Cheapest Counties to Live in the U.S.

Current #1 in this ranking

In the model, a more affordable location like Alpine County, CA has a cost-of-living index of 100 (U.S. = 100) and median rent around $0/mo. The estimated salary needed to live comfortably is about $0/yr, which is near the local median income; the biggest estimated monthly driver is Groceries. In this area (mid-range), the model’s rent math puts housing in a “Comfortable” bucket: rent looks comparatively manageable and groceries is the main lever in the estimates.

Cost-of-living tier: moderate

What drives the budget here?

This area is generally mid-range based on a cost-of-living index of 100 (U.S. average = 100). Typical rent-to-gross is in the Comfortable range (using the page’s rent and income inputs).

In the site’s estimated monthly breakdown, the largest category is Groceries (420/mo), so that’s the biggest lever for moving the overall budget up or down.

Practical next steps

• Rent looks comparatively manageable for the typical household. Your biggest wins usually come from planning for the non-housing categories (utilities, groceries, etc.) so totals stay predictable.
• State income tax is on the higher side in this state (9.3%). That reduces take-home pay, so “affordable” decisions should be based on net income, not just gross.