Cost of Living by State — 2026 Data

Data: 2026-Q2 · BLS · HUD · KFF

Cost of living index for every U.S. state, where the national average equals 100. Below 100 is cheaper than average; above 100 is more expensive.

Mississippi has the lowest cost of living index at 83; Hawaii the highest at 184.

StateCOL Indexvs National
Mississippi83-17%
West Virginia83-17%
Arkansas85-15%
Alabama87-13%
Kansas87-13%
Indiana88-12%
Iowa88-12%
Kentucky88-12%
Missouri88-12%
Oklahoma88-12%
Michigan89-11%
Ohio89-11%
Louisiana90-10%
Nebraska90-10%
New Mexico90-10%
Tennessee90-10%
Georgia93-7%
Texas93-7%
Wisconsin93-7%
Illinois95-5%
Wyoming95-5%
North Carolina96-4%
South Carolina96-4%
South Dakota96-4%
Pennsylvania97-3%
Minnesota98-2%
North Dakota98-2%
Idaho99-1%
Arizona102+2%
Florida102+2%
Montana102+2%
Utah102+2%
Delaware103+3%
Nevada103+3%
Virginia103+3%
Colorado107+7%
Maine107+7%
Rhode Island108+8%
Connecticut113+13%
New Hampshire113+13%
Oregon113+13%
Vermont113+13%
Maryland118+18%
Washington119+19%
New Jersey121+21%
Alaska127+27%
New York139+39%
Massachusetts150+50%
California151+51%
Hawaii184+84%

Source: C2ER Cost of Living Index.

Cite this data

← All statistics

Income Reality Check is an educational tool, not financial advice. Your situation has more dimensions than any tool can capture.