The 20 Most Expensive Cities In The United States For 2024


The most expensive cities in the United States are San Francisco and Fremont for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Most Expensive Cities In The United States Map

Walk with me down memory lane for a quick example of how expensive some cities costs.

My old rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, CA in 2013 – $2,000.

My mortgage for a 4-bedroom house in Durham, NC in 2013 — $1,300.

The rent on that old apartment now… around $5,000. My mortgage now? Still $1,300.

The cost of San Francisco was one the major factors in our decision to leave, but is San Francisco even the most expensive city in America?

According to the most recent data, San Francisco, CA is actually the most expensive city in the United States. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the cost of living across cities. A big portion of that is housing costs, but things like healthcare, groceries, and utilities also play a role.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Most Expensive Cities In The United States For 2024

  1. San Francisco
  2. Fremont
  3. Irvine
  4. San Jose
  5. Arlington
  6. Seattle
  7. Oakland
  8. San Diego
  9. Boston
  10. Los Angeles

The least expensive city in America? Buffalo, Ny.

California is home to a major portion of the most expensive cities in the top 20. A lot of that does in fact have to do with housing costs, but San Francisco didn’t take the top spot because things like services and groceries aren’t as expensive.

For more on the top twenty, read on. Or if you’re looking for some cheaper places to live, check out:

The Top 20 Most Expensive Cities In America

#1 Most Expensive City In America

San Francisco, CA

Population: 851,036
Cost Of Living Index: 201
Median Income: $136,689
Home Prices: $1,254,436
Home Price To Income Ratio: 9.2x (10th most affordable)
More on San Francisco: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

San Francisco, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Bernard Gagnon | GFDL

Review Of San Francisco by HomeSnacks User

San Francisco is my favorite place to live. I grew up here and was raised there. It has a lot of great food and great places to visit as a tourist. It’s a melting pot of all types of races and especially being Asian, I can relate to other people.

The good is that they have lots of things to do. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is, there’s always something to do. The bad is that it’s very expensive to live there, and the homeless is a huge problem.

Review San Francisco

#2 Most Expensive City In America

Fremont, CA

Population: 228,795
Cost Of Living Index: 186
Median Income: $169,023
Home Prices: $1,413,076
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.4x (14th most affordable)
More on Fremont: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Fremont, CA

Source: Wikipedia User David Ball | GFDL

#3 Most Expensive City In America

Irvine, CA

Population: 304,527
Cost Of Living Index: 184
Median Income: $122,948
Home Prices: $1,331,528
Home Price To Income Ratio: 10.8x (2nd most affordable)
More on Irvine: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Irvine, CA

Source: Public domain

Review Of Irvine by HomeSnacks User

Awesome place. Super safe. Plenty of things to do: nature, city, eats, movies, films, and events.

Expensive. Everything you wanna do here is expensive. You need some income.

Review Irvine

#4 Most Expensive City In America

San Jose, CA

Population: 1,001,176
Cost Of Living Index: 180
Median Income: $136,010
Home Prices: $1,330,692
Home Price To Income Ratio: 9.8x (5th most affordable)
More on San Jose: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

San Jose, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Flickr upload bot | CC BY 2.0

Review Of San Jose by HomeSnacks User

The crime is very low if you are away from the east side. Even then, for a continually growing city of over 1 million. The local sports team is major league hockey so during hockey season, there is a lot of excitement going on in downtown. Culturally, there is a good mixture of all ethnicity so food selection is diverse. As more people move in for job opportunities due to the tech industry, traffic is getting worse and worse. Most people are here for the jobs and weather.

The thing that will be shocking about the place is the cost of living. A decent house will cost upward of a million dollars. Living here is a struggle unless you make a lot of money. Everything is expensive, especially rent. If you live anywhere near a big tech firm, prepare to pay a lot for that luxury. As mentioned before, traffic is a nightmare. Going anywhere during rush hour and on major freeways like the 101 will take forever. Due to property prices, many have no choice but to commute and sit in traffic – adding an extra 1-2 hours to their workday.

