Yahoo Finance 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.
Read Next: States Whose Economies Are Failing vs. States Whose Economies Are Thriving
Be Aware: 6 Unusual Ways to Make Extra Money (That Actually Work)
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.
Alabama
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
Discover More: Here’s the Income Needed To Be in the Top 1% in All 50 States
Try This: 8 States To Move to If You Don’t Want To Pay Taxes on Social Security
Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week.
Alaska
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
Find Out: The Minimum Salary You Need To Buy a Home in 2024 in All 50 States
Arkansas
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
Florida
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
Idaho
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
Indiana
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
Trending Now: Early Retirement: How Much Savings Is Needed To Retire by 50 in Every State
Iowa
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
Kansas
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
Kentucky
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
Louisiana
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
Learn More: Here’s How Much the Definition of Middle Class Has Changed in Every State
Mississippi
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
Missouri
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
Montana
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
Nebraska
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
Check Out: 40 States Where You’ll Feel the Biggest Social Security Increase This Year
North Carolina
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
North Dakota
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
Ohio
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
Oklahoma
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
Read More: How I Went From Middle Class to Upper Middle Class
South Carolina
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
South Dakota
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
Tennessee
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
Texas
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
Explore More: Here’s the Living Wage a Single Person Needs To Live Comfortably in Arizona
Utah
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)
West Virginia
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
Wyoming
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
More From GOBankingRates
Mechanics Explain Why You Should Never Buy These 6 Popular Car Brands
9 Things the Middle-Class Should Consider Downsizing To Save on Monthly Expenses
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much It Costs To Live in Every Red State in the US
