Prices differ a lot from state to state, mostly because of housing. In 2024, the most expensive state, California, had prices 10.7% above the national average, while the least expensive, Arkansas, was 13.1% below it. That means the same paycheck buys about 27% more in Arkansas than in California. This page ranks all 50 states and D.C. using the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’s Regional Price Parities, the official government measure of price levels by state.
Map: price levels by state
Each square shows the state’s overall price level for 2024, where 100 is the national average. Red states are more expensive than average, blue states cheaper. Select a state to open its guide or its paycheck calculator.
Overall price level in 2024, U.S. = 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by State.
Compare a salary between two states
Enter a salary and two states to see what it takes to keep the same standard of living after a move. This adjusts for prices only; use our Paycheck Calculator to compare taxes.
Cost of living by state, 2024
Select a column heading to sort. “Overall” covers all consumer spending; “Rents” covers housing rents only. The last column shows what a $75,000 income is worth at national average prices.
| Alabama | 88.8 | 61.8 | $84,459 | 45 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 102.4 | 93.8 | $73,242 | 14 |
| Arizona | 100.7 | 106.8 | $74,479 | 17 |
| Arkansas | 86.9 | 58.2 | $86,306 | 51 |
| California | 110.7 | 154.3 | $67,751 | 1 |
| Colorado | 103.1 | 127.4 | $72,745 | 13 |
| Connecticut | 103.6 | 117.0 | $72,394 | 10 |
| Delaware | 99.8 | 102.0 | $75,150 | 20 |
| District of Columbia | 109.9 | 155.0 | $68,244 | 3 |
| Florida | 103.4 | 122.1 | $72,534 | 11 |
| Georgia | 96.3 | 88.7 | $77,882 | 27 |
| Hawaii | 110.0 | 125.3 | $68,182 | 2 |
| Idaho | 95.5 | 90.0 | $78,534 | 29 |
| Illinois | 100.0 | 93.9 | $75,000 | 18 |
| Indiana | 93.3 | 73.9 | $80,386 | 34 |
| Iowa | 87.8 | 65.3 | $85,421 | 48 |
| Kansas | 90.1 | 71.2 | $83,241 | 41 |
| Kentucky | 90.2 | 64.3 | $83,149 | 40 |
| Louisiana | 88.2 | 63.1 | $85,034 | 47 |
| Maine | 97.1 | 78.9 | $77,240 | 25 |
| Maryland | 105.0 | 121.1 | $71,429 | 8 |
| Massachusetts | 105.8 | 128.1 | $70,888 | 7 |
| Michigan | 96.2 | 82.3 | $77,963 | 28 |
| Minnesota | 98.6 | 91.3 | $76,065 | 22 |
| Mississippi | 87.0 | 56.5 | $86,207 | 50 |
| Missouri | 90.8 | 69.9 | $82,599 | 39 |
| Montana | 94.6 | 84.6 | $79,281 | 30 |
| Nebraska | 90.1 | 75.2 | $83,241 | 41 |
| Nevada | 100.0 | 114.1 | $75,000 | 18 |
| New Hampshire | 104.2 | 114.9 | $71,977 | 9 |
| New Jersey | 108.8 | 134.3 | $68,934 | 4 |
| New Mexico | 92.2 | 73.6 | $81,345 | 37 |
| New York | 107.9 | 122.2 | $69,509 | 5 |
| North Carolina | 94.3 | 81.4 | $79,533 | 31 |
| North Dakota | 89.0 | 71.4 | $84,270 | 44 |
| Ohio | 92.8 | 73.0 | $80,819 | 35 |
| Oklahoma | 87.8 | 62.8 | $85,421 | 48 |
| Oregon | 103.4 | 108.6 | $72,534 | 11 |
| Pennsylvania | 97.6 | 85.1 | $76,844 | 24 |
| Rhode Island | 102.3 | 105.6 | $73,314 | 15 |
| South Carolina | 93.7 | 80.5 | $80,043 | 33 |
| South Dakota | 88.6 | 67.6 | $84,650 | 46 |
| Tennessee | 91.9 | 79.1 | $81,610 | 38 |
| Texas | 97.1 | 96.5 | $77,240 | 25 |
| Utah | 98.9 | 107.8 | $75,834 | 21 |
| Vermont | 98.0 | 86.5 | $76,531 | 23 |
| Virginia | 101.1 | 106.8 | $74,184 | 16 |
| Washington | 107.0 | 126.0 | $70,093 | 6 |
| West Virginia | 89.5 | 54.2 | $83,799 | 43 |
| Wisconsin | 94.1 | 79.3 | $79,702 | 32 |
| Wyoming | 92.7 | 71.1 | $80,906 | 36 |
Rank 1 is the most expensive. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by State, 2024, released February 19, 2026. U.S. = 100.
Why prices differ: it is mostly housing
The prices of goods such as food, cars and clothing vary relatively little across the country, because they are traded nationally. Rents are a different story. In D.C. and California, rents are more than 50% above the national average; in West Virginia, Mississippi and Arkansas they are more than 40% below it. Since housing is the largest item in most budgets, it drives most of the gap in overall prices.
Prices also vary within states. Large metro areas are usually much more expensive than rural areas in the same state, so a state’s figure is an average across very different places. Moving from Austin to rural West Texas, or from New York City to Buffalo, can change your costs as much as moving between states.
Prices and taxes together
Price levels do not include income taxes, which can widen or narrow the gap. Texas and Florida combine moderate prices with no state income tax; California and New York combine high prices with high income taxes. Pennsylvania has prices slightly below average and a low flat income tax, but adds local wage taxes.
| State | Price level | Take-home pay on $75,000 | Take-home pay at U.S. prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 97.1 | $61,593 | $63,433 |
| Florida | 103.4 | $61,593 | $59,568 |
| Pennsylvania | 97.6 | $59,291 | $60,749 |
| New York | 107.9 | $58,140 | $53,883 |
| California | 110.7 | $57,830 | $52,240 |
Take-home pay for a single filer with no pre-tax deductions in 2026, from our Paycheck Calculator; New York excludes New York City tax and Pennsylvania excludes local wage taxes. “At U.S. prices” divides take-home pay by the state’s price level.
Read more in our state guides: California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas.
How these numbers are measured
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are published every year by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. They compare the average price level of all goods and services that households buy in each state with the national average, using price data from the Consumer Price Index and rent data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. An RPP of 110 means prices are 10% higher than the national average; 90 means 10% lower.
RPPs are the best official comparison between states, but they have limits. They describe the average household, not yours; they lag by more than a year; and they do not count taxes, insurance premiums that vary by region, or the cost of owning rather than renting a home in detail.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive state to live in?
California, with an overall price level of 110.7 in 2024, followed by Hawaii (110.0), the District of Columbia (109.9), New Jersey (108.8) and New York (107.9).
What is the cheapest state to live in?
Arkansas, at 86.9, followed by Mississippi (87.0), Iowa and Oklahoma (both 87.8) and Louisiana (88.2).
How many states are more expensive than average?
16 states and D.C. have price levels above 100; 32 are below, and Illinois and Nevada are at the national average.
How much do I need to earn after a move?
Multiply your salary by the new state’s price level and divide by the old state’s. For example, $75,000 in Texas (97.1) is about $85,500 in California (110.7). The calculator above does this for any two states.
Last updated: November 5, 2026.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: Real Personal Consumption Expenditures and Real Personal Income by State, 2024 (news release, February 19, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: News release page
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED: Regional Price Parities by state (BEA data)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: Regional Price Parities by State and Metro Area