America's Cost Of Living Showdown
Ever wondered where your paycheck stretches the furthest—or disappears the fastest? Well, you’re in the right place. Using the Q1 2025 Cost of Living Index (COLI) from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), we’ve ranked every U.S. state from the cheapest to the most expensive.
A COLI score below 100 means your dollar goes further than the national average; above 100 means you’ll be paying more for everyday life. Each slide shows the COLI, plus four key expense categories—housing, groceries, utilities, and transportation—along with a quick insight into what makes the state affordable… or painfully pricey.
Let's begin...
50: Oklahoma
COLI: 85.5
Housing: 70.5 | Groceries: 95.7 | Utilities: 94.7 | Transportation: 86.7
Rock-bottom housing and reasonable utility rates make Oklahoma the most affordable state in America.
49: Mississippi
COLI: 87.3
Housing: 72.5 | Groceries: 95.9 | Utilities: 89.7 | Transportation: 89.5
The cheapest housing market in the country keeps Mississippi firmly at the low-cost end.
48: Alabama
COLI: 87.6
Housing: 69.1 | Groceries: 97.6 | Utilities: 98.8 | Transportation: 91.9
Extremely affordable housing offsets average costs in other categories.
WeaponizingArchitecture, Wikimedia Commons
47: Missouri
COLI: 88.0
Housing: 74.8 | Groceries: 96.7 | Utilities: 97.5 | Transportation: 87.2
Missouri’s balanced affordability keeps it in the top five cheapest states.
Daniel Schwen, Wikimedia Commons
46: West Virginia
COLI: 88.6
Housing: 71.6 | Groceries: 96.7 | Utilities: 92.2 | Transportation: 96.0
One of the lowest housing indexes in the nation anchors West Virginia’s affordability.
Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant), Wikimedia Commons
45: Iowa
COLI: 89.6
Housing: 77.7 | Groceries: 95.7 | Utilities: 89.5 | Transportation: 95.5
Affordable homes and utilities make Iowa a wallet-friendly choice.
Billwhittaker (talk), Wikimedia Commons
44: Kansas
COLI: 89.7
Housing: 75.6 | Groceries: 96.5 | Utilities: 100.4 | Transportation: 90.2
Low housing costs counterbalance slightly higher utility rates.
Pam Broviak from Geneva, IL, USA, Wikimedia Commons
43: Michigan
COLI: 89.8
Housing: 73.9 | Groceries: 98.9 | Utilities: 97.4 | Transportation: 100.6
Budget-friendly housing keeps Michigan near the bottom for living costs.
Crisco 1492, Wikimedia Commons
42: Tennessee
COLI: 90.0
Housing: 81.5 | Groceries: 96.7 | Utilities: 87.9 | Transportation: 89.3
Affordable utilities and transportation help keep Tennessee cheap.
41: Arkansas
COLI: 90.5
Housing: 79.2 | Groceries: 95.1 | Utilities: 92.2 | Transportation: 92.4
Housing and groceries both trend well below the national average.
40: North Dakota
COLI: 90.8
Housing: 76.9 | Groceries: 97.2 | Utilities: 84.6 | Transportation: 97.6
Low utility costs help North Dakota stay affordable.
Ron Reiring, Wikimedia Commons
39: Indiana
COLI: 90.8
Housing: 76.0 | Groceries: 98.0 | Utilities: 94.2 | Transportation: 99.4
Budget housing is the main reason Indiana stays well below the national average.
Carol M. Highsmith, Wikimedia Commons
38: Kentucky
COLI: 91.7
Housing: 75.0 | Groceries: 99.7 | Utilities: 87.3 | Transportation: 95.2
Low housing costs make up for slightly pricier groceries.
Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons
37: Georgia
COLI: 91.7
Housing: 79.7 | Groceries: 97.7 | Utilities: 102.6 | Transportation: 97.6
Utilities are a bit high, but housing keeps Georgia affordable.
known per ticket, Wikimedia Commons
36: Texas
COLI: 91.8
Housing: 80.0 | Groceries: 95.8 | Utilities: 103.3 | Transportation: 92.1
Texas benefits from reasonable housing despite higher utilities.
