State rankings

Cost of Living Index by State

Hawaii has the highest Cost of Living Index in 2025 (185.0), followed by California (142.3) and Massachusetts (141.2). Oklahoma has the lowest (86.0).

Economics51 states · 7 metricsUpdated Oct 28, 2026Original page
1 source
51 of 51 states
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Cost of Living Index, 2025

Green is better, red is worse (lower is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 51 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
97.2
Middle half 92.0 – 111.6
Average
103.4
51 states
Lowest (best)
86.0
Oklahoma
Highest (worst)
185.0
Hawaii

Over time · 2023–2025

The top 5 in 2025, against the median.

  • Median of all states
  • Oklahoma
  • Mississippi
  • West Virginia
  • Alabama
  • Kansas

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

51 states · # = rank by Cost of Living Index
#
1Oklahoma86.0
2Mississippi87.3
3West Virginia88.3
4Alabama88.6
5Kansas88.8
6Missouri89.0
7Arkansas89.6
8Iowa89.7
9Michigan90.1
10Tennessee90.3
11Indiana91.0
12North Dakota91.4
13South Dakota91.9
14Texas92.1
15Louisiana92.3
16Georgia92.5
16Kentucky92.5
18Nebraska92.6
19New Mexico93.7
19Wyoming93.7
21Ohio94.3
22Minnesota94.6
23Illinois94.7
23South Carolina94.7
25Montana95.5
26Pennsylvania97.2
27Wisconsin97.7
28North Carolina97.8
29Idaho99.9
30Nevada100.2
31Virginia100.8
32Delaware101.9
33Florida102.2
33Utah102.2
35Colorado102.7
36Rhode Island110.6
37Arizona110.7
38New Hampshire111.4
39Oregon111.8
40Connecticut112.7
41Maine113.0
42Vermont113.6
43Washington114.1
44New Jersey115.1
45Maryland115.4
46Alaska124.9
47New York125.1
48District of Columbia138.8
49Massachusetts141.2
50California142.3
51Hawaii185.0

What correlates with Cost of Living Index (2025)?

Pearson r against 2,093 other state metrics sharing at least 31 states, 2 near-identical series hidden. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Cost of Living Index tend to score higher on these

  1. Taxpayer Cost per ImmigrantCost of Illegal Immigration by State
    r = +0.98 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  2. Cost of Living Index (Housing)Average Rent by State
    r = +0.98 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  3. COLI Housing Costs IndexLeast Expensive States
    r = +0.98 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  4. Average Cost for Basic Life SupportAmbulance Cost by State
    r = +0.97 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  5. Average Cost for Advanced Life SupportAmbulance Cost by State
    r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  6. Avg Rent: 3 BdrmsAverage Rent by State
    r = +0.90 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Cost of Living Index tend to score lower on these

  1. Cost of LivingPension-Friendly States
    r = −0.87 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Housing CostPension-Friendly States
    r = −0.81 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Obesity Rate 60+Most Obese States
    r = −0.75 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Obesity Rate - WhiteMost Obese States
    r = −0.75 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. CLA RatingMost Conservative States
    r = −0.73 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Lifestyle Habits & Health Outlook ScoreMost Unhealthy States in the U.S.
    r = −0.72 · very strong · n = 49
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Cost of Living Index?
Hawaii has the highest Cost of Living Index in 2025, at 185.0, followed by California (142.3) and Massachusetts (141.2).
Which state has the lowest Cost of Living Index?
Oklahoma has the lowest Cost of Living Index in 2025, at 86.0.
What is the median Cost of Living Index across US states?
The median is 97.2 across the 51 US states with data in 2025.
Where does the Cost of Living Index by State data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Cost of Living Data Series - Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Last updated Oct 28, 2026.

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