Want to know which are the most expensive towns to live in the US? Whether you are planning on relocating or just curious about just how pricey it can be to live in certain areas of the country, we’ve compiled a list of the costliest places you could possibly reside in within the US. The data we used to rank the towns is published by the Council for Community and Economic Research, an organization which calculates the cost of living of around 300 urban areas in the country after analyzing everything from transportation to housing, and rents to groceries.
If you are interested in this topic you will surely enjoy our list on The 10 Most Expensive Cities to Live in North America, which adds a little Canadian content into the fray. And if you think Canadian cities couldn’t possibly be as expensive as US ones, you’ll be in for quite a shock, especially as a Canadian city topped the list.
Are you curious now about the most expensive towns to live in the U.S? Let’s take a look at the current countdown and find out which are the costliest places to reside in America.
10. San Diego, California
San Diego is quite an expensive town to live in. Not only does housing cost twice as much as the national average, but living costs as a whole are rather inflated. Moreover, it is somewhat difficult to find a job in the area to endure the high cost of living – which is 30% above the national average.
Beautiful San Diego may be expensive, but there are nine more of the most expensive towns to live in the US yet to come which will dwarf it in cost. Check them out.
9. Los Angeles, California
The City of Angels has a cost of living that exceeds the U.S. average by 30.4%. Nevertheless, over 3.9 million people chose to live in this costly town. What is even more worrisome is that Los Angeles has a median household income that is below the national level by 6.6%. Unemployment is also high, and 21.2% of the population lives in poverty.
8. Oakland, California
Rents are high, the average household income is way below the national median, and homes are really expensive. The only upside to this California town is that utilities cost 4.5% less than what the average citizen pays elsewhere in the country. With a cost of living that is 36.1% above the national average, Oakland is one of the most expensive towns to live in America.
7. Boston, Massachusetts
Living in a big town is inevitably expensive, and Boston is no exception to this rule. Although the living cost is 39.7% above the US average, the capital of Massachusetts has some upsides including affordable homes and housing expenses, along with the typical benefits of a big city.
6. Washington, D.C.
Living in the same town as the President of the United States is by no means cheap. With a cost of living that surpasses the national average by 40.1%, Washington D.C. has one of the most elevated housing expenses in the country. However, the job market is quite promising.
5. Stamford, Connecticut
This town is where many millionaires choose to live. Living expenses are way above average, and the living cost is 44.1% above the country’s average. Housing costs are also very elevated; after all, it is not cheap to live only 30 miles away from Manhattan.
4. San Jose, California
Yet another California town on our list, living in San Jose is 49.3% more expensive than the average American city. All in all, residing in the renowned Silicon Valley is definitely not cheap. Housing costs, utilities and home values exceed the median U.S. values by quite a bit.
3. San Francisco, California
Living in this West Coast town costs a staggering 61.6% more than living in any other standard town in the United States. Purchasing a house or paying rent in San Francisco is by far more expensive than elsewhere in the country. Nevertheless, incomes are high, unemployment is low and there are lots of opportunities for bold entrepreneurs.
2. Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii’s capital is a pricey paradise to live in: the cost of living is 69.1% higher than the national average. Just about everything is expensive in remote Honolulu, from utilities to transportation, and from housing to groceries. But there is one clear reason why residents keep on choosing the town, and that is the low unemployment rate.
1. Manhattan, New York
Although technically Manhattan is a New York City borough, we felt the need to make an exception and consider it alongside the other expensive towns in the country. The priciest place to live in the U.S. has a cost of living that is 120.4% above the national average! Nothing is cheap about Manhattan: premiums, groceries, utilities, transportation and housing are all exorbitantly high.
