Most Livable City in Every State and What It Will Cost You

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.

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.

• 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   

• 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 

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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 

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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 

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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 

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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.