The Scenic US State With The Lowest Cost Of Living In 2026 Isn't West Virginia Or Mississippi

Oklahoma: It's a good-looking state! The Sooner State's 12 ecoregions offer a diverse array of terrains and climates to explore. With widespread plains and prairies leading into forests and mountains, swamps packed with wildlife, and plenty of parks and refuges to admire it all, Oklahoma's natural beauty is undeniable — whether it's one of the state parks and recreation areas surrounding the Grand Lake O' the Cherokees in the Ozark Highlands, Black Mesa State Park (where the Rocky Mountain foothills meet the shortgrass prairie), or the animals at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (home to buffalo, cattle, otters, beavers, prairie dogs, and more).

That diversity in ecoregions makes Oklahoma delightfully scenic, maybe even one of the most scenic states in the country. There's no maybe about the state's affordability, though; we now know that it's the cheapest state to live in. According to a Cost of Living Index analysis by MERIC (the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center), and based on data provided to the Council for Community and Economic Research, the 46th state to join the Union is actually No. 1 when it comes to expenses — and beats out Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, as well. It's significantly cheaper to live in Oklahoma than most of the rest of the country. And don't even think about comparing it to Hawaii, where living costs over twice as much. But let's take a closer look and really crunch those numbers.

MERIC's Cost of Living Index assigns a score to every state, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., based on several categories. A score of 100 represents the national average; a score above 100 means a state is more expensive than average, and a score below 100 means it's cheaper. Oklahoma has the lowest overall score of 83.5, and its cost of living is 16.5% lower than the national average. Whether you're looking to stretch your Social Security a little bit further or hoping to escape today's rampant inflation, Oklahoma takes it easy on your wallet.

The index arrives at that score by measuring costs for housing, utilities, groceries, healthcare, transportation, and miscellaneous expenditures. It then averages those scores together to arrive at a final number for the state. Oklahoma is the cheapest largely because of its affordable housing; its housing score of 66.9 is the lowest of any state. (Don't worry, West Virginia: you're still one of the most affordable states for retirement.) Housing accounts for the largest share of living expenses and is the most important category underpinning the index.

Oklahoma's utility costs are middle-of-the-pack at 94.5 but near the bottom compared to the rest. The Sooner State's grocery costs have a score of 93.5, health care costs are a 98.1, transportation costs come in at 83.7, and miscellaneous goods and services — clothing, entertainment, and more — weigh in at 88.8. Mississippi is the third most affordable with an overall score of 86.2, whereas West Virginia was almost two points higher at 87.9. The most expensive state, Hawaii, scores 184.8, meaning it's 85% more expensive to live there than the national average. So hey, maybe consider working remotely from Oklahoma?