Los Angeles, California Is the Least Affordable of Any Big City in America (2026)

Name: Most affordable cities and states, The Honest Local
Creator: The Honest Local
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Least Affordable Cities, read from the other end of our most affordable cities list. Same readings, same sources, 107 cities, the 100 largest metro areas and every city we cover.

By The Honest Local · 107 cities · every value links to its public source

14.1Los Angeles, California leads on The Honest Local Affordability Score, 107 cities, the 100 largest metro areas and every city we coverWhat a household actually pays for a home, the basics and taxes, weighed against what people there earn, blended into one number.

The top five cities Affordability Score out of 100, and the readings behind it

No. 1Los Angeles, California14.114 score (0-100, higher = more affordable)
No. 2Poughkeepsie, New York16.616.6 score (0-100, higher = more affordable)
No. 3Oxnard, California16.816.8 score (0-100, higher = more affordable)
No. 4New York, New York1717 score (0-100, higher = more affordable)
No. 5Stockton, California17.217.2 score (0-100, higher = more affordable)

Least Affordable Cities on the map

Affordability Score, cities hover for the numbers, click for every one

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The Honest Local's own recipe, housing and everyday costs weighed against local income and taxes, blended into one score, with cities and states ranked separately.

Least Affordable Cities, all 107

The full ranking most score, 0 to 100

	Place	Affordability Scoreout of 100	Housing	Everyday	Taxes
1	Los Angeles, Californiabig city	14.1	33	66	3333
2	Poughkeepsie, New York	16.6	no reading	1919	1414
3	Oxnard, California	16.8	1212	77	3232
4	New York, New Yorkbig city	17	22	2020	3030
5	Stockton, Californiabig city	17.2	2121	44	2727
6	San Jose, Californiabig city	17.9	2424	55	2525
7	San Diego, Californiabig city	18.7	2121	33	3232
8	Rochester, New York	19.5	1919	2727	1212
9	Syracuse, New York	21	2525	2727	1212
10	San Francisco, Californiabig city	21.1	3232	33	2929
11	Bridgeport, Connecticut	21.3	00	2929	3535
12	Sacramento, Californiabig city	21.4	3131	66	2727
13	Hartford, Connecticut	22.4	33	2929	3636
14	New Haven, Connecticut	23.3	88	2828	3434
15	Riverside, Californiabig city	24	2828	1010	3535
16	Fresno, Californiabig city	24	3333	88	3131
17	Honolulu, Hawaiibig city	25.7	55	44	6868
18	Albany, New York	25.8	3333	2929	1515
19	Providence, Rhode Island	27.4	1111	3131	4141
20	Buffalo, New Yorkbig city	28.6	3131	2929	2626
21	Detroit, Michiganbig city	28.7	1010	2424	5353
22	Worcester, Massachusetts	30.8	1818	3333	4242
23	Allentown, Pennsylvania	31	1414	2626	5353
24	Chicago, Illinoisbig city	32.3	5151	1717	2929
25	Portland, Maine	32.4	1919	2828	5050
26	Vancouver, Washington	32.5	4343	3030	2424
27	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	32.5	2020	2525	5252
28	Baltimore, Marylandbig city	32.6	1919	3333	4646
29	Boston, Massachusettsbig city	34.2	1212	2929	6161
30	Bakersfield, Californiabig city	34.5	7272	99	2323
31	Milwaukee, Wisconsinbig city	36.9	2020	5151	4040
32	Spokane, Washington	37	5353	3232	2626
33	Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniabig city	39.6	2121	3131	6767
34	Seattle, Washingtonbig city	42.2	6565	3333	2828
35	Miami, Floridabig city	42.4	66	5353	6868
36	Savannah, Georgia	43.2	2222	6262	4545
37	Cleveland, Ohiobig city	43.1	1515	6767	4747
38	Portland, Oregonbig city	45	6060	2323	5151
39	Minneapolis, Minnesotabig city	45.1	7171	3636	2828
40	St. Louis, Missouribig city	45.2	5454	4545	3737
41	Birmingham, Alabama	45.2	2828	6363	4545
42	Dayton, Ohio	45.5	2424	6666	4747
43	Richmond, Virginia	46	3434	4747	5757
44	Provo, Utah	46.5	2121	5555	6464
45	Washington DC, Washington, DCbig city	48.2	6060	2424	6161
46	Cincinnati, Ohiobig city	49.5	3232	6565	5151
47	Tucson, Arizonabig city	49.8	3939	5151	6060
48	Knoxville, Tennessee	50.6	1414	7979	5959
49	Madison, Wisconsinbig city	51.5	6161	5252	4242
50	Augusta, Georgia	52	no reading	6262	4242
51	Ogden, Utah	52.2	4141	5656	6060
52	Grand Rapids, Michigan	52.6	5454	4444	6060
53	Jackson, Mississippi	52.8	2828	8181	4949
54	Denver, Coloradobig city	53.4	5959	3838	6363
