The cost of maintaining a basic standard of living varies throughout the United States. Housing, food, transportation, health care, taxes, and other necessities vary in cost from county to county, with the total cost of living in the most expensive place in the country more than twice that of the least expensive place.
The cost of living also varies drastically within states, with rural areas often offering cheaper goods and services than denser, urban areas. In most states, there is a county where the cost of living is at least 25% less than that of another county.
24/7 Wall St. used data from the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator to identify the least expensive place in every state. We ranked counties based on the estimated monthly cost for a single adult to maintain a modest yet adequate standard of living.
Housing is one of the largest components of cost of living. On average, housing accounts for approximately 25% of the total cost of living nationwide. In many of the least expensive places to live in every state, however, housing accounts for less than 15% of total living expenses. These are America’s 25 most affordable housing markets.
Many of the least expensive places to live in every state may also be less desirable than other counties. In a majority of the counties on our list, the population change from 2013 to 2018 was less than the +3.6% national figure, with roughly half of the places experiencing negative population change. These are the 25 worst counties to live in.
Many of these places are also currently experiencing high levels of joblessness due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In roughly half of the counties on this list, unemployment was still above the 13.0% national rate as of May 2020. For more on how COVID-19 has impacted U.S. counties, see the counties in every state where COVID-19 is growing the fastest.
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1. Alabama: Dale County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,739 > Monthly housing costs: $420 (15.3% of total) > Median household income: $45,960 ($3,830 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 7.4% > Largest city or town in county: Ozark
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2. Alaska: Aleutians East Borough
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3. Arizona: Pima County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,881 > Monthly housing costs: $568 (19.7% of total) > Median household income: $51,037 ($4,253 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 8.4% > Largest city or town in county: Tucson
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4. Arkansas: Craighead County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,620 > Monthly housing costs: $458 (17.5% of total) > Median household income: $45,868 ($3,822 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 8.5% > Largest city or town in county: Jonesboro
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5. California: Merced County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,946 > Monthly housing costs: $565 (19.2% of total) > Median household income: $50,129 ($4,177 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 16.5% > Largest city or town in county: Merced
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6. Colorado: Pueblo County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,922 > Monthly housing costs: $600 (20.5% of total) > Median household income: $44,634 ($3,720 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 9.2% > Largest city or town in county: Pueblo
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7. Connecticut: Hartford County
> Monthly cost of living: $3,192 > Monthly housing costs: $773 (24.2% of total) > Median household income: $72,321 ($6,027 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 9.2% > Largest city or town in county: Hartford
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8. Delaware: Sussex County
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9. Florida: Baker County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,741 > Monthly housing costs: $493 (18.0% of total) > Median household income: $61,769 ($5,147 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 7.7% > Largest city or town in county: Macclenny
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10. Georgia: Marion County
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11. Hawaii: Hawaii County
> Monthly cost of living: $3,719 > Monthly housing costs: $823 (22.1% of total) > Median household income: $59,297 ($4,941 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 21.1% > Largest city or town in county: Hilo
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12. Idaho: Bannock County
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13. Illinois: Alexander County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,731 > Monthly housing costs: $304 (11.1% of total) > Median household income: $34,709 ($2,892 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 14.1% > Largest city or town in county: Cairo
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14. Indiana: Elkhart County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,665 > Monthly housing costs: $519 (19.5% of total) > Median household income: $55,399 ($4,617 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 11.9% > Largest city or town in county: Elkhart
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15. Iowa: Black Hawk County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,685 > Monthly housing costs: $517 (19.3% of total) > Median household income: $52,688 ($4,391 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 11.6% > Largest city or town in county: Waterloo
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16. Kansas: Wyandotte County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,741 > Monthly housing costs: $546 (19.9% of total) > Median household income: $44,873 ($3,739 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 14.0% > Largest city or town in county: Kansas City
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17. Kentucky: Pulaski County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,620 > Monthly housing costs: $443 (16.9% of total) > Median household income: $37,921 ($3,160 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 11.8% > Largest city or town in county: Somerset
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18. Louisiana: Caddo Parish
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19. Maine: Androscoggin County
> Monthly cost of living: $3,103 > Monthly housing costs: $634 (20.4% of total) > Median household income: $51,412 ($4,284 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 9.2% > Largest city or town in county: Lewiston
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20. Maryland: Baltimore city
> Monthly cost of living: $2,803 > Monthly housing costs: $730 (26.0% of total) > Median household income: $48,840 ($4,070 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 11.1% > Largest city or town in county: Baltimore
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21. Massachusetts: Hampden County
> Monthly cost of living: $3,121 > Monthly housing costs: $744 (23.8% of total) > Median household income: $53,403 ($4,450 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 18.0% > Largest city or town in county: Springfield
