Cheapest States to Live In: Lowest Rent & Housing Costs

Use this ranking as a fast shortlist tool, then open the underlying state guides before relying on a move decision. The table is sorted by the displayed metric only.
#StateMedian RentRelocation Hub
1 Arkansas $950 View Arkansas Guide
2 Kentucky $950 View Kentucky Guide
3 Oklahoma $950 View Oklahoma Guide
4 West Virginia $950 View West Virginia Guide
5 Indiana $1,000 View Indiana Guide
6 Iowa $1,000 View Iowa Guide
7 Kansas $1,000 View Kansas Guide
8 Mississippi $1,000 View Mississippi Guide
9 Missouri $1,000 View Missouri Guide
10 Ohio $1,000 View Ohio Guide
11 Alabama $1,050 View Alabama Guide
12 South Dakota $1,050 View South Dakota Guide
13 Nebraska $1,100 View Nebraska Guide
14 North Dakota $1,100 View North Dakota Guide
15 New Mexico $1,150 View New Mexico Guide
Sources & Methodology

How to read Cheapest States to Live In: Lowest Rent & Housing Costs responsibly

Page provenance

  • Published: 2026-04-05
  • Last reviewed: 2026-04-05
  • Data last refreshed: 2026-04-05
  • Author: Living in USA Today Editorial Team
  • Reviewer: Living in USA Today Editorial Team

Methodology

This page is a ranking utility for Cheapest States to Live In: Lowest Rent & Housing Costs. It is sorted only by the metric shown on the page and should be used to open the underlying guides, not to make a move decision in isolation.

Coverage and limits

This ranking currently includes 15 approved state guides sorted by Median Rent. It does not replace full state-level decision research.

Source status

Official source URLs render when they are present in the shared registry or page metadata. High-volatility claims should keep gaining direct agency or dataset coverage during audit passes.

Verify before acting

  • Use this ranking to shortlist options, not to make a final relocation decision in isolation.
  • Open the underlying state guide before relying on a single metric or label.
  • Re-check whether the displayed metric still matches your actual move constraint.