A dataset listing the 20 richest counties in Florida for 2024, including information on rank, county, population, average income, and median income.

In 2025, households in the Fort Lauderdale HMFA metro needed an hourly wage of ******U.S. dollars to afford the rent of a two-bedroom apartment. Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall HMFA had the second most expensive two-bedroom apartments as a household would have to earn at least ******U.S. dollars in order to afford rent payments.On the other hand, Levy County HMFA was the most affordable metro, requiring renters to earn less than ******U.S. dollars in hourly wages to afford monthly rent.

In 2025, a two-bedroom apartment in Fort Lauderdale HMFA had a fair market rent of about ***** U.S. dollars monthly, making it the most expensive metropolitan area in Florida. This also happens to be the metropolitan area with the highest hourly wage required to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Florida. On the other hand, the Levy County HMFA metro was the most affordable, requiring renters to spend at least *** U.S. dollars respectively in monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment.

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.