filo / iStock.com When we think about which city in the U.S. we’d like to live in, our minds may turn to what the city has to offer in terms of livability. Is there low crime? Does it have clean air? Is transportation safe and convenient? How are the schools? The list goes on.
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And then, of course, there are the financial issues. Is housing reasonably priced? What about all the other factors that go into cost of living , like healthcare, food and utilities? Livability comprises all the factors that determine whether you’re likely to have a prosperous life, both in terms of money and other meaningful matters.
For this study, GOBankingRates found the most livable city in each state and how much it costs to live there. To do this, GOBankingRates found the livability index for each city recording the city with the highest livability index. For each city, a number of factors were found including, the household median income, the average expenditure cost and the average monthly mortgage cost to determine the total monthly average cost of living in these most livable cities.
Cities are ranked from highest to lowest total cost of living monthly. Keep reading to find out the most livable city in your state .
Uladzik Kryhin / Shutterstock.com Cupertino, California Household median income: $223,667 Livability: 88 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,412 Mortgage monthly average cost: $19,061 Total cost of living monthly: $21,472
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Bruce Wilson Photography / Getty Images/iStockphoto Lexington, Massachusetts Household median income: $206,323 Livability: 92 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,191 Mortgage monthly average cost: $9,998 Total cost of living monthly: $12,189
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©Shutterstock.com Kailua, Hawaii Household median income: $138,363 Livability: 83 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,583 Mortgage monthly average cost: $9,243 Total cost of living monthly: $11,826 aceshot1 / Shutterstock.com
Bozeman, Montana Household median income: $74,113 Livability: 87 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,102 Mortgage monthly average cost: $5,008 Total cost of living monthly: $7,109 felixmizioznikov / Getty Images Wilton Manors, Florida Household median income: $81,424 Livability: 91 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,210 Mortgage monthly average cost: $4,585 Total cost of living monthly: $6,794
©Lunnderboy Lafayette, Colorado Household median income: $105,819 Livability: 90 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,946 Mortgage monthly average cost: $4,434 Total cost of living monthly: $6,380 Check Out: The Minimum Salary You Need To Buy a Home in 2024 in All 50 States
Steven Frame / Shutterstock.com University Park, Maryland Household median income: $191,205 Livability: 93 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,236 Mortgage monthly average cost: $4,030 Total cost of living monthly: $6,266 M.O. Stevens / Wikimedia Commons Sherwood, Oregon Household median income: $109,770 Livability: 92 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,102 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,974 Total cost of living monthly: $6,076 ©Shutterstock.com Freeport, Maine Household median income: $76,012 Livability: 88 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,928 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,911 Total cost of living monthly: $5,839 ©Shutterstock.com Cary, North Carolina Household median income: $125,317 Livability: 90 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,915 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,861 Total cost of living monthly: $5,776 Trending Now: These Are America’s Wealthiest Suburbs
Marilyn Nieves / Getty Images/iStockphoto Avondale Estates, Georgia Household median income: $136,250 Livability: 87 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,212 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,562 Total cost of living monthly: $5,773 Pictured: Decatur, Georgia
raclro / Getty Images Kaysville, Utah Household median income: $121,867 Livability: 89 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,887 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,845 Total cost of living monthly: $5,733 Battle Ground, Washington Household median income: $94,360 Livability: 90 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,085 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,582 Total cost of living monthly: $5,667 Pictured: Vancouver, Washington
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto Gilbert, Arizona Household median income: $115,179 Livability: 89 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,076 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,513 Total cost of living monthly: $5,589 For You: What the Upper Middle Class Make in Different US Cities
FierceAbin / iStock.com Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin Household median income: $142,356 Livability: 93 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,973 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,577 Total cost of living monthly: $5,549 Pictured: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alex Potemkin / Getty Images Pompton Lakes, New Jersey Household median income: $113,781 Livability: 92 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,244 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,013 Total cost of living monthly: $5,258 Pictured: Patterson, New Jersey
traveler1116 / iStock.com Grandview Heights, Ohio Household median income: $100,833 Livability: 94 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,902 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,334 Total cost of living monthly: $5,236 Pictured: Columbus, Ohio
Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto Jenkintown, Pennsylvania Household median income: $118,750 Livability: 94 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,115 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,083 Total cost of living monthly: $5,197 Pictured: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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benedek / Getty Images/iStockphoto Los Alamos, New Mexico Household median income: $130,342 Livability: 81 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,706 Mortgage monthly average cost: $3,479 Total cost of living monthly: $5,184 Roman Sorokin / Shutterstock.com Sitka, Alaska Household median income: $95,261 Livability: 85 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,188 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,946 Total cost of living monthly: $5,134 DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto New Milford, Connecticut Household median income: $70,625 Livability: 85 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,166 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,833 Total cost of living monthly: $4,999 Pictured: Danbury, Connecticut
ArtbyAllyson / Getty Images/iStockphoto Post Falls, Idaho Household median income: $71,042 Livability: 88 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,850 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,993 Total cost of living monthly: $4,843 See Next: How Much Do You Get for One Person On SNAP 2024?
