Cost of Living by State: All 50 States and DC Ranked
Updated November 2026 · BEA Regional Price Parities 2024
Prices in California are 10.7% above the US average, while Arkansas is 13.1% below it: a 27% gap between the most and least expensive states. The widest spread is in utilities: from 70.4 in Idaho to 190.2 in Hawaii.
Most expensive states
- California110.7
- Hawaii110.0
- District of Columbia109.9
- New Jersey108.8
- New York107.9
Least expensive states
- Arkansas86.9
- Mississippi87.0
- Iowa87.8
- Oklahoma87.8
- Louisiana88.2
Full ranking
Select a column heading to sort. 100 = US average.
| 1 | California | 110.7 | 154.3 | 106.1 | 158.9 | 102.6 | $3,555 | −0.4 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 110.0 | 125.3 | 111.6 | 190.2 | 102.9 | $3,417 | −1.8 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | 109.9 | 155.0 | 106.5 | 112.8 | 103.0 | $3,646 | +0.7 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 108.8 | 134.3 | 107.1 | 114.2 | 103.5 | $3,126 | −2.4 |
| 5 | New York | 107.9 | 122.2 | 107.3 | 134.4 | 104.1 | $3,229 | −1.5 |
| 6 | Washington | 107.0 | 126.0 | 104.4 | 92.9 | 103.9 | $3,206 | −1.0 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 105.8 | 128.1 | 98.8 | 152.1 | 102.9 | $3,088 | −1.4 |
| 8 | Maryland | 105.0 | 121.1 | 102.5 | 110.9 | 101.6 | $3,081 | −0.1 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 104.2 | 114.9 | 98.6 | 133.7 | 103.9 | $2,833 | +0.2 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 103.6 | 117.0 | 97.3 | 146.5 | 102.7 | $2,854 | −0.3 |
| 11 | Florida | 103.4 | 122.1 | 98.1 | 90.1 | 101.3 | $2,965 | +3.8 |
| 12 | Oregon | 103.4 | 108.6 | 105.3 | 107.0 | 100.3 | $2,910 | −0.5 |
| 13 | Colorado | 103.1 | 127.4 | 98.7 | 85.0 | 99.6 | $3,087 | +0.6 |
| 14 | Alaska | 102.4 | 93.8 | 106.3 | 119.0 | 102.2 | $2,759 | −0.7 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 102.3 | 105.6 | 97.2 | 146.7 | 102.8 | $2,621 | −0.1 |
| 16 | Virginia | 101.1 | 106.8 | 100.4 | 92.2 | 100.2 | $2,989 | +1.1 |
| 17 | Arizona | 100.7 | 106.8 | 95.4 | 92.3 | 102.8 | $2,845 | +2.9 |
| 18 | Nevada | 100.0 | 114.1 | 96.3 | 90.5 | 98.7 | $2,793 | +1.1 |
| 19 | Illinois | 100.0 | 93.9 | 103.8 | 85.0 | 100.2 | $2,643 | +0.5 |
| 20 | Delaware | 99.8 | 102.0 | 96.2 | 103.8 | 101.2 | $2,726 | +1.0 |
| 21 | Utah | 98.9 | 107.8 | 96.4 | 78.7 | 99.0 | $2,726 | +1.6 |
| 22 | Minnesota | 98.6 | 91.3 | 100.5 | 90.8 | 100.2 | $2,675 | −0.1 |
| 23 | Vermont | 98.0 | 86.5 | 97.3 | 125.8 | 101.6 | $2,619 | −1.6 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | 97.6 | 85.1 | 99.4 | 109.3 | 99.8 | $2,557 | −0.4 |
| 25 | Texas | 97.1 | 96.5 | 98.1 | 87.5 | 97.1 | $2,702 | −1.5 |
| 26 | Maine | 97.0 | 78.9 | 97.2 | 135.2 | 103.2 | $2,510 | +1.4 |
| 27 | Georgia | 96.3 | 88.7 | 98.9 | 92.8 | 97.3 | $2,744 | +1.9 |
| 28 | Michigan | 96.2 | 82.3 | 96.0 | 100.2 | 100.9 | $2,414 | +0.9 |
| 29 | Idaho | 95.5 | 90.0 | 96.3 | 70.4 | 99.0 | $2,421 | +3.1 |
| 30 | Montana | 94.6 | 84.6 | 96.0 | 72.3 | 98.7 | $2,321 | +0.4 |
