26-07-2025
Manhattan, Honolulu and more: A look at 10 most expensive places to live in the US
Most expensive places in the US: Living in a vibrant city that is filled with multiple opportunities in life is a dream for many. Surviving in such localities often comes with a steep price tag and residents are happy to pay extra for various things such as housing and food to stay in cosmopolitan cities that offer all types of facilities and have great weather conditions.
Council for Community and Economic Research, Kiplinger has come up with names of some of the highly expensive places to live in the United States. The cost of living index shows prices across 265 urban areas that go on to cover housing, transportation, healthcare, and other things.
Famous for housing a wide range of universities and hospitals, the cost of living in Boston is 45.1 per cent above the US average. With a total population of more than 650,000, the city has a median household income of $96,931 against the country's average of $80.610. On an average, people are spending $703,600 to purchase a property in Boston, having an unemployment rate of 3.9 per cent. The rents here are around $4,066 a month, making it way more expensive than the national average of $1,600 a month, as per the C2ER data.
San Diego is your place to be if you love beaches and are fond of nature. From surfing and sailing to hiking or even exploring the Balboa Park, this place caters to the needs of everybody. Having a total population of nearly 1,400,000, San Diego's cost of living is 46.3 per cent above the US average and median household income stands at $105,780. People on an average pay $923,900 to buy property in this city.
Los Angeles is home to several Hollywood celebrities and is famous for its glamor and rich lifestyle. The cost of living here is 50.2 per cent above the national average, while the median household income is $79,701. Los Angeles is home for nearly 4,000,000 people and has an employment rate of 5.4 per cent. The median home value is $828,700.
Holding the Guinness World Record for 'most ethnically diverse urban area on the planet,' the New York borough houses around 2,250,000 people and the cost of living here is 52.1 per cent above the US average. The median household income is $81,929 and the median home value is $692,500.
Orange County (California)
This place has a total population of about 3,135,000 and the unemployment rate is just 3.6 per cent. However, the cost of living is 60.1 per cent more than the country's average and the median household income is $110,042. You will have to spend roughly $961,400 to buy a property here.
San Francisco (California)
Known for having one of the highest living costs in the US (60.3 per cent above the national average), people need to pay $3,761 a month on average for an apartment in San Francisco, making it more than double the country's average. It has one of the lowest unemployment rates at 3.5 per cent.
With the cost of living being 63.3 per cent more than the US average, Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It houses about 2,500,000 people and has a median household income of $76,912, while the median home value stands at $880,300.
Yet another highly expensive city in the US, the cost of living in San Jose is 81.2 per cent above the national average. Close to 2,000,000 live in this city, which has a high median household income of $153,202. You have to pay nearly $1,393,400 to buy a property here.
This remote Pacific paradise has a population of little over 340,000 and has a median household income of $84,907. The cost of living here is 82.3 per cent more than the US average and median home value is $831,600.
Manhattan stands tall as the most expensive, with its cost of living being 132.6 per cent above the US average. It is home to about 1,600,000 citizens and has a median household income of $101,078. On an average, you need to spend $1,010,800 to purchase a property here.
Manhattan, New York is the most expensive city to live in the country, according to Kiplinger.
San Jose, California is often touted as the most unaffordable city.
Hawaii is the most expensive state.
