West Virginia and Kansas had the lowest cost of living across all U.S. states, with composite costs being half of those found in Hawaii. This was according to a composite index that compares prices for various goods and services on a state-by-state basis. In West Virginia, the cost of living index amounted to **** — well below the national benchmark of 100. Virginia— which had an index value of ***** — was only slightly above that benchmark. Expensive places to live included Hawaii, Massachusetts, and California. Housing costs in the U.S. Housing is usually the highest expense in a household’s budget. In 2023, the average house sold for approximately ******* U.S. dollars, but house prices in the Northeast and West regions were significantly higher. Conversely, the South had some of the least expensive housing. In West Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana, the median price of the typical single-family home was less than ******* U.S. dollars. That makes living expenses in these states significantly lower than in states such as Hawaii and California, where housing is much pricier. What other expenses affect the cost of living? Utility costs such as electricity, natural gas, water, and internet also influence the cost of living. In Alaska, Hawaii, and Connecticut, the average monthly utility cost exceeded *** U.S. dollars. That was because of the significantly higher prices for electricity and natural gas in these states.

In 2024, the annual cost for a private room in an assisted living facility in the U.S. amounted to 70,800 U.S. dollars - the national median price. However, cost varied greatly from one state to another. The least expensive states for a private room in assisted living were South Dakota, and Mississippi. While the most expensive states for assisted living were Hawaii and Alaska.

In 2024, the annual cost for a private room in an assisted living facility in the U.S. amounted to 70,800 U.S. dollars. However, costs varied greatly from one state to another. The most expensive states for a private room in assisted living was found in Hawaii, followed by Alaska and DC.

In the United States, a private room in a nursing home facility came with a cost of 127,750 U.S. dollars per year in 2024. However, the costs for private rooms in the US varied greatly from one state to another. That year, the annual cost for a private room in Alaska stood at 364,452 U.S. dollars, roughly three times the national average. The second-most expensive state for a private room in nursing home facilities was Oregon, followed by DC.

The annual cost for home health services in the U.S. was 77,792 US dollars in 2024, yet varied greatly from one state to another. In that year, the most expensive U.S. state for home health aide was South Dakota, with annual cost over 100 thousand U.S. dollars.

In the United States, Hawaii was the state with the most expensive housing, with the typical value of single-family homes in the 35th to 65th percentile range exceeding ******* U.S. dollars. Unsurprisingly, Hawaii also ranked top as the state with the highest cost of living. Meanwhile, a property was the least expensive in West Virginia, where it cost under ******* U.S. dollars to buy the typical single-family home. Single-family home prices increased across most states in the United States between December 2023 and December 2024, except in Louisiana, Florida, and the District of Colombia. According to the Federal Housing Association, house appreciation in 13 states exceeded **** percent in 2023.

In 2024, the southern state of Oklahoma offered the least affordable homeowners insurance conditions for homeowners in the United States. Homeowners in Oklahoma paid annually almost 5,495 U.S. dollars in order to have insurance coverage for their homes. In the meantime, homeowners in the midwestern state of Nebraska had to spend approximately 4,135 U.S. dollars on an annual basis for the same sort of insurance.

The graph illustrates the most expensive drugs in the United States for the year 2024. The x-axis lists the drug names, including Lenmeldy***, Hemgenix*, Elevidys*, Skysona*, Zynteglo*, Zolgensma*, Myalept**, Danyelza**, Zokinvy**, and Kimmtrak**, while the y-axis represents the cost of each drug in U.S. dollars. Among these, Lenmeldy*** stands as the most costly medication at $4,250,000, followed by Hemgenix* at $3,500,000 and Elevidys* at $3,200,000. The prices gradually decrease with Skysona* priced at $3,000,000, Zynteglo* at $2,800,000, and Zolgensma* at $2,100,000. The remaining drugs—Myalept** ($1,300,000), Danyelza** and Zokinvy** (each at $1,200,000), and Kimmtrak** ($1,100,000)—are comparatively less expensive but still among the highest-priced medications available. The data reveals a significant disparity in drug costs, with the top-priced drug being nearly four times more expensive than the least expensive one listed. This steep decline from the highest to the lowest cost highlights the wide range of prices within the most expensive pharmaceuticals in the U.S. for 2024. The information is effectively represented in a bar graph format, which clearly showcases the differences in drug prices and emphasizes the concentration of costs among the top-tier medications.

Graph and download economic data for Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (MSPUS) from Q1 1963 to Q1 2025 about sales, median, housing, and USA.

