The Differences in Cost of Living Between States

In many ways, moving cross country in the U.S. is much easier than moving to another country. You don’t need to learn a new language, don’t have to trade in your money for new bills, and you don’t have to acclimate to a new culture and pace of life.

However, there’s one thing that most people don’t consider: the change in the cost of living.

Cost of living fluctuates a huge amount from state to state. States on the lower end of the economic spectrum will cost you less to live in, but also tend to be farther away from the major cities. This post will break down all you need to know about the cost of living and how to choose wisely between different states.

How Do You Calculate the Cost of Living?

Cost of living is calculated by measuring and indexing the average price of necessities like housing, utilities, transportation, food, and healthcare, and comparing it to the cost of the same items in other states. Housing is probably the single greatest cost and tends to be a good informal measuring stick of cost of living.

What State has the Lowest Cost of Living?

Mississippi is the state with the lowest cost of living, followed by Kentucky and Arkansas. These states are so cheap because of the low price of housing, utilities, transportation, food, and healthcare. In Mississippi, the median home price is $112,000, 5 times less than that of the most expensive state (Hawaii, at $589,500).

What State has the Highest Cost of Living?

Hawaii. Because of its natural beauty, beaches, and attraction as a tourist location, closely followed by New York, Delaware, California, and Connecticut. Hawaii and New York both have high housing costs, though for different reasons: beaches for the former, and the lack of space for the latter.

Why is Hawaii so Expensive?

The main reason Hawaii is so expensive to live in is that almost all supplies like food or gas must be shipped in from the mainland, driving prices upward. Due to its natural beauty, Hawaii attracts successful CEOs and business people who want to vacation or retire in paradise and are willing to pay a premium for it.

Hawaii also has the highest quality of life of all the states. Strangely, New York, second for cost of living, comes in at 22nd for quality of life. Delaware ranks 26th and California 23d. Just goes to prove that beach always beats city when it comes to relaxing.

Florida’s Cost of Living

So, what about down here in Florida? We’re not too bad. We’ve got a good balance of a low cost of living (28th) and high quality of life (26th). Or maybe you already live here, and are moving to another state? Here at Meehan’s Family Moving we can help you with either.

Moving Long Distance? We Can Help

Ready to get started on your cross-country move? Call the South Florida moving professionals at Meehan’s Family Moving. We have 50 years of experience helping families get settled into their new home, and we never drop the ball!

For affordable and reliable local and long distance packing and moving services, contact us today (561) 904-6000 to learn more about how we can help you make the right move!