These states have the highest (& lowest) costs of living
Where you live is one of the biggest financial decisions you make. Annual household costs vary by as much as $75,000 depending on which state you call home.
The gap is not marginal.
Visual Capitalist analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 Consumer Expenditure Survey data alongside Missouri Economic Research and Information Center figures as of Q3 2025, covering groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, and healthcare across all 50 states.
Hawaii
Average annual household spending: $141,127.
The most expensive state by a wide margin, with a cost-of-living index of 179.7. Residents pay 28% more for healthcare and 33% more for groceries than the national average.
Massachusetts
Average annual household spending: $118,431.
The priciest state in the contiguous lower 48, with a cost-of-living index of 150.8. Housing pressure in Greater Boston drives much of the cost.
California
Average annual household spending: $107,357.
Ranks third nationally with a cost-of-living index of 136.7. Coastal housing costs are the primary driver.
Alaska
Average annual household spending: $100,289.
Ranks fourth with a cost-of-living index of 127.7. Geographic isolation adds cost at every level of the supply chain.
New York
Average annual household spending: $99,425.
Ranks fifth at just under $100,000 annually, with a cost-of-living index of 126.6. Housing, healthcare, and consumer prices all run above the national average.
Maryland
Average annual household spending: $93,378.
Ranks sixth with a cost-of-living index of 118.9. High costs reflect the Washington D.C. metro corridor.
New Jersey
Average annual household spending: $90,001.
Ranks seventh, just clearing the $90,000 mark. Proximity to New York City keeps costs elevated.
Maine
Average annual household spending: $89,687.
Ranks eighth with a cost-of-living index of 114.2. Heating costs and remote geography push totals above the national midpoint.
Connecticut
Average annual household spending: $89,608.
Ranks ninth with a cost-of-living index of 114.1. It is the third New England state in the top ten.
Washington
Average annual household spending: $89,451.
Ranks tenth with a cost-of-living index of 113.9. Seattle metro growth is the primary cost driver.
Vermont
Average annual household spending: $89,294.
Ranks eleventh with a cost-of-living index of 113.7. Rural geography and a small population keep supply costs high.
Rhode Island
Average annual household spending: $89,059.
Ranks twelfth with a cost-of-living index of 113.4. Despite being the smallest state, its costs align with those of its New England neighbors.
Oregon
Average annual household spending: $87,231.
Ranks thirteenth with a cost-of-living index of 111.8. Portland-area housing pushes totals above the national average.
Montana
Average annual household spending: $86,231.
Ranks fourteenth with a cost-of-living index of 109.8. Growth in resort communities like Bozeman has raised housing and consumer costs in recent years.
New Hampshire
Average annual household spending: $85,760.
Ranks fifteenth with a cost-of-living index of 109.2. It is the last New England state in the top 15.
Arizona
Average annual household spending: $85,400.
Ranks sixteenth. Rapid population growth in the Phoenix metro has driven housing costs significantly higher since 2020.
Colorado
Average annual household spending: $80,700.
Ranks seventeenth. Denver-area housing and recreation amenities both contribute to above-average costs.
Delaware
Average annual household spending: $80,700.
Ties Colorado at eighteenth. Its mid-Atlantic location keeps costs elevated above the national midpoint.
Virginia
Average annual household spending: $78,600.
Ranks nineteenth. Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., drive much of the statewide average.
Florida
Average annual household spending: $78,100.
Ranks twentieth. Housing and insurance costs have climbed sharply, reducing the state’s traditional affordability advantage.
Utah
Average annual household spending: $77,800.
Ranks twenty-first. Population growth along the Wasatch Front has kept housing costs rising.
Idaho
Average annual household spending: $77,800.
Ties Utah at twenty-second. Migration from more expensive Western states has raised prices significantly.
Nevada
Average annual household spending: $77,400.
Ranks twenty-third. Las Vegas area growth has pushed costs higher across groceries, housing, and utilities.
Wisconsin
Average annual household spending: $76,700.
Ranks twenty-fourth. Costs cluster near the national midpoint across most spending categories.
North Carolina
Average annual household spending: $76,500.