TW Farlow / Getty Images/iStockphoto Pittsford, New York Household median income: $116,250 Livability: 93 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,033 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,795 Total cost of living monthly: $4,828 lucky-photographer / Getty Images Las Vegas Household median income: $66,356 Livability: 82 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,165 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,653 Total cost of living monthly: $4,819 ErikaMitchell / Getty Images/iStockphoto Montpelier, Vermont Household median income: $76,143 Livability: 83 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,085 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,609 Total cost of living monthly: $4,694 Brynn Anderson/AP/Shutterstock / Brynn Anderson/AP/Shutterstock Hoover, Alabama Household median income: $101,765 Livability: 83 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,051 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,600 Total cost of living monthly: $4,652 Explore More: America’s 50 Fastest-Growing Suburbs With Home Values Under $500,000
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto Cranston, Rhode Island Household median income: $83,123 Livability: 85 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,076 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,528 Total cost of living monthly: $4,603 Jon Bilous / Shutterstock.com Concord, New Hampshire Household median income: $77,874 Livability: 88 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,866 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,642 Total cost of living monthly: $4,508 PookieFugglestein / Wikimedia Commons Newark, Delaware Household median income: $67,738 Livability: 83 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,209 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,103 Total cost of living monthly: $4,312 RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images Cheyenne, Wyoming Household median income: $74,989 Livability: 83 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,034 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,196 Total cost of living monthly: $4,230 Consider This: In Less Than a Year, You’ll Regret Not Having Bought Property in These 20 Housing Markets
Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock.com Brandon, South Dakota Household median income: $101,747 Livability: 87 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,881 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,272 Total cost of living monthly: $4,152 Steven Wagner / Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA 2 Denton, Texas Household median income: $71,921 Livability: 85 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,940 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,207 Total cost of living monthly: $4,147 SeanPavonePhoto / iStock.com Simpsonville, South Carolina Household median income: $79,937 Livability: 86 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,891 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,197 Total cost of living monthly: $4,088 Pictured: Greenville, South Carolina
BergmannD / Getty Images/iStockphoto Lawrence, Kansas Household median income: $59,834 Livability: 88 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,158 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,867 Total cost of living monthly: $4,025 Check Out: 20 Best Cities Where You Can Buy a House for Under $100K
James Kirkikis / Shutterstock.com Oxford, Mississippi Household median income: $56,784 Livability: 88 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,869 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,120 Total cost of living monthly: $3,989 Stone s Throwe Photo / Shutterstock.com Ankeny, Iowa Household median income: $101,151 Livability: 92 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,896 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,079 Total cost of living monthly: $3,975 Aeypix / Shutterstock.com West Lafayette, Indiana Household median income: $30,317 Livability: 90 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,793 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,143 Total cost of living monthly: $3,936 Michael Warren / Getty Images/iStockphoto Rogers, Arkansas Household median income: $78,075 Livability: 88 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,825 Mortgage monthly average cost: $2,083 Total cost of living monthly: $3,908 Read More: 40 States Where You’ll Feel the Biggest Social Security Increase This Year
Art Wager / Getty Images/iStockphoto Metairie, Louisiana Household median income: $72,070 Livability: 85 Expenditure monthly average cost: $2,065 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,754 Total cost of living monthly: $3,819 DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto Rochester, Minnesota Household median income: $83,973 Livability: 92 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,829 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,989 Total cost of living monthly: $3,818 ©Redfin Clarksville, Tennessee Household median income: $62,688 Livability: 83 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,895 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,828 Total cost of living monthly: $3,723 Yan Lu / Getty Images/iStockphoto Bellevue, Washington Household median income: $79,839 Livability: 87 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,995 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,715 Total cost of living monthly: $3,710 For You: These Are America’s 50 Fastest-Growing Retirement Hot Spots
benkrut / iStock.com Clawson, Michigan Household median income: $82,713 Livability: 92 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,967 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,709 Total cost of living monthly: $3,676 Guy RD / Shutterstock.com Fargo, North Dakota Household median income: $64,432 Livability: 84 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,825 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,823 Total cost of living monthly: $3,648 Gau Meo / Shutterstock.com Norman, Oklahoma Household median income: $62,849 Livability: 83 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,991 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,536 Total cost of living monthly: $3,527 Art Wager / iStock.com Maplewood, Missouri Household median income: $58,448 Livability: 87 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,899 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,566 Total cost of living monthly: $3,465 Pictured: St. Louis, Missouri
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©Shutterstock.com Lynchburg, Virginia Household median income: $56,243 Livability: 91 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,856 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,516 Total cost of living monthly: $3,371 Doug Lemke / Shutterstock.com Bellevue, Kentucky Household median income: $66,741 Livability: 92 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,958 Mortgage monthly average cost: $1,388 Total cost of living monthly: $3,346 DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images Jerome, Illinois Household median income: $52,083 Livability: 92 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,902 Mortgage monthly average cost: $841 Total cost of living monthly: $2,743 Pictured: Springfield, Illinois
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto Nutter Fort, West Virginia Household median income: $56,125 Livability: 87 Expenditure monthly average cost: $1,929 Mortgage monthly average cost: $757 Total cost of living monthly: $2,685 Pictured: Fairmont, West Virginia
Methodology. For this study, GOBankingRates found the most livable city in each state and how much it costs to live there. First GOBankingRates found the livability index for each city recording the city with the highest livability index. For each city a number of factors were found including; total population, total households, household median income all sourced from the US Census American Community Survey, the average single family home value from May 2024 as sourced from Zillow Home Value Index, the cost of living indexes as sourced from Sperlings BestPlaces, and the livability index as sourced from AreaVibes. Using the cost of living indexes and the average expenditure costs as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey for all residents, the average expenditure cost for each city can be calculated. Using the average home value, assuming a 10% downpayment, and by using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage cost can be calculated. Using the mortgage and expenditure cost, the total monthly average cost of living can be calculated. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 8th, 2024.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : The Most Livable City in Every State and What It Will Cost You
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