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Most Expensive States to Live in the US

All 52 US states ranked by cost of living index from highest to lowest. A score above 100 means more expensive than the national average.

# State Cost Index
1 Hawaii 157.3
2 District of Columbia 155.4
3 California 143.8
4 Massachusetts 129.3
5 New Jersey 127.7
6 Connecticut 125.2
7 Washington 119.2
8 Maryland 119.1
9 Colorado 114.1
10 New York 111.3
11 Rhode Island 110.5
12 Florida 110.2
13 Nevada 109.4
14 Utah 107.6
15 Oregon 106.5
16 Delaware 105.0
17 Virginia 104.3
18 New Hampshire 101.7
19 Vermont 91.8
20 Wyoming 90.2
21 Alaska 90.1
22 Arizona 89.0
23 Montana 88.5
24 Texas 87.5
25 Idaho 86.9
26 Maine 86.5
27 New Mexico 86.2
28 North Carolina 84.5
29 Pennsylvania 83.0
30 Georgia 82.3
31 Minnesota 82.2
32 South Carolina 81.9
33 Tennessee 80.4
34 Illinois 79.8
35 Wisconsin 79.3
36 Kentucky 78.2
37 Indiana 78.2
38 Michigan 78.0
39 Ohio 77.6
40 Missouri 74.6
41 South Dakota 74.5
42 North Dakota 74.3
43 Louisiana 74.2
44 Alabama 74.1
45 West Virginia 73.4
46 Nebraska 72.2
47 Kansas 71.6
48 Iowa 71.1
49 Oklahoma 71.1
50 Mississippi 70.8
51 Arkansas 70.3
52 Puerto Rico 69.8

About This Ranking

The cost of living index measures how expensive it is to live in each state compared to the national average (100). States at the top of this list have significantly higher costs for housing, groceries, transportation, and utilities.

High cost-of-living states often correlate with higher median incomes, but the income premium doesn't always offset the extra costs. Use the income-to-cost ratio to evaluate real purchasing power.

See also: Most Expensive Cities · Cheapest States · Best Affordable Cities