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22. Michigan: Bay County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,657 > Monthly housing costs: $502 (18.9% of total) > Median household income: $48,005 ($4,000 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 20.0% > Largest city or town in county: Bay City
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23. Minnesota: Benton County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,829 > Monthly housing costs: $484 (17.1% of total) > Median household income: $56,357 ($4,696 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 9.7% > Largest city or town in county: St. Cloud
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24. Mississippi: Coahoma County
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25. Missouri: St. Louis city
> Monthly cost of living: $2,625 > Monthly housing costs: $578 (22.0% of total) > Median household income: $41,107 ($3,426 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 13.5% > Largest city or town in county: St. Louis
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26. Montana: Custer County
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27. Nebraska: Dodge County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,870 > Monthly housing costs: $487 (17.0% of total) > Median household income: $53,101 ($4,425 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 3.8% > Largest city or town in county: Fremont
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29. New Hampshire: Coos County
> Monthly cost of living: $3,066 > Monthly housing costs: $669 (21.8% of total) > Median household income: $45,696 ($3,808 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 17.9% > Largest city or town in county: Berlin
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30. New Jersey: Camden County
> Monthly cost of living: $3,224 > Monthly housing costs: $823 (25.5% of total) > Median household income: $67,118 ($5,593 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 15.0% > Largest city or town in county: Camden
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31. New Mexico: Bernalillo County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,605 > Monthly housing costs: $569 (21.8% of total) > Median household income: $51,643 ($4,304 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 9.2% > Largest city or town in county: Albuquerque
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32. New York: Orleans County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,947 > Monthly housing costs: $523 (17.7% of total) > Median household income: $51,843 ($4,320 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 11.6% > Largest city or town in county: Medina
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33. North Carolina: Person County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,995 > Monthly housing costs: $468 (15.6% of total) > Median household income: $48,811 ($4,068 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 13.4% > Largest city or town in county: Roxboro
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34. North Dakota: Cass County
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35. Ohio: Lucas County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,503 > Monthly housing costs: $478 (19.1% of total) > Median household income: $46,924 ($3,910 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 18.7% > Largest city or town in county: Toledo
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36. Oklahoma: Choctaw County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,880 > Monthly housing costs: $476 (16.5% of total) > Median household income: $32,129 ($2,677 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 13.5% > Largest city or town in county: Hugo
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37. Oregon: Douglas County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,913 > Monthly housing costs: $506 (17.4% of total) > Median household income: $45,812 ($3,818 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 14.7% > Largest city or town in county: Roseburg
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38. Pennsylvania: Lawrence County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,664 > Monthly housing costs: $494 (18.6% of total) > Median household income: $48,860 ($4,072 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 13.6% > Largest city or town in county: New Castle
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39. Rhode Island: Providence County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,939 > Monthly housing costs: $775 (26.4% of total) > Median household income: $55,233 ($4,603 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 17.1% > Largest city or town in county: Providence
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40. South Carolina: Chesterfield County
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41. South Dakota: Beadle County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,791 > Monthly housing costs: $460 (16.5% of total) > Median household income: $51,700 ($4,308 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 6.2% > Largest city or town in county: Huron
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42. Tennessee: Grainger County
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43. Texas: Cameron County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,531 > Monthly housing costs: $564 (22.3% of total) > Median household income: $37,132 ($3,094 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 16.0% > Largest city or town in county: Brownsville
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45. Vermont: Orleans County
> Monthly cost of living: $3,370 > Monthly housing costs: $627 (18.6% of total) > Median household income: $47,915 ($3,993 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 16.6% > Largest city or town in county: Newport
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46. Virginia: Danville city
> Monthly cost of living: $2,694 > Monthly housing costs: $505 (18.8% of total) > Median household income: $36,301 ($3,025 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 12.7% > Largest city or town in county: Danville
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47. Washington: Spokane County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,617 > Monthly housing costs: $539 (20.6% of total) > Median household income: $54,852 ($4,571 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 15.1% > Largest city or town in county: Spokane
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48. West Virginia: Brooke County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,782 > Monthly housing costs: $449 (16.1% of total) > Median household income: $49,772 ($4,148 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 13.2% > Largest city or town in county: Weirton
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49. Wisconsin: Sheboygan County
> Monthly cost of living: $2,770 > Monthly housing costs: $488 (17.6% of total) > Median household income: $58,943 ($4,912 per month) > May 2020 unemployment rate: 12.5% > Largest city or town in county: Sheboygan
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50. Wyoming: Hot Springs County
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