The Most Expensive States To Live In

By Tom Pearson 10 months ago

30 - Texas

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Texas is the United States largest state, and the cheapest to live in too! Groceries in Texas are the cheapest in the country, and paired with affordable health insurance it makes the place perfect for the frugal. The only expensive tax in Texas is the fact you need a car to get around.

29 - Minnesota

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Minnesota borders Canada and is famous for its site of natural beauty, Lake Superior. Along side spectacular natural views, Minnesota is one of the cheapest states to live in thanks to an abundance of shopping malls in both Canada and the United States.

28 - Florida

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Florida is the sunshine state, and is most famous for its population of old people, key lime pie and being a cheap place to live. With many homes being small and quaint, it is a cheap place to settle down with a small to medium sized family (maybe a dog too)!

27 - South Carolina

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South Carolina really made it's money decades ago in plantations and farming. Since times have moved on, the population has slowly reduced but the cost of living remains relatively low. This is due to a good balance of supply and demand in everything from vehicles to groceries.

26 - North Dakota

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Home to the rugged Badlands National park, North Dakota is one of the cheaper places to live in North America. Due to a lower population size of under 1 million people, many shops and businesses are locally run, meaning prices and services can stay lower.

25 - Michigan

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In the upper Midwest of the United States, you will find Michigan. With stunning natural parks and great places to camp, Michigan is a great place to visit or set up a permanent residence. Houses are affordable to buy and rent here is surprisingly cheap.

24 - Utah

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Tucked away in between the mountains like a quaint old fashioned mining town, Utah always has been a cheap place to live. This might be due to the fact that the town exports a lot of goods, meaning many people live and work here for their entire lives.

23 - Louisiana

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Located on the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana is a relatively cheap and affordable place to call home. Groceries in this part of the country are cheap, as out houses. However, due to climate change many houses are requiring important and expensive structural work.

22 - South Dakota

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Sparsely populated South Dakota is where the rolling prairies give way to the dramatic Black Hills National Forest. Due to Mount Rushmore, many tourists visit South Dakota bringing in good money to the local towns and allowing for a cheaper cost of living.

21 - Nevada

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When you think of Nevada, Las Vegas of course springs to mind. Whilst Las Vegas itself is not a cheap place to live, the rest of Nevada is well prices. This is because Las Vegas brings in the majority of the money for the state in tourism and gambling.

20 - Wyoming

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Home to half a million people and famous for its buffalo, Wyoming is one of the least populated states in America. Farming pays the bills for most residents, and although farms are expensive to buy they effectively pay for themselves due to produce turnover.

19 - Arkansas

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Home to the Clinton Presidential Center, Arkansas is fairly inexpensive to set up camp. Due to tourism and people visiting to see the Mississippi river, the state does well. Homes here are cheap to purchase compared to other parts of the country, as well as cars.

18 - Maine

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In Maine, moose and other big game are plentiful, which used to be the largest source of income for many families here. Now hunting is on the decline, families have to work in other industries which forces many people to work and shop out of state.

17 - Idaho

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A popular fishing destination and a booming downtown helps to bring in money for Idaho. This means that shopping is plentiful in Idaho and houses around the thriving downtown area can fetch a pretty penny. Further out from town, the house prices are very reasonable.

16 - Kansas

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Midwestern Kansas was once one of the cheapest places to live in the United States. Due to the rise in technology services, Kansas has become a more and more desirable place to live. This means that house prices are on the rise, but still cheaper than a lot of the country.

15 - West Virginia

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Home to the tree coated Appalachian Mountains and famous for several infamous civil war battles, West Virginia is a must visit destination for anyone into United States history. House prices and food costs are cheap here, although on the rise more recently.

14 - Mississippi

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With the state of Alabama to its east, Mississippi is one of the more expensive states to call home. The need for personal vehicles in this part of the world is greater than other places, and due to a lack of public transport networks a personal car is a necessity.

13 - Oklahoma

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House prices in Oklahoma is relatively expensive, with the median cost for a home in Oklahoma is $151,469. The state also has one of the highest poverty rates in the country at 15.1% due to a lack of employment forcing people to leave the state for work elsewhere.

12 - Alabama

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Like its next door neighbor, Alabama is a fairly spread out state, meaning that a personal car or truck is needed to get around on a daily basis. This need for a personal vehicle means they are far more in demand, so dealers hike up the prices and charge what they want.

11 - New Jersey

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New Jersey is actually quite a cheap place to live, what puts it up the rankings in the list of the most expensive states is New York City. New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world, bringing the average cost of living up in New Jersey!

10 - Washington

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According to the process of homes, Washington is actually the third cheapest place to live in the United States. However, high salaries mean high prices for groceries and even higher taxes, making it an expensive place to live rather than just own property.

9 - New Hampshire

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Annual expenditures in New Hampshire exceed over $70,000 per person. This extremely high cost of living is boosted by expensive health care. New Hampshire is also at the forefront for education, meaning college funds boost the cost of living per person.

8 - Vermont

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Known for its beautiful natural landscape, Vermont is a desirable location for people to move to during retirement. With lots of long walks through the forest and secluded homes, it really is the state for the explorers in us, but this comes at a cost.

7 - Maryland

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As a major sea port, Maryland is home to many dock workers who live, work and eat in the town. This means the local food scene is booming but food prices are high to help cash in. Average expenses are over $2,500 due to higher grocery and fuel costs.

6 - Connecticut

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Connecticut is one of the most expensive places to live when it comes to utility costs like gas, water and electricity. The cost of groceries is slightly lower than the rest of the United States, but the cost of everything else makes up for this slight dip.

5 - Oregon

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Homes in Oregon are 56% higher than the national average, and the cost of living in this state is 21% higher than the rest of the United States. This expensive pairing makes Oregon the fifth most expensive place to live and work in the United States.

4 - Alaska

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Due to its remote nature, Alaska relies heavily on haulage trucks and air freight to get food into supermarkets and get fuel into the gas pumps. Wages are high, but due to spectacular natural beauty the demand for homes is also skyrocketing at the moment.

3 - Massachusetts

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Alongside high house prices, Massachusetts has an extremely inflated cost of living at 117% over the natural average. Labor and utility costs are sky high in Massachusetts, as well as fuel and the prices of average groceries like food and cleaning products.

2 - Hawaii

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Hawaii is a spectacular tourist destination, but unless you were born and have family here houses are very hard to come by. Developers are not allowed to damage the natural beauty, meaning homes are passed down through families and rarely sold elsewhere.

1 - California

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California is the most expensive state to live in, mainly due to the city of Los Angeles. With extensive farmland and a population of nearly 40 million, the state makes a lot of money but pays a lot of money too. It looks like the state is continuing to economically boom for the foreseeable!