A bigger salary doesn’t always mean a better financial life. Where you live can have an enormous impact on what your paycheck actually buys once housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and taxes enter the equation.
According to MERIC’s first-quarter 2026 Cost of Living Index, many of America’s least expensive states are concentrated in the South and Midwest. A score below 100 indicates costs below the national benchmark, and housing is often where the biggest savings appear. READ MORE
