Oklahoma Tops 2026 Purchasing Power Ranking With 84.7 Cost Index
Updated
Updated · IndexBox, Inc. · Jul 10
Oklahoma Tops 2026 Purchasing Power Ranking With 84.7 Cost Index
2 articles · Updated · IndexBox, Inc. · Jul 10
Summary
Oklahoma posted a MERIC composite cost-of-living index of 84.7 in 2026, about 15% below the U.S. benchmark, making it the state where household dollars stretch furthest.
Housing drove much of that advantage: Oklahoma’s housing subindex was 68.8 and its median home value was $222,100, implying about $22,000 for a 10% down payment.
Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama and Kansas joined Oklahoma among the five cheapest states, reinforcing a South-and-Midwest pattern across groceries, utilities, transportation and healthcare.
Hawaii sat at the opposite extreme with a 183.9 composite index and a 299.0 housing subindex; its $875,900 median home price was nearly four times Oklahoma’s.
Those interstate gaps are increasingly shaping migration and budgets: nearly 15 million Americans moved in the past year, while California—third most expensive at 143.1—led outbound moves in 2025.