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US cost-of-living ranking

Most expensive places to live in America

States and counties ranked by highest estimated monthly cost of living.

Key findings

  • The most expensive state to live in is District of Columbia with an average monthly cost of $5,029 for a single person, roughly 74% above the national average.
  • The single most expensive county (5,000+ residents) is San Jose, CA at $5,823/month.
  • Coastal California, New York and DC dominate the top-cost rankings. Rent alone in the most expensive counties is often 2× the national average.
  • The national average monthly cost is $2,882/month for a single person.

Most expensive states to live in 2026

Ranked by the highest average monthly cost across each state's counties.

Show all 51 states

Most expensive counties to live in 2026

The 50 most expensive counties by estimated monthly cost for a single person (population 5,000+).

Rankings include rent, utilities, groceries, transport, healthcare and taxes. See our methodology.

Frequently asked questions

About the most expensive places to live in the US.

What is the most expensive state to live in?

The most expensive U.S. states to live in are District of Columbia ($5,029/mo), Hawaii ($4,174/mo), New Jersey ($3,876/mo), based on the average estimated monthly cost for a single person. These figures include rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare and taxes.

What are the most expensive cities in the US?

Among U.S. counties with at least 5,000 residents, the most expensive places to live are San Jose, CA ($5,823/mo), San Francisco, CA ($5,817/mo), San Mateo, CA ($5,567/mo), Marin County, CA ($5,446/mo), Santa Cruz County, CA ($5,331/mo). High coastal-California and metro-New York counties dominate the top of the list.

Why is District of Columbia so expensive?

District of Columbia has an average monthly cost of about $5,029 for a single person, the highest in the country. The biggest driver is housing: average one-bedroom rent is approximately $2,056/mo, well above the national typical figure. Higher state income tax, sales tax and healthcare premiums also push the total higher in many of the most-expensive states.

What is the most expensive county in America?

San Jose, CA is the most expensive U.S. county to live in by total estimated monthly cost ($5,823/mo for a single person). Coastal California metros dominate the top 10.

What is the average cost of living in the US?

The estimated national average is approximately $2,882 per month for a single person, calculated as the mean across all U.S. counties with available data. The most expensive places sit roughly 50–100% above this figure.

See also

Cheapest places to live

The most affordable counties and states in America.
Best value places to live

Where your salary stretches furthest after essential costs.

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

Cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey), HUD Fair Market Rents, the Energy Information Administration, and the Tax Foundation. Rankings reflect estimates for a single person.

Methodology Data sources