Oklahoma Tops Q1 2026 Affordability Ranking at 83.5 as Hawaii Hits 184.8
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Aug 14
Oklahoma Tops Q1 2026 Affordability Ranking at 83.5 as Hawaii Hits 184.8
1 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Aug 14
Summary
MERIC put Oklahoma at 83.5 in the first quarter of 2026—16.5% below the national average—making it the most affordable U.S. state, while Hawaii ranked last at 184.8, nearly 85% above average.
Housing drove much of that gap: Oklahoma's typical home sold for $261,681 in June versus $747,600 in Hawaii, while housing already absorbs 33.4% of average U.S. household spending, or $26,266 a year.
The cheapest states clustered in the Midwest and South, with Alabama, Mississippi and Kansas joining Oklahoma in the top 10, while Hawaii, Massachusetts, California and the District of Columbia led the most expensive group.
Cost pressures remain a national political issue: 35% of Americans in a recent Marquette poll named inflation and living costs the country's top concern, and 48% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll said it would be their main factor in the November midterms.