The Affordable Housing Appeals Procedure List is published annually on or about February 1. The data for the Affordable Housing Appeals Procedure List comes from different sources including federal, state and local programs. This makes it difficult to ensure complete accuracy, so DOH asks municipalities to provide a local administrative review of and input on the street addresses of units and projects as well as information on deed-restricted units. The responses received by DOH vary widely from each municipality. In developing the Affordable Housing Appeals Procedure List, DOH counts: -Assisted housing units or housing receiving financial assistance under any governmental program for the construction or substantial rehabilitation of low and moderate income housing that was occupied or under construction by the end date of the report period for compilation of a given year’s list; -Rental housing occupied by persons receiving rental assistance under C.G.S. Chapter 138a (State Rental Assistance/RAP) or Section 142f of Title 42 of the U.S. Code (Section 8); -Ownership housing or housing currently financed by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and/or the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and -Deed-restricted properties or properties with deeds containing covenants or restrictions that require such dwelling unit(s) be sold or rented at or below prices that will preserve the unit(s) as affordable housing as defined in C.G.S. Section 8-39a for persons or families whose incomes are less than or equal to 80% of the area median income.

In 2023 and 2024, the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University was ranked as the least expensive quality business school in the United States, with a tuition costs of 234 U.S. dollars per credit for in-state, full-time students. MBA programs generally require between 30 to 60 credits which can be completed by full-time students in about two years.

This map uses a two-color thematic shading to emphasize where areas experience the least to the most affordable housing across the US. This web map is part of the How Affordable is the American Dream story map.

Esri’s Housing Affordability Index (HAI) is a powerful tool to analyze local real estate markets. Esri’s housing affordability index measures the financial ability of a typical household to purchase an existing home in an area. A HAI of 100 represents an area that on average has sufficient household income to qualify for a loan on a home valued at the median home price. An index greater than 100 suggests homes are easily afforded by the average area resident. A HAI less than 100 suggests that homes are less affordable. The housing affordability index is not applicable in areas with no households or in predominantly rental markets . Esri’s home value estimates cover owner-occupied homes only. For a full demographic analysis of US growth refer to Esri's Trending in 2017: The Selectivity of Growth.

The pop-up is configured to show the following 2017 demographics for each County and ZIP Code:

Total Households 2010-17 Annual Pop Change Median Age Percent Owner-Occupied Housing Units Median Household Income Median Home Value Housing Affordability Index Share of Income to Mortgage

In 2024, the annual median cost for in-home care in the United States, such as homemaker services, amounted to 75,504 US dollars. However, cost varied greatly from one state to another. That year, the most expensive state for homemaker services was South Dakota, with costs amounting to more than 100 thousand U.S. dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Employment Cost Index: Total compensation for State and local government workers in Public administration (CIU3019200000000I) from Q1 2001 to Q1 2025 about administrative, state & local, ECI, public, compensation, workers, government, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Average Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (ASPUS) from Q1 1963 to Q1 2025 about sales, housing, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Employment Cost Index: Total compensation for State and local government workers in Schools (CIU3016105000000I) from Q1 2001 to Q1 2025 about schools, state & local, ECI, compensation, workers, government, and USA.

A table listing the average electricity rates (kWh) of all 50 U.S. states as of March 2025.

Affordable Housing - This indicator shows the percentage of housing units sold that are affordable on the median teacher’s salary. Affordable housing can improve health by providing greater stability and reducing stress. Having affordable housing can allow family resources to be used for other needs like healthy food and healthcare. Link to Data Details

[Metadata] Inventory of the State of Hawaii’s affordable housing projects as of February 2023. The list includes affordable housing projects owned by private, non-profit, or governmental entities, developed with funding or support from federal, state or county resources. Data was downloaded from the HHFDC website (https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/hhfdc/affordable-housing-inventory/affordable-rental-housing-inventory/) in PDF format by Hawaii Statewide GIS Program staff, converted to Excel and geocoded in ArcGIS Pro. Projects with no addresses were not included. Data updates are posted periodically on the HHFDC website; users should check the site for the latest copy of the PDF file. For more information, please refer to metadata at https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/op/gis/data/Afford_Rent_Hsng_Inv_HHFDC.pdf or contact Hawaii Statewide GIS Program, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, State of Hawaii; PO Box 2359, Honolulu, Hi. 96804; (808) 587-2846; email: gis@hawaii.gov; Website: https://planning.hawaii.gov/gis.

In 2024, the average daily cost for adult day health care services in the U.S. stood at 100 U.S. dollars. However, such costs varied greatly from one state to another. In that year, the most expensive state for adult day health care services was by far Oregon, amounting to 284 U.S. dollars a day, while in Delaware daily rates were just 35 U.S. dollars. In the most expensive states, the daily cost of adult day care actually exceeded that of assisted living facilities and sometimes even home health care. The large variation may be in part due to the source using community subsidy rates where available, thus lower rates were reported, while states with higher rates may capture the full private pay rates.