Lower monthly rents.
Where does renting cost less? Among these 58 metros, Pittsburgh, PA ranks first at $1,083 (ACS 2024).
Metros are Census metropolitan statistical areas, not city limits. ACS 2024 one-year figures are annual survey estimates with margins of error, not live salaries, asking rents or monthly job reports.
Where does renting cost less?
Ranked by monthly gross rent, ACS 2024. Rank 1 is the lowest value.
Median rent plus tenant-paid utilities among existing cash-rent households. This is not current asking rent or a total cost-of-living index. Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2024 one-year estimates, table B25064 (via Census Reporter).
| # | Metro area | Household income | Period | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PittsburghPA | $77,214 | $1,083 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 2 | ClevelandOH | $72,532 | $1,087 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 3 | BuffaloNY | $72,300 | $1,114 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 4 | TulsaOK | $69,658 | $1,115 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 5 | LouisvilleKY-IN | $74,305 | $1,140 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 6 | St. LouisMO-IL | $81,679 | $1,154 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 7 | Oklahoma CityOK | $72,930 | $1,162 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 8 | RochesterNY | $76,453 | $1,172 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 9 | MilwaukeeWI | $77,919 | $1,177 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 10 | CincinnatiOH-KY-IN | $81,489 | $1,203 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 11 | OmahaNE-IA | $84,524 | $1,230 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 12 | GreenvilleSC | $75,881 | $1,236 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 13 | DetroitMI | $76,403 | $1,248 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 14 | BirminghamAL | $74,954 | $1,262 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 14 | New OrleansLA | $62,373 | $1,262 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 16 | IndianapolisIN | $80,239 | $1,273 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 17 | Grand RapidsMI | $81,541 | $1,289 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 18 | TucsonAZ | $72,067 | $1,300 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 19 | Kansas CityMO-KS | $83,785 | $1,315 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 20 | MemphisTN-MS-AR | $68,124 | $1,330 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 21 | ColumbusOH | $82,938 | $1,359 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 22 | ProvidenceRI-MA | $82,870 | $1,396 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 23 | San AntonioTX | $78,112 | $1,422 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 24 | Minneapolis-St. PaulMN-WI | $97,928 | $1,444 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 25 | HartfordCT | $94,419 | $1,458 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 26 | ChicagoIL-IN-WI | $90,770 | $1,469 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 26 | HoustonTX | $81,417 | $1,469 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 28 | FresnoCA | $74,983 | $1,513 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 29 | RichmondVA | $83,460 | $1,546 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 30 | Virginia Beach-NorfolkVA-NC | $82,402 | $1,556 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 31 | PhiladelphiaPA-NJ-DE-MD | $90,850 | $1,567 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 32 | CharlotteNC-SC | $85,938 | $1,594 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 33 | JacksonvilleFL | $82,053 | $1,625 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 34 | NashvilleTN | $88,800 | $1,627 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 35 | BaltimoreMD | $98,666 | $1,633 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 36 | Salt Lake CityUT | $100,548 | $1,659 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 37 | RaleighNC | $102,144 | $1,674 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 38 | Dallas-Fort WorthTX | $92,733 | $1,718 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 39 | Las VegasNV | $80,028 | $1,739 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 40 | PortlandOR-WA | $98,994 | $1,767 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 41 | AtlantaGA | $92,344 | $1,770 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 42 | Tampa-St. PetersburgFL | $78,275 | $1,776 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 43 | AustinTX | $99,897 | $1,784 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 44 | PhoenixAZ | $90,133 | $1,819 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 45 | New YorkNY-NJ-PA | $99,852 | $1,851 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 46 | OrlandoFL | $81,044 | $1,877 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 47 | SacramentoCA | $98,775 | $1,904 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 48 | DenverCO | $108,046 | $1,943 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 49 | HonoluluHI | $105,205 | $2,001 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 50 | Riverside-San BernardinoCA | $91,013 | $2,006 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 51 | WashingtonDC-VA-MD-WV | $126,244 | $2,037 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 52 | SeattleWA | $112,388 | $2,050 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 53 | MiamiFL | $80,625 | $2,083 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 54 | BostonMA-NH | $117,825 | $2,093 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 55 | Los AngelesCA | $96,405 | $2,114 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 56 | San DiegoCA | $109,132 | $2,336 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 57 | San FranciscoCA | $135,590 | $2,435 | 2024 | ↗ |
| 58 | San JoseCA | $164,801 | $2,827 | 2024 | ↗ |
How to read these rankings
Which city is best for me?
Start with the decision you are making. Compare income and employment for work, rent for an ongoing housing bill, and monthly climate for the seasons you prefer. Use the comparison workspace to see what you gain and give up.
Does a high income mean life is cheaper?
No. Household income is not an individual job offer, and rent is only one expense. A personal budget also needs taxes, transport, childcare, healthcare and other costs. We do not label our housing measures a complete cost-of-living score.
Is this the city or its surrounding metro?
These are metro-level comparisons. Your neighborhood can have very different rent, schools, transport and commute times. Metro averages are a starting point for deciding where to look more closely.
Where are safety, schools and things to do?
Those need additional, comparable local sources. They are not included in these rankings yet. We show the specific measures we have rather than filling the gaps with a general “quality of life” score.