Cost of Living in Texas 2026

Texas has no state income tax. That single fact shapes the cost of living across all 254 counties. The cheapest is Presidio County, out on the far western border, where a single person spends about $2,302 a month. The most expensive is Rockwall County near Dallas, at about $3,811. Most counties land closer to the state average of about $2,754.

Rent drives most of that gap. A one-bedroom home averages just $905 a month statewide, low by national standards. The big metros cost more, and counties around Austin and Dallas push past $1,600. The trade-off for skipping income tax shows up in property taxes, which run higher here than in most states.

Texas is huge, so costs swing hard from quiet rural counties to the fast-growing cities. Rank every county in the table below, or put two side by side with our comparison tool. Every figure comes from official government data. See our methodology for how we build each estimate.

All 254 counties in Texas, ranked by cost

Cheapest first, by estimated single-person monthly cost. The "vs avg" column compares each county to the Texas average.

Monthly cost combines rent, utilities, groceries, transport, healthcare and taxes. See our methodology.

The 5 cheapest counties in Texas

The most affordable places, in detail.

The 5 most expensive counties in Texas

Where costs run highest.

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