State averages. Intra-state variation can be 50%+. COL index from MERIC quarterly; median home/rent population-weighted across our cities dataset (Census ACS 2024). For city-level comparison use /cost-of-living-by-state. Last verified 2026-04-19.
A salary number tells you nothing without context. $80k in Mississippi (COL ≈ 86) buys a lifestyle similar to $108k in California (COL ≈ 138). The map below normalizes every state to the national average (100), then surfaces the three things that actually drive the gap: median home price, median rent, and commute cost. Hawaii sits at the top because everything is imported and housing is constrained by geography. Mississippi sits at the bottom because labor and land are both cheap. The states most worth watching for relocation are the middle of the cluster (Tennessee, Texas, Florida, North Carolina), where COL is 5-10 points below average AND wages haven’t fully caught down. Click any state to open its full breakdown with metro-level data.
Mississippi consistently ranks lowest by the MERIC index, around 84-86 (national average = 100). West Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas round out the bottom 5. Lowest COL doesn't equal lowest cost in absolute terms. Wages also adjust downward, so a relocation requires checking both salary and COL together.
Hawaii is the highest at roughly 184 (84% above national average), driven primarily by housing and groceries (everything imported). California, Massachusetts, and New York follow. Within California, the Bay Area COL sits 50-80% above the state-level number. State averages can hide major intra-state variation.
The MERIC composite normalizes to 100 = US national average. A state at 110 means goods and services there cost about 10% more than a national basket; at 85, about 15% less. The index weights housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.
It doesn't. These are state averages. For city-level comparisons, follow the state link to /cost-of-living-by-state which has metro-level breakdowns. The state-level map is best for relocation triangulation, not month-to-month budgeting.
Reviewed by CalcFi Editorial · COL index source: MERIC; home + rent: Census ACS 2024. Last verified 2026-04-19.
FRED + BLS + Treasury · refreshed