BenjaminMonroy, Wikimedia Commons
35: Nebraska
COLI: 92.4
Housing: 78.6 | Groceries: 98.9 | Utilities: 90.0 | Transportation: 95.0
Affordable housing and utilities keep Nebraska costs low.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
34: Louisiana
COLI: 93.2
Housing: 84.0 | Groceries: 96.7 | Utilities: 81.4 | Transportation: 97.7
Utilities are significantly cheaper here than the national average.
Michael Maples, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wikimedia Commons
33: Minnesota
COLI: 93.7
Housing: 79.8 | Groceries: 100.7 | Utilities: 95.4 | Transportation: 96.1
Housing offsets slightly expensive groceries.
32: New Mexico
COLI: 94.2
Housing: 90.2 | Groceries: 97.9 | Utilities: 84.1 | Transportation: 92.5
Cheap utilities are a big cost-saving factor in New Mexico.
Ron Reiring, Wikimedia Commons
31: South Carolina
COLI: 94.6
Housing: 84.9 | Groceries: 98.9 | Utilities: 96.3 | Transportation: 96.1
Housing and utilities make South Carolina an affordable southern option.
Akhenaton06, Wikimedia Commons
30: Illinois
COLI: 94.7
Housing: 84.8 | Groceries: 98.5 | Utilities: 97.3 | Transportation: 100.0
Low housing keeps Illinois cheaper than its neighbors.
Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons
29: Ohio
COLI: 95.1
Housing: 86.7 | Groceries: 99.6 | Utilities: 97.1 | Transportation: 99.9
Ohio’s housing market is the main affordability driver.
Pi.1415926535, Wikimedia Commons
28: Montana
COLI: 96.4
Housing: 92.4 | Groceries: 104.5 | Utilities: 80.4 | Transportation: 98.5
Low utilities offset higher grocery costs.
James St. John, Wikimedia Commons
27: Wyoming
COLI: 97.0
Housing: 91.2 | Groceries: 101.9 | Utilities: 90.3 | Transportation: 91.8
Affordable utilities and transport balance out grocery prices.
Vasiliymeshko, Wikimedia Commons
26: South Dakota
COLI: 97.3
Housing: 94.9 | Groceries: 103.4 | Utilities: 87.5 | Transportation: 100.2
Groceries run higher than average, but utilities are very affordable.
25: Pennsylvania
COLI: 97.5
Housing: 86.8 | Groceries: 97.4 | Utilities: 108.5 | Transportation: 104.5
High utilities and transport offset Pennsylvania’s cheap housing.
24: North Carolina
COLI: 97.8
Housing: 94.9 | Groceries: 97.7 | Utilities: 94.7 | Transportation: 92.9
Balanced, affordable costs keep North Carolina below the national average.
Harrison Keely, Wikimedia Commons
23: Nevada
COLI: 99.5
Housing: 111.3 | Groceries: 102.9 | Utilities: 88.7 | Transportation: 114.4
Cheaper utilities help balance expensive housing and transport.
Don Ramey Logan, Wikimedia Commons
22: Wisconsin
COLI: 99.5
Housing: 99.7 | Groceries: 99.6 | Utilities: 92.4 | Transportation: 99.7
Wisconsin sits right at the national average across categories.
21: Utah
COLI: 100.5
Housing: 110.8 | Groceries: 98.1 | Utilities: 84.4 | Transportation: 102.1
Low utilities help balance costly housing.
Ron Reiring, Wikimedia Commons
20: Virginia
COLI: 101.4
Housing: 105.2 | Groceries: 98.9 | Utilities: 98.4 | Transportation: 94.7
Virginia edges above the national average mainly due to housing.
19: Idaho
COLI: 102.0
Housing: 100.2 | Groceries: 104.4 | Utilities: 73.9 | Transportation: 105.3
Lowest utilities in the U.S. offset higher grocery and transport costs.
Jyoni Shuler, Wikimedia Commons
18: Florida
COLI: 102.0
Housing: 106.0 | Groceries: 105.1 | Utilities: 99.3 | Transportation: 101.2
Florida’s sunny lifestyle comes with above-average housing and grocery prices.
