Top 25 U.S. cities with the highest and lowest cost of living index. National average is 100. Pop > 20,000.
| # | City | Population | COL Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Park, TX | 25,104 | 324.6 |
| 2 | Wellesley, MA | 29,906 | 324.6 |
| 3 | Southlake, TX | 31,044 | 324.6 |
| 4 | Saratoga, CA | 30,335 | 320.7 |
| 5 | Cupertino, CA | 58,886 | 316.0 |
| 6 | Sammamish, WA | 66,375 | 314.1 |
| 7 | Lexington, MA | 34,085 | 310.0 |
| 8 | Menlo Park, CA | 32,775 | 303.4 |
| 9 | Brambleton, VA | 23,999 | 303.0 |
| 10 | Parkland, FL | 35,799 | 300.0 |
| 11 | McLean, VA | 50,232 | 297.6 |
| 12 | Cottage Lake, WA | 23,170 | 296.9 |
| 13 | Manhattan Beach, CA | 34,584 | 296.5 |
| 14 | Los Altos, CA | 30,736 | 296.3 |
| 15 | Potomac, MD | 46,230 | 295.3 |
| 16 | Garden City, NY | 22,866 | 293.7 |
| 17 | Colleyville, TX | 25,906 | 292.4 |
| 18 | San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 291.9 |
| 19 | Granite Bay, CA | 21,378 | 291.7 |
| 20 | North Tustin, CA | 26,038 | 290.0 |
| 21 | Danville, CA | 43,426 | 290.0 |
| 22 | La Cañada Flintridge, CA | 20,094 | 289.4 |
| 23 | Lafayette, CA | 25,277 | 287.9 |
| 24 | Westfield, NJ | 30,760 | 287.8 |
| 25 | Palo Alto, CA | 67,231 | 286.4 |
| # | City | Population | COL Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Youngstown, OH | 59,605 | 67.2 |
| 2 | Gadsden, AL | 33,617 | 70.4 |
| 3 | Carbondale, IL | 21,813 | 71.4 |
| 4 | Flint, MI | 80,835 | 71.7 |
| 5 | Marion, IN | 27,384 | 72.1 |
| 6 | Pine Bluff, AR | 40,436 | 72.2 |
| 7 | Greenville, MS | 28,833 | 72.5 |
| 8 | Warren, OH | 39,057 | 72.5 |
| 9 | New Castle, PA | 21,727 | 72.6 |
| 10 | Zanesville, OH | 24,726 | 72.7 |
| 11 | Saginaw, MI | 43,879 | 73.0 |
| 12 | East Chicago, IN | 26,158 | 73.1 |
| 13 | Meridian, MS | 34,466 | 73.5 |
| 14 | Danville, IL | 28,663 | 74.4 |
| 15 | Danville, VA | 42,239 | 74.6 |
| 16 | Canton, OH | 70,105 | 74.6 |
| 17 | Galesburg, IL | 29,653 | 75.0 |
| 18 | Parkersburg, WV | 29,461 | 75.0 |
| 19 | San Benito, TX | 24,677 | 75.1 |
| 20 | Mansfield, OH | 47,686 | 75.1 |
| 21 | Pittsburg, KS | 20,606 | 75.2 |
| 22 | West Memphis, AR | 24,147 | 75.3 |
| 23 | Greenwood, SC | 22,527 | 75.4 |
| 24 | Jamestown, NY | 28,401 | 75.6 |
| 25 | Columbus, MS | 23,616 | 76.4 |
University Park, TX ranks #1 for most expensive among U.S. cities with populations over 20,000, with a value of 324.6. Rounding out the top cities are Wellesley, MA, Southlake, TX, Saratoga, CA. On the other end, Youngstown, OH has the least expensive value at 67.2. This ranking includes only cities with populations above 20,000. Data sourced from BLS / C2ER.