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US value ranking

Best value places to live in America

Counties and states ranked by how far local earnings stretch after essential costs.

Key findings

  • The best-value state for salary-vs-cost is Rhode Island with a value score of 59.5%. That share of a typical household's income remains after essentials.
  • The top-value county (10,000+ residents) is Summit County, UT with a 68.1% value score.
  • High-value counties cluster in mid-cost states with strong local industries (energy, tech, healthcare) rather than the cheapest or the richest states.
  • Value score formula: (average household income − annual cost of living) / average household income × 100.

Best value states for cost-of-living-vs-income

States ranked by the share of average household income remaining after essential costs.

Show all 51 states

Best value counties to live in

Top 50 counties by value score, where local income stretches furthest after essentials (population 10,000+).

Value score = (average household income − annual cost of living) ÷ average household income × 100. Annual cost is the single-person monthly estimate × 12. See methodology.

Frequently asked questions

About value-for-money places in the US.

Where does your salary go furthest in the US?

Based on our value score (how much of the local household income is left after rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare and taxes), the top U.S. states are Rhode Island (59.5% disposable), New Hampshire (57.8% disposable), Wyoming (57.2% disposable). A higher percentage means more of your earnings remain after essentials.

What are the best value cities to live in?

Among U.S. counties with at least 10,000 residents, the best-value places to live are Summit County, UT (68.1%), Morgan County, UT (67.4%), Delaware County, OH (67.0%), Oldham County, KY (66.8%), Teton County, WY (66.6%). These combine relatively high household incomes with low overall living costs.

How is the value score calculated?

Value score = (average household income − estimated annual cost of living) / average household income × 100. It expresses what share of a typical local household's annual income remains after essential expenses. Higher is better.

Is the cheapest state always the best value?

No. Cheap places sometimes have correspondingly low wages, which cancels out the savings. Best-value states like Rhode Island combine modest costs with strong local earnings, so the disposable share is higher than in either the cheapest or richest states.

Why is the population threshold 10,000?

Best-value rankings exclude very small counties (under 10,000 residents) because their income and cost figures are statistically noisy. The cheapest-places-to-live ranking uses a lower 5,000 threshold; for best value we tighten it further.

See also

Cheapest places to live

The most affordable counties and states in America.
Most expensive places to live

The highest cost-of-living counties and states in America.

Use this research

Journalists, researchers and bloggers are welcome to cite and share this analysis. Please include a follow link back to this page when referencing our data. For bespoke analysis, expert comment, or high-resolution graphics, get in touch via our press office.

About this data

Income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey); cost estimates combine HUD rents, EIA energy and Tax Foundation rates. The value-score metric is computed by LiveWhere.

Methodology Data sources