The survey ranked each 50 states based connected cost-of-living factors — similar taxes, inferior bills, and childcare — to find wherever your wealth goes the furthest.
To find which U.S. states connection the champion worth for residents, TollFreeForwarding.com evaluated each 50 states utilizing the pursuing cost-of-living factors:
1. Average Income
2. Median Rent
3. Utility Costs
4. Median Home Price
5. State + Local Sales Taxes
6. Overall Tax Burden
7. Cost of Groceries
8. Childcare Expenses
9. Gas Prices
10. Cost of a Cup of Coffee
Each authorities was assigned a people from 1 to 10 for each category, based connected however it ranked compared to different states (10 representing the astir favorable ranking). These scores were past totaled to nutrient a last people retired of 100 for each state. The higher the full score, the much cost-effective the authorities is considered to beryllium for stretching your income.

D3sign / Getty Images
So, without further ado, South Dakota is the champion authorities for redeeming money, according to this study. The cardinal factors successful determining this were the state's affordable rent prices, debased authorities and section taxes, market costs, and childcare expenses. The authorities received a 73.6 retired of 100.
JMichl / Getty Images
As of mid‑June 2025, Zillow reports the mean rent crossed each spot types and chamber counts successful South Dakota is astir $1,220 per month.
Missouri came successful second, and it features immoderate of the lowest location prices successful the country. They besides performed powerfully successful respective different cost-related categories, including groceries, childcare, state prices, and adjacent the outgo of a cupful of coffee.
DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
Coming successful third, Kentucky offers affordable surviving with debased rent and location prices. The authorities besides benefits from debased authorities and section taxes, on with groceries, childcare, and gas.
Halbergman / Getty Images
Kentucky has a flat 6% statewide tax with nary further section income taxes, and astir groceries and medicine drugs are tax-free.
Despite not ranking successful the apical fractional of states for mean income, these 3 marque up for it with importantly little outgo of living. Here are the apical 10 states, and their wide ranking from the study:
Now that we've gone implicit the champion states for retirement, let's sermon the worst. California ranked the worst, and Hawaii and New York besides scored successful the bottommost three.
JOY PAN / Getty Images