Clément Bardot, Wikimedia Commons
17: Delaware
COLI: 103.5
Housing: 101.4 | Groceries: 100.1 | Utilities: 99.4 | Transportation: 100.0
Across-the-board average costs push Delaware just above 100.
Tim Kiser (User:Malepheasant), Wikimedia Commons
16: Colorado
COLI: 104.0
Housing: 111.4 | Groceries: 102.6 | Utilities: 88.3 | Transportation: 98.1
Expensive housing is Colorado’s main cost driver.
15: Rhode Island
COLI: 109.3
Housing: 111.1 | Groceries: 99.0 | Utilities: 137.5 | Transportation: 96.7
Some of the highest utility costs in the U.S.
Kenneth C. Zirkel, Wikimedia Commons
14: New Hampshire
COLI: 110.1
Housing: 116.2 | Groceries: 98.8 | Utilities: 120.7 | Transportation: 103.0
Utilities and housing are both well above average.
13: Washington
COLI: 112.0
Housing: 116.8 | Groceries: 108.2 | Utilities: 96.7 | Transportation: 122.4
Transportation and housing dominate Washington’s high costs.
Carol M. Highsmith, Wikimedia Commons
12: Arizona
COLI: 112.5
Housing: 134.8 | Groceries: 102.5 | Utilities: 106.4 | Transportation: 104.5
Tight housing markets push Arizona’s costs higher.
unknown; cleaned up, rotated and levels adjustment by Howcheng., Wikimedia Commons
11: Oregon
COLI: 112.7
Housing: 131.2 | Groceries: 105.1 | Utilities: 94.7 | Transportation: 114.7
High housing and transport costs are key drivers here.
Bob Heims, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wikimedia Commons
10: Maine
COLI: 113.4
Housing: 133.2 | Groceries: 100.3 | Utilities: 119.8 | Transportation: 104.3
Utilities and housing lift Maine into the top 10.
Alex Boykov, Wikimedia Commons
9: Connecticut
COLI: 113.5
Housing: 120.6 | Groceries: 101.5 | Utilities: 137.6 | Transportation: 103.1
Utility bills make Connecticut a costly place to live.
8: Vermont
COLI: 113.7
Housing: 130.7 | Groceries: 106.4 | Utilities: 114.5 | Transportation: 101.2
Housing, groceries, and utilities all trend high.
No machine-readable author provided. Cham assumed (based on copyright claims)., Wikimedia Commons
7: New Jersey
COLI: 114.8
Housing: 143.3 | Groceries: 102.6 | Utilities: 102.1 | Transportation: 101.4
Housing is New Jersey’s biggest cost burden.
King of Hearts, Wikimedia Commons
6: Maryland
COLI: 114.9
Housing: 133.8 | Groceries: 105.1 | Utilities: 114.4 | Transportation: 103.6
Housing and utilities near D.C. push costs up.
supermoving from Watford, UK, Wikimedia Commons
5: New York
COLI: 124.7
Housing: 174.2 | Groceries: 104.1 | Utilities: 100.2 | Transportation: 108.7
New York’s housing market drives much of its expense.
Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons
4: Alaska
COLI: 127.3
Housing: 131.2 | Groceries: 130.3 | Utilities: 132.1 | Transportation: 115.3
Remote living means higher costs for almost everything.
Jack Connaher, Wikimedia Commons
3: California
COLI: 141.6
Housing: 197.8 | Groceries: 108.8 | Utilities: 140.7 | Transportation: 138.7
Among the priciest housing and utility costs in the country.
Marshall Astor from San Pedro, United States, Wikimedia Commons
2: Massachusetts
COLI: 145.1
Housing: 215.0 | Groceries: 102.7 | Utilities: 158.9 | Transportation: 103.0
Housing and utilities put Massachusetts near the top.
ArnoldReinhold, Wikimedia Commons
1: Hawaii
COLI: 182.3
Housing: 292.1 | Groceries: 134.6 | Utilities: 207.0 | Transportation: 143.1
Isolated location, extreme housing costs, and pricey necessities make Hawaii the costliest state.
Caracas1830, Wikimedia Commons
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