How Much It Costs To Live in Every Red State in the US

When it comes to politics, the United States is fiercely, well, non-united. You’ve got “blue” states, whose voting population is composed largely of Democrats, and “red” states, whose voting population is composed largely of Republicans. Then you’ve got your swing or “purple” states, which are known to go, most unpredictably, either way during elections: red or blue.

Lately, we’ve been seeing droves of Americans move to red states, perhaps not only based on their political stances but because the cost of living may be cheaper than in blue states. People in blue states are often wealthier, and housing is typically more expensive. 

If you’re thinking about relocating to a red state from a blue or purple one, you’re probably wondering how much it costs to live there. To answer your money questions here, GOBankingRates tapped U.S. News & World Report to find the most up-to-date list of red states. Then, data from RentCafe was compiled to determine red states’ average cost of living (including housing, utility costs, food costs, healthcare costs, transportation costs, and costs of goods and services) compared with the national average cost of living. (Cost of living data for Montana was sourced from the 2023 cost of living index from the Council for Community and Economic Research, as reported by Ramsey Solutions.)

Below, all 2024 red states are listed in alphabetical order. Let’s have a look at how much it costs to live in each, based on various factors.

• Cost of living compared with national average: 11% lower 
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 36% lower  
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 10% higher 
• Cost of food compared with national average: 7% lower  
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 16% lower 
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 10% higher 
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 4% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 30% higher 
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 17% higher  
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 49% higher 
• Cost of food compared with national average: 36% higher  
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 48% higher 
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 28% higher 
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 30% higher

• Cost of living compared with national average: 8% lower  
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 22% lower     
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 6% lower   
• Cost of food compared with national average: 4% lower 
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 11% lower  
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 7% lower 
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 1% higher

• Cost of living compared with national average: 2% lower  
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 0% (on par)    
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 2% lower   
• Cost of food compared with national average: 2% lower 
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 5% lower  
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 0% (on par)   
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 4% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 6% lower  
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 16% lower    
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 15% lower   
• Cost of food compared with national average: 2% lower 
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 1% lower  
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 11% higher
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 3% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 8% lower  
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 22% lower    
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 4% higher   
• Cost of food compared with national average: 1% lower 
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 1% lower  
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 4% lower
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 6% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 5% lower    
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 17% lower     
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 4% lower     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 0% (on par)   
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 6% higher  
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 5% higher  
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 3% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 13% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 32% lower  
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 0% (on par)     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 3% lower    
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 0% (on par)    
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 9% lower   
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 9% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 7% lower    
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 22% lower  
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 2% higher     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 5% lower  
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 12% lower   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 10% higher 
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 3% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 9% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 18% lower   
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 16% lower      
• Cost of food compared with national average: 5% lower   
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 1% lower    
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 6% lower  
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 4% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 14% lower    
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 30% lower  
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 12% lower     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 3% lower   
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 2% lower   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 9% lower  
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 9% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 8% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 18% lower  
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 6% lower   
• Cost of food compared with national average: 1% lower  
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 7% lower   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 0% (on par)  
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 6% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 2.2% higher    
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 3% higher  
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 7.8% lower    
• Cost of food compared with national average: 2.9% higher 
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 2% lower
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 9% higher 
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 2.9% higher

• Cost of living compared with national average: 9% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 21% lower   
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 15% lower     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 4% lower 
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 2% lower   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 0% (on par) 
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 4% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 5% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 14% lower   
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 2% lower     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 0% (on par)  
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 6% higher   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 5% lower   
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 1% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 5% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 16% lower   
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 1% lower     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 6% lower
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 11% higher   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 0% (on par)  
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 1% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 8% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 22% lower   
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 3% lower     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 2% lower
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 5% lower   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 6% higher  
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 5% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 12% lower
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 28% lower   
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 4% lower     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 4% lower
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 6% lower   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 5% lower  
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 7% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 6% lower    
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 21% lower   
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 8% higher     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 1% higher  
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 6% lower    
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 4% lower 
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 2% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 7% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 12% lower 
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 13% lower      
• Cost of food compared with national average: 3% lower        
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 2% lower   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 2% lower   
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 6% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 10% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 18% lower  
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 8% lower      
• Cost of food compared with national average: 4% lower   
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 13% lower    
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 13% lower  
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 6% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 7% lower    
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 17% lower  
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 3% higher    
• Cost of food compared with national average: 6% lower   
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 7% lower    
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 3% lower   
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 4% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 1% higher   
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 4% higher   
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 7% lower      
• Cost of food compared with national average: 2% lower   
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 10% lower   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 10% higher   
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 0% (on par)

• Cost of living compared with national average: 9% lower  
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 20% lower 
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 6% lower     
• Cost of food compared with national average: 5% lower 
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 8% lower  
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 6% higher 
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 6% lower

• Cost of living compared with national average: 7% lower     
• Cost of housing compared with national average: 19% lower 
• Cost of utilities compared with national average: 13% lower    
• Cost of food compared with national average: 2% higher 
• Cost of healthcare compared with national average: 0% (on par)   
• Cost of transportation compared with national average: 5% lower  
• Cost of goods and services compared with national average: 2% lower