The 50 most expensive states ranked by cost of living. From Hawaii to Mississippi — see where your state falls.
| # | State | COL Index ▼ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Hawaii | 190 | $84,900 | 190 | A+ | |
| #2 | California | 142 | $84,900 | 142 | B+ | |
| #3 | New York | 139 | $75,900 | 139 | B | |
| #4 | Massachusetts | 135 | $89,700 | 135 | B | |
| #5 | Alaska | 127 | $77,800 | 127 | B | |
| #6 | Connecticut | 121 | $83,800 | 121 | C | |
| #7 | New Jersey | 121 | $87,700 | 121 | C | |
| #8 | Maryland | 118 | $90,200 | 118 | C | |
| #9 | Washington | 115 | $82,100 | 115 | C | |
| #10 | Oregon | 113 | $71,200 | 113 | C | |
| #11 | New Hampshire | 112 | $83,300 | 112 | C | |
| #12 | Vermont | 110 | $63,400 | 110 | C | |
| #13 | Maine | 109 | $63,200 | 109 | D | |
| #14 | Rhode Island | 109 | $71,200 | 109 | D | |
| #15 | Colorado | 105 | $80,200 | 105 | D | |
| #16 | Nevada | 104 | $64,200 | 104 | D | |
| #17 | Arizona | 103 | $65,600 | 103 | D | |
| #18 | Florida | 103 | $63,100 | 103 | D | |
| #19 | Montana | 103 | $60,600 | 103 | D | |
| #20 | Utah | 103 | $75,600 | 103 | D | |
| #21 | Virginia | 103 | $80,600 | 103 | D | |
| #22 | Delaware | 102 | $69,100 | 102 | D | |
| #23 | Idaho | 97 | $62,300 | 97 | D | |
| #24 | Minnesota | 97 | $77,700 | 97 | D | |
| #25 | North Carolina | 95 | $61,000 | 95 | D | |
| #26 | Wyoming | 95 | $65,000 | 95 | D | |
| #27 | Pennsylvania | 94 | $67,600 | 94 | D | |
| #28 | Georgia | 93 | $63,400 | 93 | F | |
| #29 | Illinois | 93 | $72,200 | 93 | F | |
| #30 | North Dakota | 93 | $64,800 | 93 | F | |
| #31 | Texas | 93 | $67,300 | 93 | F | |
| #32 | Wisconsin | 93 | $64,800 | 93 | F | |
| #33 | South Carolina | 92 | $56,200 | 92 | F | |
| #34 | Louisiana | 91 | $52,300 | 91 | F | |
| #35 | Nebraska | 91 | $66,500 | 91 | F | |
| #36 | New Mexico | 91 | $53,000 | 91 | F | |
| #37 | South Dakota | 91 | $62,100 | 91 | F | |
| #38 | Tennessee | 91 | $59,700 | 91 | F | |
| #39 | Indiana | 90 | $58,600 | 90 | F | |
| #40 | Iowa | 90 | $63,200 | 90 | F | |
| #41 | Kansas | 89 | $62,100 | 89 | F | |
| #42 | Michigan | 89 | $63,400 | 89 | F | |
| #43 | Ohio | 89 | $59,300 | 89 | F | |
| #44 | Missouri | 88 | $61,000 | 88 | F | |
| #45 | Alabama | 87 | $56,200 | 87 | F | |
| #46 | Kentucky | 87 | $55,600 | 87 | F | |
| #47 | Oklahoma | 86 | $55,800 | 86 | F | |
| #48 | Arkansas | 84 | $52,100 | 84 | F | |
| #49 | West Virginia | 84 | $48,000 | 84 | F | |
| #50 | Mississippi | 83 | $46,500 | 83 | F |
Based on our analysis of high cost of living across all 50 states, Hawaii ranks #1 with 190, while Mississippi ranks last at 83. The national average is 102.
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: 107. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your high cost of living. Use our cost of living calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
Hawaii ranks #1 with 190. California and New York round out the top 3.
Mississippi ranks last (#50) with 83. West Virginia and Arkansas are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is 102. The median is 95.
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.