Review San Jose

#5 Most Expensive City In America

Arlington, VA

Population: 235,845
Cost Of Living Index: 164
Median Income: $137,387
Home Prices: $761,141
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.5x (4most affordable)
More on Arlington: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Arlington, VA

Source: Wikipedia User Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) | CC BY-SA 3.0

#6 Most Expensive City In America

Seattle, WA

Population: 734,603
Cost Of Living Index: 156
Median Income: $116,068
Home Prices: $827,235
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.1x (2most affordable)
More on Seattle: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Seattle, WA

Source: Public domain

Review Of Seattle by HomeSnacks User

I love Seattle. There is so much to do and see. It’s right on Puget Sound so there is water everywhere you look. And Mt. Rainier is close by and when the mountain is “out”, as the locals say, the view can’t be beat. The waterfront area has so many fun things to do. The wheel is wonderful, and there are great places to shop. One of my favorite shops on the waterfront is Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. There are so many unique, wonderful and interesting things there. And the best place for lunch is Ivar’s Fish Bar, where you can get fish and chips, eat on the pier, and feed your left over french fries to the seagulls!

The variety of the geography – you’ve got the water on one side and the mountains on the other. And there are a lot of activities to check out.

Review Seattle

#7 Most Expensive City In America

Oakland, CA

Population: 437,825
Cost Of Living Index: 154
Median Income: $94,389
Home Prices: $790,956
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.4x (13th most affordable)
More on Oakland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Oakland, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Basil D Soufi | CC BY-SA 3.0

Review Of Oakland by HomeSnacks User

To everybody thinking about moving to Oakland : It’s dreadful, horrible chaos. Please just stay where you are.

Actually, Oakland s a wonderful place to live. We just don’t need any more people here. Really.

Bad: weather. Bad: diverse, fun population. You’ve been warned. Lol

Review Oakland

#8 Most Expensive City In America

San Diego, CA

Population: 1,383,987
Cost Of Living Index: 151
Median Income: $98,657
Home Prices: $955,846
Home Price To Income Ratio: 9.7x (6th most affordable)
More on San Diego: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

San Diego, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Visitor7 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Review Of San Diego by HomeSnacks User

San Diego is beautfiul!!!! Beaches are a real treat and the carne asada is to die for!

I don’t like how packed the beaches get and parking is a joke! You have to arrive very early to find parking at Mission Beach.

Review San Diego

#9 Most Expensive City In America

Boston, MA

Population: 665,945
Cost Of Living Index: 148
Median Income: $89,212
Home Prices: $714,795
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.0x (15th most affordable)
More on Boston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Boston, MA

Source: Flickr User Bert Kaufmann | CC BY 2.0

Review Of Boston by HomeSnacks User

Everything was great!

Everything is definitely great!

Review Boston

#10 Most Expensive City In America

Los Angeles, CA

Population: 3,881,041
Cost Of Living Index: 147
Median Income: $76,244
Home Prices: $926,593
Home Price To Income Ratio: 12.2x (most affordable)
More on Los Angeles: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Los Angeles, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Nserrano | CC BY-SA 3.0

Review Of Los Angeles by HomeSnacks User

Los Angeles is a great place and it’s so beautiful. It’s always sunny and there’s always something to do. Crime all depends on the area you leave in. I would say be careful period being that this is a huge city.

The bad is that there’s so many people here. There’s always traffic. The worst is the 405 freeway. The streets are no better.

Review Los Angeles

#11 Most Expensive City In America

New York, NY

Population: 8,622,467
Cost Of Living Index: 146
Median Income: $76,607
Home Prices: $733,006
Home Price To Income Ratio: 9.6x (7th most affordable)
More on New York: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

New York, NY

Source: Wikipedia User Dmitry Avdeev | CC BY-SA 3.0

Review Of New York by HomeSnacks User

i love it no place like it.. i had lived here my whole life and i dont think i can ever see myself living anywhere else.. i had visit a few places.. but there is no place like home.. when i am away i get home sick.. even thou there is so many people and it a bit crazy as to how fast pace it is.. this is my kind of town

what about it it is crazy busy.. too many people.. everything is too fast…the good you can travel using a bike train bus car, so my kinds of people from all over the world.. all kinds of food

Review New York

#12 Most Expensive City In America

Long Beach, CA

Population: 462,293
Cost Of Living Index: 145
Median Income: $78,995
Home Prices: $799,165
Home Price To Income Ratio: 10.1x (4th most affordable)
More on Long Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Long Beach, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Tisoy, Matthew Field, Clinton Steeds, Regular Daddy, Los Angeles | CC BY-SA 3.0

Review Of Long Beach by HomeSnacks User

I moved to Long Beach to attend Cal State University Long Beach. Honestly, it changed my life. I grew up in a different suburb in California, but Long Beach is so different. I wouldn’t necessarily live here for my whole life, but it was definitely worth coming here for college. I like coming back and visiting here to see my friends.

My favorite thing about Long Beach is that there are honestly always places to go to, and it’s not too far to go to other fun cities like LA. It’s not too quiet but never too loud either unless you live somewhere that is filled with college students. The weather is great, too. And of course, we’re near a few beaches, so that’s great.

