How Trump’s tariffs could make your iPhone cost $3,500
Subtitles
  • Off
  • English

The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable

The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable

Cost-of-living concerns will follow you wherever you live, but some states make it easier to get by than others

We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Start Slideshow
Start Slideshow
Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: spawns (Getty Images)

Affordability is on almost everyone’s mind these days, with tariffs, persistent inflation, and a housing crisis making things worse. But some states have more cost-of-living challenges than others.

Advertisement

In a new report, Oregon Generators, a company specializing in residential and commercial generator installation, set out to find the most and least affordable states.

It looked at data from all 50 states across eight weighted factors: median household income, typical home value, fair market house rent, average grocery costs, percentage of adults avoiding healthcare due to cost, average monthly utility costs, tax burden as percentage of income, and sales-tax rates.

“The states ranking highest for affordability share common traits: reasonable housing costs relative to income, manageable tax burdens, and accessible healthcare,” said Corey Gilgan of Oregon Generators.

Continue reading to see which states were ranked as the most and least affordable.

Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

2 / 12

5th Most Affordable: Iowa

5th Most Affordable: Iowa

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: Matt Niebuhr (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

3 / 12

4th Most Affordable: Montana

4th Most Affordable: Montana

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: Lisa5201 (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

4 / 12

3rd Most Affordable: South Dakota

3rd Most Affordable: South Dakota

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: Eddie Brady (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

5 / 12

2nd Most Affordable: Alaska

2nd Most Affordable: Alaska

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: Jay Berkow Photography (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

6 / 12

Most Affordable: New Hampshire

Most Affordable: New Hampshire

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: DenisTangneyJr (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

7 / 12

5th Least Affordable: Georgia

5th Least Affordable: Georgia

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: Rajesh Pandit (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

8 / 12

4th Least Affordable: New Jersey

4th Least Affordable: New Jersey

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: Richard T. Nowitz (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

9 / 12

3rd Least Affordable: Arizona

3rd Least Affordable: Arizona

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: halbergman (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

10 / 12

2nd Least Affordable: Hawaii

2nd Least Affordable: Hawaii

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: JamesBrey (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Previous Slide
Next Slide

11 / 12

Least Affordable: California

Least Affordable: California

Image for article titled The 5 most affordable states in America — and the 5 least affordable
Photo: John Elk III (Getty Images)
Advertisement