
8	GeorgiaSouth	86.9	9192	74$340,000	100Flat state income tax
9	AlabamaSouth	86.3	9588	90$230,000	60Graduated state income tax with low top rate
10	North CarolinaSouth	84.8	8895	72$355,000	100Flat state income tax
11	West VirginiaSouth	80	10083	100$165,000	0Graduated state income tax
12	IdahoWest	78.6	8598	58$450,000	100Flat state income tax
13	OklahomaSouth	77.8	9984	95$200,000	0Graduated state income tax
14	ArizonaWest	77.4	80102	61$425,000	100Flat state income tax
15	ArkansasSouth	77	9885	94$205,000	0Graduated state income tax
16	KansasMidwest	75.9	9786	92$220,000	0Graduated state income tax
17	LouisianaSouth	75.2	9489	94$205,000	0Graduated state income tax
18	OhioMidwest	75.1	9687	91$225,000	0Graduated state income tax with municipal income taxes
19	MissouriMidwest	74.7	9687	90$235,000	0Graduated state income tax
20	NebraskaMidwest	72.8	9489	87$250,000	0Graduated state income tax
21	UtahWest	72	79103	47$520,000	100Flat state income tax
22	North DakotaMidwest	70.7	9192	85$265,000	0Low graduated state income tax
23	WisconsinMidwest	70.1	9291	82$285,000	0Graduated state income tax
24	South DakotaMidwest	69.8	9291	81$290,000	0No state personal income tax
25	ColoradoWest	69.6	76106	44$545,000	100Flat state income tax
26	New MexicoWest	69	9192	80$300,000	0Graduated state income tax
27	South CarolinaSouth	69	9192	80$300,000	0Graduated state income tax
28	TennesseeSouth	68.8	9390	77$320,000	0No tax on wage income
29	WyomingWest	66.7	8994	76$330,000	0No state personal income tax
30	TexasSouth	66.4	9093	74$340,000	0No state personal income tax, higher property taxes
31	MinnesotaMidwest	65	8697	75$335,000	0Graduated state income tax
32	DelawareSouth	60.6	81101	69$375,000	0Graduated state income tax, no state sales tax
33	VirginiaSouth	58.8	80102	65$400,000	0Graduated state income tax
34	FloridaSouth	58.3	79103	65$400,000	0No state personal income tax
35	MaineNortheast	57.7	76106	67$390,000	0Graduated state income tax
36	NevadaWest	57.4	80102	61$430,000	0No state personal income tax
37	MontanaWest	57.2	82100	58$450,000	0Graduated state income tax, no general sales tax
38	VermontNortheast	54.3	70112	65$400,000	0Graduated state income tax
39	ConnecticutNortheast	52.8	69113	62$420,000	0Graduated state income tax
40	Rhode IslandNortheast	51.8	70112	58$450,000	0Graduated state income tax
41	MarylandSouth	51.4	66116	62$420,000	0Graduated state income tax plus county rates
42	AlaskaWest	50.9	57125	72$355,000	0No state personal income tax
43	New HampshireNortheast	50.3	69113	55$470,000	0No tax on wage income, no general sales tax
44	OregonWest	48.9	69113	51$495,000	0Graduated state income tax, no general sales tax
45	MassachusettsNortheast	48.1	36145	34$610,000	100Flat state income tax with surtax on high incomes
46	New JerseyNortheast	48.1	68114	50$500,000	0Graduated state income tax with high property taxes
47	New YorkNortheast	46	57125	58$450,000	0Graduated state income tax, plus city income tax in New York City
48	WashingtonWest	41.6	66116	34$610,000	0No tax on wage income, capital gains tax on high earners
49	Washington, D.C.South	26.4	33148	33$620,000	0Graduated district income tax
50	CaliforniaWest	21.7	42139	8$785,000	0Graduated income tax with the highest top rate in the country
51	HawaiiWest	0	0180	0$840,000	0Graduated state income tax

Trust & transparency

How this ranking is maintained

How reports are created

A researcher drafts from the shared state dataset, a second researcher recomputes every composite, and an editor reviews the wording before publication.

How data is verified

A measure only enters a ranking when the same field exists for all 51 hubs. Anything partial stays a labelled placeholder.

When reports are updated

Annual reports are re-published yearly with a mid-year review. Rankings recompute with the dataset and are reviewed at least twice a year.

Known limitations

State-level figures cannot describe a specific city or neighbourhood, and several important measures are still unsourced. Each report lists its own limits.

Corrections process

Corrections are published on the report page with the date and the change, and the version history records what moved.

Reader feedback

Anyone can flag a figure through the contact page. Flagged figures are re-checked before the next review date.

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