(CNN Spanish) — Hawaii is the most expensive state to live in in the United States, according to a 2021 Cost of Living Index analysis, followed by two Northeast Territories: New York and Washington City.
Against a backdrop of inflation that has reached a 40-year high (and when Joe Biden’s government admits it failed to anticipate when this indicator would hit American consumers), many may wonder where is best for them. live, as the differences between cities and states are significant. The answer can be found in the cost of living index.
The Cost of Living Index is prepared by the Council for Economic and Community Research and gathers information from voluntarily participating cities and metropolitan areas across the country. Study categories such as the cost of groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, and health care. To analyze the results at the state level, the Missouri Center for Economic Research and Information averaged these data.
The result shows that, in addition to Hawaii, the Northeast and West Coast are the areas where the states with the highest cost of living are located. Conversely, in the Midwest and South there are those where life is cheaper.
This makes up the ranking of the 10 most expensive states (including the city of Washington, in the independent District of Columbia).
- Hawaii
- city of Washington
- New York
- California
- Massachusetts
- Oregon
- Alaska
- Maryland
- Connecticut
- Rhode Island
In these 10 states, the cost of living is higher than the national average, according to the index compiled by Missouri. The Hawaiian index, for example, is almost double the national one: it is 193.3 against 100 which represents the average for the United States.
At the other end of the list are Mississippi, Kansas and Alabama, which are significantly below the national average and are the three cheapest. In Mississippi, for example, the index is 83.3.
Florida, one of the states with a large Latino population, is at the center of the ranking: in 25th place out of a total of 51 which includes the 50 states plus the city of Washington. Texas is cheapest, at 37th place.
California, leader in the ranking of urban areas
If instead of looking at the cost of living at the state level, we look at urban areas, California has four of the 10 most expensive: San Francisco, Long Beach, Orange County and Oakland.
With two of the most expensive urban areas, New York follows on the list, which it would do according to the first quarter 2022 update of the cost of living index.
- Manhattan – New York (New York)
- Honolulu (Hawaii)
- San Francisco, CA)
- Brooklyn – New York (New York)
- Washington City (District of Columbia)
- Orange County (California)
- Long Beach, Los Angeles (California)
- Boston, Mass.)
- Seattle, Wash.)
- Oakland (California)
How to compare the cost of living
If you’re thinking about commuting and looking for places where the cost of living is cheaper, you can access this online calculator from CNN that allows you to compare how much you pay between two cities in various disaggregated categories and in general terms.
The comparison is made on the basis of the Cost of Living Index data and updated to 2021.
