State rankings
Every ranking below is computed from the same sourced data behind the rest of the site — no opinions, no licensed index. Pick a question.
Cost of living
The most expensive states in America #1 California · 110.7 Ranked by the BEA all-items price level, where 100 is the national average. This is the single best free, official measure of how far a dollar stretches — no licensed index, no black box. The most affordable states in America #1 Arkansas · 86.9 The states where everyday prices sit furthest below the national average, by BEA Regional Price Parity. Low prices plus decent pay is the combination that actually stretches a paycheck. Where rent takes the biggest share of income #1 Florida · 35.2% Median gross rent as a percentage of household income, for renter households, from the Census ACS. Higher means rent is harder to carry relative to local pay. States with the highest electric bills #1 Hawaii · $212.12 Average monthly residential electric bill from the EIA, with the price per kilowatt-hour beside it. The bill depends on both the price and how much electricity homes use. Where health care spending per person is highest #1 Alaska · $15,425 Personal consumption expenditures on health care services per resident, from the BEA. Includes spending by insurers and government programs on residents' behalf, not just out-of-pocket costs.
Housing
States with the highest rent #1 California · $2,036 Median gross rent from the Census ACS 5-year estimates. Rent is the biggest single driver of the cost gap between states, and it varies far more than wages do. States with the most expensive homes #1 Hawaii · $839,100 Median home value from the Census ACS. The buy-side gap between states is even wider than the rent gap — a reason ownership feels out of reach in some markets and routine in others. States with the cheapest rent #1 West Virginia · $872 Median gross rent from the Census ACS 5-year estimates, lowest first, shown next to the share of income the typical renter spends on it. States with the cheapest homes #1 West Virginia · $162,600 Median value of owner-occupied homes from the Census ACS, lowest first. A useful starting point for anyone planning to buy after a move. Where home prices have risen fastest #1 Maine · 68.6% Five-year change in the FHFA all-transactions house price index for each state, over complete calendar years. Shown next to the current median home value.
Income and jobs
Where your paycheck actually goes furthest #1 District of Columbia · $99,973 Median household income, adjusted for local prices. A high salary in an expensive state can buy less than a modest one somewhere cheap — this ranking cuts through the headline pay to what income is really worth. States with the lowest unemployment #1 South Dakota · 2.0% Seasonally-adjusted state unemployment from BLS — the one figure here that updates monthly. A tight labor market can offset a higher cost of living. States with the highest household income #1 District of Columbia · $109,870 Median household income from the Census ACS 5-year estimates, with the same income adjusted for local prices beside it. Minimum wage by state #1 District of Columbia · $18.40 General statewide hourly minimum wage, hand-verified against the US Department of Labor table. Where rates vary by employer size or region, the large-employer or standard rate is shown.
Taxes
States with the highest income tax #1 California · 13.30% Top marginal individual income tax rate for 2026, hand-verified from the Tax Foundation. Top rates only bite at high incomes, but they signal a state’s overall approach. States with the highest sales tax #1 Louisiana · 10.11% Combined average state-and-local sales tax for 2026. Sales tax hits everyone, and it is often where no-income-tax states make up the difference. Property taxes by state #1 New Jersey · 2.11% Median real estate taxes paid by owners, divided by the median home value. A screening measure of how heavily each state taxes property, ranked highest first. Sort the table to see the lowest.
People and growth
The fastest-growing states #1 Idaho · +9.8% Percent change in resident population from July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025, from the Census Bureau population estimates, with net moves from other states beside it. The states people are moving to, and leaving #1 South Carolina · +71.0 Net moves from other US states between July 2020 and June 2025, per 1,000 residents at the start of the period. Positive means more Americans arrived than left. The most educated states #1 District of Columbia · 64.2% Share of adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher, from the Census ACS 5-year estimates. Where the most people lack health insurance #1 Texas · 17.1% Share of the civilian noninstitutionalized population with no health insurance coverage, from the Census ACS 5-year estimates. States with the longest commutes #1 New York · 32.6 min Average one-way travel time to work for workers who do not work from home, from the Census ACS 5-year estimates.