Review Long Beach

#13 Most Expensive City In America

Anaheim, CA

Population: 347,111
Cost Of Living Index: 145
Median Income: $88,538
Home Prices: $844,174
Home Price To Income Ratio: 9.5x (8th most affordable)
More on Anaheim: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Anaheim, CA

Source: Public domain

Review Of Anaheim by HomeSnacks User

I believe there is a lot of crime in LA because it is a big city. I usually stay to myself when i go visit LA. As far as schools go, i have several family and friends that attend schools there and it seems like its fairly safe. I myself attended school in Anaheim when i was 10 yrs old, which was 39 years ago and I’ve had nothing but pleasant experiences there. Traffic is horrible so if you want to go anywhere, you have to allot yourself a lot of time to get to your destination. People seem friendly enough and there are a lot of places to eat and visit

I love love Disneyland and California Adventure and could never get sick of going there. It is the happiest place on Earth and everyone i’ve come across at the parks have been nothing but kind and pleasant to be around…after all, they’re all there to have a great time and escape real life, if even for a day or more.

I love being close to the beaches and the nice sunny weather. I dislike the traffic and the smog that pollutes the air. I feel that it is getting overcrowded but i still like to visit as often as i can

Review Anaheim

#14 Most Expensive City In America

Santa Clarita, CA

Population: 225,850
Cost Of Living Index: 144
Median Income: $116,186
Home Prices: $773,299
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.7x (22nd most affordable)
More on Santa Clarita: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Santa Clarita, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Jeffrey Beall | CC BY-SA 3.0

Review Of Santa Clarita by HomeSnacks User

Overall, Santa Clarita from a younger individual’s perspective is very bland. The city simply lacks of things to do.

What stood out the most about Santa Clarita is how I felt secured in this city. Also the family appears to be more about raising a family.

Review Santa Clarita

#15 Most Expensive City In America

Santa Ana, CA

Population: 311,379
Cost Of Living Index: 140
Median Income: $84,210
Home Prices: $753,174
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.9x (12th most affordable)
More on Santa Ana: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Santa Ana, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Flickr upload bot | CC BY 2.0

#16 Most Expensive City In America

Chula Vista, CA

Population: 276,103
Cost Of Living Index: 139
Median Income: $101,984
Home Prices: $809,308
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.9x (16th most affordable)
More on Chula Vista: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Chula Vista, CA

Source: Wikipedia User 08OceanBeach SD, Port of San Diego, Allan Ferguson | CC BY-SA 3.0

#17 Most Expensive City In America

Anchorage, AK

Population: 290,674
Cost Of Living Index: 132
Median Income: $95,731
Home Prices: $373,986
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.9x (78th most affordable)
More on Anchorage: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Anchorage, AK

Source: Wikipedia User Frank K. from Anchorage, Alaska, USA | CC BY 2.0

Review Of Anchorage by HomeSnacks User

It’s known place for its diverse terrain of open spaces, mountains and forests, with abundant wildlife and many small towns. It’s a destination for outdoor activities like skiing, mountain biking and kayaking. I had a great experience at there.

Very good experience.

Review Anchorage

#18 Most Expensive City In America

Scottsdale, AZ

Population: 240,537
Cost Of Living Index: 126
Median Income: $104,197
Home Prices: $798,175
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.7x (17th most affordable)
More on Scottsdale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Scottsdale, AZ

Source: Wikipedia User Joseph Plotz | CC BY-SA 3.0

#19 Most Expensive City In America

Riverside, CA

Population: 316,076
Cost Of Living Index: 124
Median Income: $83,448
Home Prices: $606,630
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.3x (19th most affordable)
More on Riverside: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Riverside, CA

Source: Public domain

Review Of Riverside by HomeSnacks User

I’ve lived in Riverside most of my life and never once heard it refered to by anyone as wiggerside.

Of course I can’t hear much of anything over the ranchero music…||But I promise you the acre of land I live on in Riverside is 100% more picturesque and beautiful then the shithole apartment your typing this clickbate from somewhere in Canoga Park.”

Review Riverside

#20 Most Expensive City In America

Jersey City, NJ

Population: 287,899
Cost Of Living Index: 123
Median Income: $91,151
Home Prices: $591,988
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.5x (24th most affordable)
More on Jersey City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Jersey City, NJ

Source: Wikipedia User David Jones | CC BY 2.0

Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Cities To Live In The USA For 2024

To create our list of the most expensive cities in America, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the cost of living index across several bundles of goods for the 100 biggest cities in the United States.

We derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 around incomes and costs. They are:

  • Overall Cost Of Living Index
  • Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
  • Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
  • Median Home Price

To create a score, we ranked every city on its cost of living index. We crowned the city with the highest score as the “Most Expensive City In America For 2024.” We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive cities in the United States.

Summary: The Most Expensive Big Cities In The US

After measuring the cost of living in every city in the county, San Francisco is the most expensive city there is to live.

The cities in the United States with the highest cost of living are San Francisco, CA, Fremont, CA, Irvine, CA, San Jose, CA, Arlington, VA, Seattle, WA, Oakland, CA, San Diego, CA, Boston, MA, and Los Angeles, CA.

My plan now? Stay in Durham for as long as I can — it’s one of the cheaper big cities to call home in America.

And for those playing at home, here’s a look at the least expensive cities in America:

  1. Buffalo
  2. Cleveland
  3. Memphis

For more, read on:

Most Expensive Cities In The US For 2024

Rank City Population Cost Of Living Index Median Income Average Home Price Home/Income Ratio
1 San Francisco, CA 851,036 201 $136,689 $1,254,436 9.2x
2 Fremont, CA 228,795 186 $169,023 $1,413,076 8.4x
3 Irvine, CA 304,527 184 $122,948 $1,331,528 10.8x
4 San Jose, CA 1,001,176 180 $136,010 $1,330,692 9.8x
5 Arlington, VA 235,845 164 $137,387 $761,141 5.5x
6 Seattle, WA 734,603 156 $116,068 $827,235 7.1x
7 Oakland, CA 437,825 154 $94,389 $790,956 8.4x
8 San Diego, CA 1,383,987 151 $98,657 $955,846 9.7x
9 Boston, MA 665,945 148 $89,212 $714,795 8.0x
10 Los Angeles, CA 3,881,041 147 $76,244 $926,593 12.2x
11 New York, NY 8,622,467 146 $76,607 $733,006 9.6x
12 Long Beach, CA 462,293 145 $78,995 $799,165 10.1x
13 Anaheim, CA 347,111 145 $88,538 $844,174 9.5x
14 Santa Clarita, CA 225,850 144 $116,186 $773,299 6.7x
15 Santa Ana, CA 311,379 140 $84,210 $753,174 8.9x
16 Chula Vista, CA 276,103 139 $101,984 $809,308 7.9x
17 Anchorage, AK 290,674 132 $95,731 $373,986 3.9x
18 Scottsdale, AZ 240,537 126 $104,197 $798,175 7.7x
19 Riverside, CA 316,076 124 $83,448 $606,630 7.3x
20 Jersey City, NJ 287,899 123 $91,151 $591,988 6.5x
21 Portland, OR 646,101 121 $85,876 $523,622 6.1x
22 Plano, TX 284,948 119 $105,679 $503,025 4.8x
23 Sacramento, CA 523,600 118 $78,954 $467,947 5.9x
24 Bakersfield, CA 404,321 115 $73,827 $377,282 5.1x
25 Virginia Beach, VA 457,900 114 $87,544 $384,137 4.4x
26 Miami, FL 443,665 114 $54,858 $569,425 10.4x
27 Stockton, CA 320,030 114 $71,612 $428,288 6.0x
28 Chicago, IL 2,721,914 113 $71,673 $283,025 3.9x
29 Denver, CO 710,800 112 $85,853 $558,402 6.5x
30 Gilbert, AZ 267,267 112 $115,179 $566,231 4.9x
31 Chesapeake, VA 249,377 112 $92,703 $374,172 4.0x
32 San Bernardino, CA 221,041 111 $61,323 $455,364 7.4x
33 Fresno, CA 541,528 110 $63,001 $363,927 5.8x
34 Newark, NJ 307,355 110 $46,460 $432,693 9.3x
35 Chandler, AZ 275,618 109 $99,374 $519,175 5.2x
36 Enterprise, NV 225,461 109 $91,165 $463,796 5.1x
37 Colorado Springs, CO 479,612 108 $79,026 $440,298 5.6x