Ranks twenty-fifth. Growth in the Research Triangle and Charlotte metro areas has elevated the statewide average.
Pennsylvania
Average annual household spending: $76,300.
Ranks twenty-sixth. Philadelphia-area costs pull the statewide figure above most Midwestern peers.
Illinois
Average annual household spending: $75,300.
Ranks twenty-seventh. Chicago metro costs significantly exceed those in the state’s rural and smaller-city markets.
Wyoming
Average annual household spending: $74,800.
Ranks twenty-eighth. Energy sector costs and geographic remoteness contribute to above-average utility and transport spending.
Michigan
Average annual household spending: $74,400.
Ranks twenty-ninth. Detroit-area costs are offset by more affordable rural markets across the state.
Minnesota
Average annual household spending: $74,000.
Ranks thirtieth. Twin Cities housing keeps the statewide average near the upper end of the Midwest cluster.
Ohio
Average annual household spending: $72,900.
Ranks thirty-first. Costs sit close to the national average across most spending categories.
Louisiana
Average annual household spending: $72,800.
Ranks thirty-second. Higher insurance and utility costs offset relatively affordable housing in much of the state.
South Carolina
Average annual household spending: $72,600.
Ranks thirty-third. Coastal resort markets push the statewide average above neighboring Southeastern states.
New Mexico
Average annual household spending: $72,600.
Ties South Carolina at thirty-fourth. Energy costs and rural geography keep household expenses near the national midpoint.
South Dakota
Average annual household spending: $72,100.
Ranks thirty-fifth. Low taxes help offset moderate costs across most spending categories.
Georgia
Average annual household spending: $72,100.
Ties South Dakota at thirty-sixth. Atlanta metro growth has raised housing while rural areas remain affordable.
Nebraska
Average annual household spending: $71,900.
Ranks thirty-seventh. Consistently places near the center of national affordability rankings.
North Dakota
Average annual household spending: $71,700.
Ranks thirty-eighth. Energy industry activity keeps some costs higher than those in neighboring Plains states.
Texas
Average annual household spending: $71,310.
Ranks thirty-ninth. Robust home construction has helped ease price pressure despite strong migration, with Houston home prices falling 2.2% to about $302,000.
Indiana
Average annual household spending: $71,200.
Ranks fortieth. One of the most consistently affordable Midwestern states across all spending categories.
Iowa
Average annual household spending: $70,900.
Ties Tennessee at forty-first. Agricultural production keeps grocery costs among the lowest in the region.
Tennessee
Average annual household spending: $70,900.
Ties Iowa at forty-second. Nashville-area growth has raised costs, though most of the state retains significant affordability.
Arkansas
Average annual household spending: $70,100.
Ranks forty-third. Remains one of the more affordable states in the South across housing and groceries.
Missouri
Average annual household spending: $69,900.
Ranks forty-fourth. Kansas City and St. Louis offer affordable urban living relative to coastal peers.
Kansas
Average annual household spending: $69,800.
Ranks forty-fifth. Low housing costs and stable grocery prices keep household spending near the bottom of the national range.
Kentucky
Average annual household spending: $69,200.
Ties West Virginia at forty-sixth. Housing is among the most affordable in the country.
West Virginia
Average annual household spending: $69,200.
Ties Kentucky at forty-seventh. Despite low housing costs, limited healthcare access can push medical spending higher.
Alabama
Average annual household spending: $69,000.
Ranks forty-eighth. Low housing costs across urban and rural markets keep overall expenses near the bottom of the national range.
Mississippi
Average annual household spending: $67,147.
Ranks forty-ninth. Annual living costs are more than $10,000 lower than in Florida.
Oklahoma
The most affordable state. Average annual household spending: $66,284. The most affordable state in the country.
The median home sale price in Oklahoma City is $240,000, and the state benefits from lower gas prices and some of the most affordable groceries in the nation.
Wrap up
From Hawaii at $141,127 to Oklahoma at $66,284, the gap between the most and least expensive states runs to roughly $75,000 a year. For households weighing a move, that difference can rival the impact of income itself.
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