Housing Costs by State 2026
Housing is where states differ most on price. Median home price, median 2-bedroom rent, mortgage affordability at current rates, and the income required to comfortably buy in each state.
Rents are up 32% since 2020
See how far rents have moved since any year on the BLS rent index, against prices overall. Official BLS figures to September 2026.
All 50 states
Housing affordability ranked
Sorted by median home price (cheapest first). Required income assumes 20% down at a 7.40% 30-year fixed rate, with property taxes and insurance escrowed.
| State | Housing index | Median home | Median 2BR rent | Median income | Price-to-income | Mortgage P&I | Required income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 54.2 | $170,800 | $906 | $60,798 | 2.8x | $946/mo | $47,866 |
| Mississippi | 56.5 | $186,500 | $963 | $59,127 | 3.2x | $1,033/mo | $52,266 |
| Arkansas | 58.2 | $215,600 | $934 | $62,106 | 3.5x | $1,194/mo | $60,421 |
| Oklahoma | 62.8 | $222,100 | $1,032 | $66,148 | 3.4x | $1,230/mo | $62,242 |
| Louisiana | 63.1 | $223,200 | $1,041 | $60,986 | 3.7x | $1,236/mo | $62,551 |
| Kentucky | 64.3 | $226,000 | $1,006 | $64,526 | 3.5x | $1,252/mo | $63,335 |
| Iowa | 65.3 | $227,300 | $1,003 | $75,501 | 3.0x | $1,259/mo | $63,700 |
| Alabama | 61.8 | $233,300 | $1,048 | $66,659 | 3.5x | $1,292/mo | $65,381 |
| Kansas | 71.2 | $238,700 | $1,082 | $75,514 | 3.2x | $1,322/mo | $66,894 |
| Ohio | 73.0 | $239,800 | $1,122 | $72,212 | 3.3x | $1,328/mo | $67,203 |
| Indiana | 73.9 | $243,500 | $1,132 | $71,959 | 3.4x | $1,349/mo | $68,240 |
| Michigan | 82.3 | $254,200 | $1,200 | $72,389 | 3.5x | $1,408/mo | $71,238 |
| Missouri | 69.9 | $254,400 | $1,057 | $71,589 | 3.6x | $1,409/mo | $71,294 |
| Nebraska | 75.2 | $263,100 | $1,092 | $76,376 | 3.4x | $1,457/mo | $73,732 |
| North Dakota | 71.4 | $266,100 | $950 | $77,871 | 3.4x | $1,474/mo | $74,573 |
| Pennsylvania | 85.1 | $277,600 | $1,307 | $77,545 | 3.6x | $1,538/mo | $77,796 |
| New Mexico | 73.6 | $279,900 | $1,104 | $67,816 | 4.1x | $1,550/mo | $78,440 |
| Illinois | 93.9 | $280,700 | $1,333 | $83,211 | 3.4x | $1,555/mo | $78,665 |
| South Dakota | 67.6 | $289,600 | $1,071 | $76,881 | 3.8x | $1,604/mo | $81,159 |
| Wisconsin | 79.3 | $294,700 | $1,149 | $77,488 | 3.8x | $1,632/mo | $82,588 |
| South Carolina | 80.5 | $299,500 | $1,275 | $72,350 | 4.1x | $1,659/mo | $83,933 |
| Texas | 96.5 | $313,200 | $1,475 | $79,721 | 3.9x | $1,735/mo | $87,773 |
| Tennessee | 79.1 | $332,600 | $1,225 | $71,997 | 4.6x | $1,842/mo | $93,209 |
| North Carolina | 81.4 | $333,000 | $1,277 | $73,958 | 4.5x | $1,844/mo | $93,321 |
| Wyoming | 71.1 | $339,500 | $972 | $75,532 | 4.5x | $1,881/mo | $95,143 |
| Maine | 78.9 | $341,900 | $1,325 | $76,442 | 4.5x | $1,894/mo | $95,816 |
| Georgia | 88.7 | $343,300 | $1,459 | $79,991 | 4.3x | $1,902/mo | $96,208 |
| Minnesota | 91.3 | $344,600 | $1,369 | $87,117 | 4.0x | $1,909/mo | $96,572 |
| Vermont | 86.5 | $352,800 | $1,509 | $82,730 | 4.3x | $1,954/mo | $98,870 |
| Delaware | 102.0 | $371,600 | $1,564 | $87,534 | 4.2x | $2,058/mo | $104,139 |
| Alaska | 93.8 | $376,500 | $1,453 | $95,665 | 3.9x | $2,085/mo | $105,512 |
| Connecticut | 117.0 | $396,900 | $1,658 | $96,049 | 4.1x | $2,198/mo | $111,229 |
| Florida | 122.1 | $396,900 | $1,812 | $77,735 | 5.1x | $2,198/mo | $111,229 |
| Virginia | 106.8 | $403,500 | $1,555 | $92,090 | 4.4x | $2,235/mo | $113,079 |
| Montana | 84.6 | $425,400 | $1,234 | $75,340 | 5.6x | $2,356/mo | $119,216 |
| Arizona | 106.8 | $426,000 | $1,649 | $81,486 | 5.2x | $2,360/mo | $119,384 |
| Maryland | 121.1 | $436,300 | $1,758 | $102,905 | 4.2x | $2,417/mo | $122,271 |
| Idaho | 90.0 | $446,400 | $1,275 | $81,166 | 5.5x | $2,473/mo | $125,101 |
| New York | 122.2 | $449,800 | $1,634 | $85,820 | 5.2x | $2,491/mo | $126,054 |
| Nevada | 114.1 | $455,500 | $1,646 | $81,134 | 5.6x | $2,523/mo | $127,651 |