| 31 | North Carolina | 94.3 | 81.4 | 96.6 | 88.6 | 98.2 | $2,576 | +2.5 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 94.1 | 79.3 | 94.3 | 89.9 | 99.5 | $2,378 | −0.4 |
| 33 | South Carolina | 93.7 | 80.5 | 96.3 | 88.3 | 98.3 | $2,528 | +2.3 |
| 34 | Indiana | 93.3 | 73.9 | 95.5 | 85.5 | 99.1 | $2,328 | +0.5 |
| 35 | Ohio | 92.8 | 73.0 | 93.7 | 95.8 | 98.9 | $2,293 | −0.5 |
| 36 | Wyoming | 92.7 | 71.1 | 95.4 | 78.4 | 100.4 | $2,240 | −1.4 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 92.2 | 73.6 | 96.1 | 77.9 | 98.5 | $2,299 | −0.8 |
| 38 | Tennessee | 91.9 | 79.1 | 96.2 | 72.1 | 95.1 | $2,445 | +0.6 |
| 39 | Missouri | 90.8 | 69.9 | 96.3 | 79.4 | 95.2 | $2,257 | −1.7 |
| 40 | Kentucky | 90.2 | 64.3 | 96.0 | 75.3 | 97.3 | $2,213 | +0.6 |
| 41 | Nebraska | 90.1 | 75.2 | 94.1 | 75.6 | 93.0 | $2,306 | −2.4 |
| 42 | Kansas | 90.1 | 71.2 | 94.0 | 88.4 | 93.8 | $2,251 | −2.7 |
| 43 | West Virginia | 89.5 | 54.2 | 96.5 | 92.2 | 99.9 | $2,096 | +1.0 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 89.0 | 71.4 | 95.7 | 73.7 | 91.2 | $2,240 | −4.2 |
| 45 | Alabama | 88.8 | 61.8 | 96.4 | 84.6 | 96.7 | $2,234 | +0.5 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 88.6 | 67.6 | 95.5 | 79.7 | 91.9 | $2,215 | −3.2 |
| 47 | Louisiana | 88.2 | 63.1 | 93.7 | 71.5 | 95.7 | $2,261 | −3.0 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | 87.8 | 62.8 | 93.8 | 73.9 | 95.5 | $2,208 | −1.5 |
| 49 | Iowa | 87.8 | 65.3 | 93.7 | 83.3 | 92.9 | $2,166 | −4.0 |
| 50 | Mississippi | 87.0 | 56.5 | 96.2 | 78.4 | 96.1 | $2,151 | +0.4 |
| 51 | Arkansas | 86.9 | 58.2 | 93.6 | 74.7 | 95.3 | $2,100 | −0.8 |
“Change since 2019” is the change in index points between 2019 and 2024, relative to the US average in each year.
Sub-index leaders
| Category | Most expensive | Index | Least expensive | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (rents) | District of Columbia | 155.0 | West Virginia | 54.2 |
| Goods | Hawaii | 111.6 | Arkansas | 93.6 |
| Utilities | Hawaii | 190.2 | Idaho | 70.4 |
| Other services | New York | 104.1 | North Dakota | 91.2 |
Biggest changes since 2019
Became relatively more expensive
- Florida+3.8 pts
- Idaho+3.1 pts
- Arizona+2.9 pts
- North Carolina+2.5 pts
- South Carolina+2.3 pts
Became relatively cheaper
- North Dakota−4.2 pts
- Iowa−4.0 pts
- South Dakota−3.2 pts
- Louisiana−3.0 pts
- Kansas−2.7 pts
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the highest cost of living?
California, with a price index of 110.7 (US = 100), followed by Hawaii (110.0) and District of Columbia (109.9). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
Which state has the lowest cost of living?
Arkansas (86.9), then Mississippi (87.0) and Iowa (87.8).
Which state has the most expensive housing?
District of Columbia has the highest housing (rents) price parity at 155.0; West Virginia has the lowest at 54.2.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2019–2024. Budgets: CostLiving.org model (see methodology).