38 Austin, TX 958,202 107 $86,556 $533,213 6.2x
39 Henderson, NV 318,063 107 $85,311 $461,416 5.4x
40 Atlanta, GA 494,838 106 $77,655 $379,030 4.9x
41 Madison, WI 268,516 106 $74,895 $369,136 4.9x
42 Reno, NV 265,196 105 $73,073 $526,202 7.2x
43 Garland, TX 244,026 105 $71,044 $297,145 4.2x
44 Baltimore, MD 584,548 104 $58,349 $179,189 3.1x
45 Minneapolis, MN 426,877 104 $76,332 $318,812 4.2x
46 Richmond, VA 227,171 103 $59,606 $328,655 5.5x
47 Hialeah, FL 222,996 103 $49,531 $445,753 9.0x
48 Raleigh, NC 465,517 102 $78,631 $431,992 5.5x
49 Aurora, CO 387,349 102 $78,685 $472,149 6.0x
50 Norfolk, VA 236,973 102 $60,998 $284,301 4.7x
51 Tampa, FL 388,768 101 $66,802 $391,344 5.9x
52 New Orleans, LA 380,408 101 $51,116 $253,741 5.0x
53 Orlando, FL 307,738 101 $66,292 $373,263 5.6x
54 Las Vegas, NV 644,835 100 $66,356 $399,875 6.0x
55 Irving, TX 254,962 100 $76,686 $337,139 4.4x
56 St. Paul, MN 308,806 99 $69,919 $278,672 4.0x
57 Phoenix, AZ 1,609,456 98 $72,092 $417,187 5.8x
58 Philadelphia, PA 1,593,208 98 $57,537 $216,286 3.8x
59 Charlotte, NC 875,045 98 $74,070 $387,529 5.2x
60 Mesa, AZ 503,390 98 $73,766 $431,607 5.9x
61 Durham, NC 284,094 98 $74,710 $395,610 5.3x
62 Dallas, TX 1,300,642 97 $63,985 $306,310 4.8x
63 St. Petersburg, FL 259,343 97 $70,333 $375,897 5.3x
64 Spokane, WA 227,922 97 $63,316 $374,653 5.9x
65 North Las Vegas, NV 264,022 96 $71,774 $385,939 5.4x
66 Baton Rouge, LA 225,500 96 $50,155 $214,487 4.3x
67 Fort Worth, TX 924,663 95 $72,726 $303,501 4.2x
68 Winston-Salem, NC 249,571 95 $54,416 $241,673 4.4x
69 Nashville, TN 684,103 94 $71,328 $428,714 6.0x
70 Louisville, KY 629,176 94 $63,114 $231,566 3.7x
71 Albuquerque, NM 562,551 94 $61,503 $321,089 5.2x
72 Arlington, TX 393,469 94 $71,736 $312,016 4.3x
73 Glendale, AZ 248,083 94 $66,375 $405,468 6.1x
74 Houston, TX 2,296,253 93 $60,440 $260,901 4.3x
75 Tucson, AZ 541,033 93 $52,049 $324,757 6.2x
76 Omaha, NE 489,201 93 $70,202 $268,796 3.8x
77 Milwaukee, WI 573,299 91 $49,733 $191,843 3.9x
78 Greensboro, NC 297,202 91 $55,051 $248,523 4.5x
79 Jacksonville, FL 950,203 90 $64,138 $293,086 4.6x
80 Indianapolis, IN 882,006 90 $59,110 $218,415 3.7x
81 Kansas City, MO 505,958 90 $65,256 $227,993 3.5x
82 Tulsa, OK 411,938 90 $56,648 $192,607 3.4x
83 Wichita, KS 395,951 90 $60,712 $183,706 3.0x
84 Cincinnati, OH 308,870 90 $49,191 $235,782 4.8x
85 Pittsburgh, PA 303,843 90 $60,187 $224,210 3.7x
86 Lincoln, NE 290,531 90 $67,846 $267,971 3.9x
87 Corpus Christi, TX 317,804 89 $64,449 $216,357 3.4x
88 San Antonio, TX 1,445,662 88 $59,593 $257,552 4.3x
89 Columbus, OH 902,449 88 $62,994 $237,662 3.8x
90 Oklahoma City, OK 681,088 88 $64,251 $195,449 3.0x
91 Fort Wayne, IN 264,514 88 $58,233 $216,656 3.7x
92 Lubbock, TX 258,190 88 $58,734 $204,713 3.5x
93 El Paso, TX 677,181 87 $55,710 $213,288 3.8x
94 Toledo, OH 269,962 85 $45,405 $114,512 2.5x
95 Detroit, MI 636,787 84 $37,761 $66,544 1.8x
96 St. Louis, MO 298,018 84 $52,941 $168,569 3.2x
97 Laredo, TX 255,293 83 $60,928 $206,477 3.4x
98 Memphis, TN 630,027 80 $48,090 $144,868 3.0x
99 Cleveland, OH 370,365 80 $37,271 $100,343 2.7x
100 Buffalo, NY 276,688 80 $46,184 $215,169 4.7x

Most Expensive Places By State

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.