By Dorothy Neufeld, Graphics/Design: Amy Realey
The Most (and Least) Affordable U.S. Cities in 2025
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Key Takeaways
In Tupelo, MS living costs are more than a fifth cheaper than the national average as of Q2 2025.
Manhattan, NY is the most unaffordable, while Brooklyn and Queens also rank in the top 10.
Today, Tupelo, MS is the nation’s most affordable city, where your dollar can stretch 21% further than the U.S. average.
Similarly, several Southern cities have the lowest cost of living in the country, typically seeing smaller populations and more affordable housing. In contrast, New York and California continue to rank among the most expensive places to live.
This graphic shows the U.S. cities with the lowest and highest cost of living, based on data from the Council for Community and Economic Research.
Where Are America’s Affordable Cities?
Below, we rank cities by their cost of living index, which measured 61 items in Q2 2025:
Oklahoma stands out for affordability, with three of the nation’s 10 most affordable cities. Texas and Kansas follow closely, each with two.
In Oklahoma City, the median home sale price sits at $225,167, and more than half of homes sold in August went for less than the list price. Down south, McAllen, Texas saw the third-lowest grocery costs in the country.
At the other end of the spectrum, living costs in Manhattan are more than twice the national average—72% higher than even San Francisco. Neighboring boroughs like Brooklyn and Queens also rank among the least affordable in the U.S., driven by an influx of Manhattan buyers during the pandemic.
Honolulu, meanwhile, takes the lead for grocery expenses, with prices more than 32% above the U.S. average, and 13% higher than in Manhattan.
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