55	Reno, Nevadabig city	53.6	3232	5656	7373
56	Albuquerque, New Mexicobig city	53.8	6363	5959	4040
57	Salt Lake City, Utah	54	4545	5454	6363
58	Akron, Ohio	54.2	4545	6868	4949
59	Dallas, Texasbig city	54.5	5656	5757	5151
60	Columbia, South Carolina	54.7	5151	6262	5252
61	Houston, Texasbig city	55.5	5959	5858	5050
62	Daytona Beach, Florida	56	1616	7272	8080
63	Kansas City, Missouribig city	56.4	6868	6464	3737
64	Winston-Salem, North Carolinabig city	56.5	5555	6161	5454
65	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniabig city	57.1	8383	2424	6464
66	Atlanta, Georgiabig city	57.2	7777	5252	4343
67	Asheville, North Carolina	57.8	4444	6464	6565
68	Boise, Idaho	58.1	5050	5757	6868
69	Memphis, Tennesseebig city	58.5	5252	8181	4242
70	Sarasota, Florida	58.8	3434	6868	7575
71	Las Vegas, Nevadabig city	59.2	4848	5757	7373
72	Columbus, Ohiobig city	59.2	6161	6666	5151
73	Toledo, Ohiobig city	59.6	6767	6565	4747
74	Orlando, Floridabig city	60.3	4343	6868	7070
75	Nashville, Tennesseebig city	61.4	4949	7878	5858
76	New Orleans, Louisianabig city	61.7	5151	9393	4141
77	Colorado Springs, Coloradobig city	61.7	6565	5656	6565
78	Phoenix, Arizonabig city	62.3	6464	5555	6868
79	Melbourne, Florida	62.5	4141	6969	7878
80	Fayetteville, Arkansas	62.7	4343	9292	5353
81	Greensboro, North Carolinabig city	62.8	7373	6262	5353
82	Charleston, South Carolina	63.2	6969	6262	5858
83	Greenville, SC	63.6	7676	6161	5454
84	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	64	4747	9494	5151
85	Virginia Beach, Virginiabig city	64.1	8585	4646	6161
86	Durham, North Carolinabig city	64.3	7474	6363	5656
87	Tulsa, Oklahomabig city	64.4	7373	8787	3434
88	El Paso, Texasbig city	64.6	6868	8181	4646
89	Raleigh, North Carolinabig city	64.7	7373	6262	6060
90	Des Moines, Iowa	64.7	8282	6363	4949
91	Chattanooga, Tennessee	64.9	5858	8484	5353
92	Tampa, Floridabig city	65.1	5353	7373	7070
93	Lakeland, Florida	65.1	5050	7070	7676
94	Wichita, Kansasbig city	65.8	9797	7171	3030
95	Charlotte, NCbig city	66.4	7373	6464	6262
96	Jacksonville, Floridabig city	66.6	5454	7171	7676
97	Indianapolis, Indianabig city	66.7	6868	7171	6060
98	Huntsville, AL	66.7	8989	6262	4949
99	San Antonio, Texasbig city	67.3	7979	7979	4444
100	Jacksonville, Floridabig city	67.4	5555	7171	7676
101	Omaha, Nebraskabig city	68.8	8888	7676	4343
102	Oklahoma City, Oklahomabig city	70.7	9191	8787	3434
103	Cape Coral, Florida	71	6868	7373	7373
104	Austin, Texasbig city	73.3	8585	8282	5353
105	Louisville, Kentuckybig city	74.4	8686	7070	6767
106	Little Rock, Arkansas	74.8	9090	9191	4343
107	McAllen, Texas	74.9	9999	8080	4646

Sources and method

How we got this. The Affordability Score is The Honest Local’s own recipe. Each source ranks every place on its own from 0 to 100 and the score is the average, so a place has to do well on all of them to lead. We don't publish a cost of living number pulled from one source. We blend three groups, each ranked on its own against every other place that has it, then averaged. Housing is the typical rent over a year and the typical home value, each as a share of the median household income there. Everyday costs are the federal price parity for goods, the best free read on groceries and basics at the metro level, plus the price of gas and of household electricity. Taxes are the combined state and local sales tax, the top state income tax rate and the effective property tax rate. Each of those eight figures ranks every place on its own from 0 to 100, with a lower cost or tax always scoring higher. A group's score is the average of the figures it has, and the final score is the average of the three groups. A place missing a whole group is scored on the rest, never handed a fake zero. Rank 1 is the most affordable. Cities and states rank as two separate lists, never against each other. It refreshes monthly, with the yearly figures (income, price parities, tax rates) updated as each agency publishes.

Rankings by The Honest Local from public data, one page per list, refreshed on each source’s own cycle. Places with no reading are left out rather than estimated. Every value on this page carries its source in the page’s structured data.

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