Cheapest US states by cost of living

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All 51 states (+DC) ranked by MERIC cost-of-living index. Cheapest first.

The MERIC composite index combines housing, groceries, utilities, transport, healthcare, and miscellaneous costs. US average = 100.

Cheapest tier (under 90): Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, West Virginia, Alabama, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas. These states deliver the most house and the lowest grocery bills per dollar of income.

Note: low cost of living often correlates with lower wages and fewer jobs — the trade-off matters depending on whether you're working, retired, or location-independent.

1Mississippi86.1-13.9 vs US
2Oklahoma86.3-13.7 vs US
3Kansas87.7-12.3 vs US
4West Virginia87.7-12.3 vs US
5Alabama88.1-11.9 vs US
6Missouri88.6-11.4 vs US
7Arkansas89.0-11.0 vs US
8Iowa89.4-10.6 vs US
9Tennessee90.2-9.8 vs US
10Louisiana90.5-9.5 vs US
11Michigan90.6-9.4 vs US
12Nebraska90.7-9.3 vs US
13Illinois90.8-9.2 vs US
14Georgia91.0-9.0 vs US
15Indiana91.5-8.5 vs US
16Kentucky91.7-8.3 vs US
17New Mexico92.0-8.0 vs US
18South Dakota92.4-7.6 vs US
19Wyoming92.4-7.6 vs US
20Texas92.7-7.3 vs US
21Ohio92.9-7.1 vs US
22North Dakota93.0-7.0 vs US
23Minnesota94.7-5.3 vs US
24Pennsylvania94.7-5.3 vs US
25Wisconsin95.2-4.8 vs US
26South Carolina95.3-4.7 vs US
27North Carolina95.7-4.3 vs US
28Idaho99.0-1.0 vs US
29Delaware100.6+0.6 vs US
30Nevada101.3+1.3 vs US
31Virginia101.6+1.6 vs US
32Arizona102.3+2.3 vs US
33Utah102.3+2.3 vs US
34Florida103.1+3.1 vs US
35Montana104.7+4.7 vs US
36Colorado105.2+5.2 vs US
37Rhode Island110.8+10.8 vs US
38Connecticut111.8+11.8 vs US
39Maine113.1+13.1 vs US
40New Jersey113.4+13.4 vs US
41Oregon113.4+13.4 vs US
42New Hampshire114.1+14.1 vs US
43Vermont114.6+14.6 vs US
44Washington116.0+16.0 vs US
45Maryland116.5+16.5 vs US
46New York125.1+25.1 vs US
47Alaska127.1+27.1 vs US
48California142.2+42.2 vs US
49Massachusetts144.3+44.3 vs US
50District of Columbia145.6+45.6 vs US
51Hawaii186.9+86.9 vs US

Source: MERIC Q4 2024 Cost of Living Index. US average = 100. Each state link goes to its full tax + retirement overview.