The Financial Reality of
Living in America.
Compare cost of living, median salaries, rent and taxes across all 50 U.S. states and hundreds of cities. Real numbers. Updated automatically.
What Does It Really Cost to Live in the United States?
The cost of living varies dramatically by state — a household earning $80,734/yr in Mississippi lives very differently than in California or New York, where median 2BR rent alone can exceed $2,500/mo. LifeIndex gives you housing, salaries, taxes & gas prices for all 50 states — real numbers, updated 2026.
19 Data Categories — All 50 States
From cost of living and salaries to credit card rates and housing data — every category shows latest numbers for 2026 and updates automatically.
Cost of Living by State — All 50 States
Tap any state to compare cost of living — housing, rent, salary, taxes and more. State-based calculations only.
The cost of living varies widely across the United States. Texas and Florida are known for no state income tax, while California and New York rank among the most expensive. West Virginia and Mississippi consistently offer the lowest housing costs and overall cost of living in the country.
U.S. Cost of Living — Key Facts 2026
A snapshot of the major financial indicators that determine what life costs in America today.
Housing & Rent
The national median home value is $272,900 (2026), but variation is huge. In California the median is $695,400, while in West Virginia it's $155,600. Average two-bedroom rent is $1,389/mo (2026) — but in San Francisco, Boston or New York that same unit can cost $3,000–$5,000/mo. View full housing data →
Salaries & Income
The U.S. median household income is $80,734/yr (2026), but purchasing power varies by state. Maryland ($103,678) and Massachusetts ($103,960) are the highest, while Mississippi ($56,447) and West Virginia ($59,608) are the lowest. View salary data by state →
Taxes by State
Nine U.S. states — including Texas, Florida, and Nevada — charge no state income tax, making them popular destinations for high-income households and retirees. At the other extreme, California has a top marginal rate of 13.3% — the highest in the country. Property tax also varies greatly: New Jersey averages 2.23% of home value annually, while Hawaii averages just 0.28%. Compare taxes by state →
Economy & Jobs
The U.S. national unemployment rate is 4.2%, but state rates range from under 2% in North Dakota and South Dakota to above 5% on the coasts. The 30-year mortgage stands at 7.4%, directly impacting affordability. View economic indicators →
Popular Searches & Comparisons
The most frequently asked questions about U.S. cost of living, salaries and housing. Explore the data behind each topic.
What state has the lowest cost of living in the U.S.?
Mississippi, West Virginia and Arkansas consistently rank as the most affordable. Mississippi median home value is $161,400, West Virginia $155,600 (2026) — the lowest in the country. View full affordability rankings →
Which states have no income tax in 2026?
Nine states currently charge no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Keep in mind these states often make up for lost revenue through higher property taxes or sales taxes. Compare all state tax rates →
What is the average salary in the United States in 2026?
The U.S. median household income is $80,734/yr (2026). Maryland ($103,678) and Massachusetts ($103,960) are highest, Mississippi ($56,447) lowest. View salary by state & occupation →
Is it cheaper to live in Texas or California?
Texas is significantly cheaper than California — median home Texas $260,400 vs California $695,400 (2026). Texas has no income tax, California tops at 13.3%. California tech salaries are higher, but Texas property tax is steeper. Compare side by side →
What LifeIndexData covers
This page is the entry point for official U.S. data across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Every figure on this site comes directly from a federal statistical agency — the Census Bureau for population, income and housing, the Department of Housing and Urban Development for rent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics for wages and employment, Freddie Mac for mortgage rates and the Energy Information Administration for fuel — and each one refreshes on that agency's own release schedule.
The site is organised so you can move from a national picture to a state one without changing definitions. Cost of living, median income, population, rent, home values and tax rates are each broken out for 52 reporting areas using identical methodology, so a comparison between two states is a comparison of the two places rather than of two differently-built pages.
Scale matters when reading state numbers. The most recent Census estimate puts the 50 states plus D.C. at roughly $335,642,425 people, and that population is distributed very unevenly. Median household income ranges from $26,297 in Puerto Rico to $109,870 in District of Columbia, while median home value runs from $124,600 to $808,200. Those two ranges do not line up, and where they diverge is exactly where a state-level average misleads. The county tables on each state page exist for precisely this reason.
Nothing here is modelled, smoothed or estimated by LifeIndexData. Where an agency publishes a figure, that figure is shown with its observation date; where the agency has not published yet, the page says so rather than carrying a stale number forward. The cost of living page documents how the components are combined and which survey year each one comes from.
If you already have two places in mind, the side-by-side comparison tool builds a single table from the same datasets, so both columns always use the same definition, the same calculation and the same survey year.
Frequently asked questions
What data does this page show?
Free U.S. cost of living data - median salaries, rent, housing prices, taxes and economic indicators for all 50 states and major cities. Updated automatically.
How current are these figures?
Each figure carries its own measurement period and last successful refresh. Weekly series (mortgage, gas) show a week date; annual estimates (ACS, HUD) show a survey or program year; daily series (S&P 500, Treasury) show a trading date. A figure is flagged when the source has missed its normal cycle. Full vintage list: <a href="/disclaimer">Disclaimer</a>.
Where do the numbers come from?
Official U.S. government sources only — Census ACS, BLS, HUD, Freddie Mac PMMS, EIA, FRED. LifeIndexData is independent and free: not affiliated with, sponsored by, or compensated by any lender, and advertising never affects our data. Source table: <a href="/about">About</a>.
Is this financial advice?
No. Informational only — see the <a href="/disclaimer">Disclaimer</a>.