The real measure of affordability: cost of living divided by median income. See which states give you the best value.
| # | State | COL/Income Ratio ▲ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | 0.7 | $77,700 | 97 | A+ | |
| #2 | Colorado | 0.8 | $80,200 | 105 | A | |
| #3 | Illinois | 0.8 | $72,200 | 93 | A | |
| #4 | Maryland | 0.8 | $90,200 | 118 | A | |
| #5 | Michigan | 0.8 | $63,400 | 89 | A | |
| #6 | Nebraska | 0.8 | $66,500 | 91 | A | |
| #7 | New Hampshire | 0.8 | $83,300 | 112 | A | |
| #8 | New Jersey | 0.8 | $87,700 | 121 | A | |
| #9 | Pennsylvania | 0.8 | $67,600 | 94 | A | |
| #10 | Texas | 0.8 | $67,300 | 93 | A | |
| #11 | Utah | 0.8 | $75,600 | 103 | A | |
| #12 | Virginia | 0.8 | $80,600 | 103 | A | |
| #13 | Washington | 0.8 | $82,100 | 115 | A | |
| #14 | Alabama | 0.9 | $56,200 | 87 | B+ | |
| #15 | Arizona | 0.9 | $65,600 | 103 | B+ | |
| #16 | Connecticut | 0.9 | $83,800 | 121 | B+ | |
| #17 | Delaware | 0.9 | $69,100 | 102 | B+ | |
| #18 | Georgia | 0.9 | $63,400 | 93 | B+ | |
| #19 | Idaho | 0.9 | $62,300 | 97 | B+ | |
| #20 | Indiana | 0.9 | $58,600 | 90 | B+ | |
| #21 | Iowa | 0.9 | $63,200 | 90 | B+ | |
| #22 | Kansas | 0.9 | $62,100 | 89 | B+ | |
| #23 | Kentucky | 0.9 | $55,600 | 87 | B+ | |
| #24 | Massachusetts | 0.9 | $89,700 | 135 | B+ | |
| #25 | Missouri | 0.9 | $61,000 | 88 | B+ | |
| #26 | North Carolina | 0.9 | $61,000 | 95 | B+ | |
| #27 | North Dakota | 0.9 | $64,800 | 93 | B+ | |
| #28 | Ohio | 0.9 | $59,300 | 89 | B+ | |
| #29 | Oklahoma | 0.9 | $55,800 | 86 | B+ | |
| #30 | Rhode Island | 0.9 | $71,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #31 | South Dakota | 0.9 | $62,100 | 91 | B+ | |
| #32 | Tennessee | 0.9 | $59,700 | 91 | B+ | |
| #33 | Wisconsin | 0.9 | $64,800 | 93 | B+ | |
| #34 | Wyoming | 0.9 | $65,000 | 95 | B+ | |
| #35 | Alaska | 1 | $77,800 | 127 | B | |
| #36 | Arkansas | 1 | $52,100 | 84 | B | |
| #37 | California | 1 | $84,900 | 142 | B | |
| #38 | Florida | 1 | $63,100 | 103 | B | |
| #39 | Louisiana | 1 | $52,300 | 91 | B | |
| #40 | Maine | 1 | $63,200 | 109 | B | |
| #41 | Montana | 1 | $60,600 | 103 | B | |
| #42 | Nevada | 1 | $64,200 | 104 | B | |
| #43 | New Mexico | 1 | $53,000 | 91 | B | |
| #44 | Oregon | 1 | $71,200 | 113 | B | |
| #45 | South Carolina | 1 | $56,200 | 92 | B | |
| #46 | Vermont | 1 | $63,400 | 110 | B | |
| #47 | Mississippi | 1.1 | $46,500 | 83 | C | |
| #48 | New York | 1.1 | $75,900 | 139 | C | |
| #49 | West Virginia | 1.1 | $48,000 | 84 | C | |
| #50 | Hawaii | 1.3 | $84,900 | 190 | F |
Based on our analysis of value for money across all 50 states, Minnesota ranks #1 with 0.7, while Hawaii ranks last at 1.3. The national average is 1.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: 0.6. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your value for money. Use our cost of living calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
Minnesota ranks #1 with 0.7. Colorado and Illinois round out the top 3.
Hawaii ranks last (#50) with 1.3. West Virginia and New York are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is 1. The median is 0.9.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.