| Rhode Island | 105.6 | $455,700 | $1,624 | $83,504 | 5.5x | $2,524/mo | $127,707 |
| New Hampshire | 114.9 | $458,800 | $1,687 | $99,782 | 4.6x | $2,541/mo | $128,576 |
| New Jersey | 134.3 | $496,000 | $1,885 | $104,294 | 4.8x | $2,747/mo | $139,001 |
| Oregon | 108.6 | $497,500 | $1,620 | $85,220 | 5.8x | $2,756/mo | $139,422 |
| Utah | 107.8 | $545,200 | $1,545 | $96,658 | 5.6x | $3,020/mo | $152,789 |
| Colorado | 127.4 | $574,600 | $1,857 | $97,113 | 5.9x | $3,183/mo | $161,028 |
| Washington | 126.0 | $602,200 | $1,837 | $99,389 | 6.1x | $3,336/mo | $168,763 |
| Massachusetts | 128.1 | $607,400 | $1,962 | $104,828 | 5.8x | $3,364/mo | $170,221 |
| California | 154.3 | $759,500 | $2,179 | $100,149 | 7.6x | $4,207/mo | $212,846 |
| Hawaii | 125.3 | $875,900 | $1,953 | $100,745 | 8.7x | $4,852/mo | $245,466 |
Sources: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates (B25077 median value of owner-occupied homes, B25031 median gross rent for 2-bedroom units, B19013 median household income). Reference 30-year fixed mortgage rate 7.40% (Freddie Mac PMMS, 15 October 2026).
Cheapest 10 for housing
Where homes are most affordable
- #1West Virginia$170,800
- #2Mississippi$186,500
- #3Arkansas$215,600
- #4Oklahoma$222,100
- #5Louisiana$223,200
- #6Kentucky$226,000
- #7Iowa$227,300
- #8Alabama$233,300
- #9Kansas$238,700
- #10Ohio$239,800
Most expensive 10 for housing
Where homes cost the most
- #1Hawaii$875,900
- #2California$759,500
- #3Massachusetts$607,400
- #4Washington$602,200
- #5Colorado$574,600
- #6Utah$545,200
- #7Oregon$497,500
- #8New Jersey$496,000
- #9New Hampshire$458,800
- #10Rhode Island$455,700
How much house can you afford?
Your income and debts against today’s mortgage rates, with each state’s property tax and insurance, in all 50 states.
Frequently Asked
Housing costs, answered
What is the cheapest state for housing in 2026?
West Virginia at a median home of $170,800 (BEA housing parity 54.2). Mississippi ($186,500) and Arkansas ($215,600) follow. All three offer median household incomes that, while below the national average, support comfortable home ownership.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in 2026?
It depends on the state, and one quick gauge is the price-to-rent ratio: the median home value divided by a year of the median 2-bedroom gross rent (both Census ACS 2024 1-year). The lowest ratios, where buying stretches least against renting, are West Virginia 15.7, Mississippi 16.1, Illinois 17.5. The highest are Hawaii 37.4, Utah 29.4, Idaho 29.2. At a 7.40% 30-year rate (Freddie Mac, 15 October 2026) the higher the ratio, the harder ownership is to justify on cost alone; there is no single breakeven figure, because it moves with the rate, property tax, maintenance and how long you stay.
How much income do I need to afford a median home?
Using the standard 28% debt-to-income rule, 20% down and a 7.40% 30-year rate, the income needed for the US median home ($360,600, Census ACS 2024 1-year) is about $101,056. In Hawaii ($875,900) it climbs to about $245,466. In West Virginia ($170,800) it drops to about $47,866.
What's the home-price-to-income ratio?
Median home value divided by median household income, both from the Census ACS 2024 1-year estimates; the US figure is 4.4. The highest are Hawaii 8.7, California 7.6, Washington 6.1. The lowest are West Virginia 2.8, Iowa 3.0, Mississippi 3.2. A lower ratio means a median earner needs fewer years of income to buy the median home.
Why is housing the biggest factor in cost of living?
Housing is the largest spending category in the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, and its price varies far more between states than goods do. On the BEA 2024 parities, the goods parity runs only from 93.6 to 111.6, while housing rents run from 54.2 to 154.3. Utilities spread even wider in parity terms but take a much smaller share of spending, so the housing parity does most of the work in separating cheap states from dear ones.