As the cost of living continues to rise across the country, some cities are becoming increasingly unaffordable for the average resident, as nearly half of Americans say they find it difficult to cover essential month-to-month expenses, according to Public First. In major metro areas, rent inflation, essential goods pricing, and wage stagnation are widening affordability gaps, making long-term financial stability increasingly dependent on access to financial products and money that just works.
Some U.S. cities are seeing growing anxiety around affordability. We combined search trend data with economic indicators to identify where cost-of-living concern is strongest.
Top 10 U.S. Cities Most Worried About Cost of Living in 2026
Seattle, WA
New York, NY
San Francisco, CA
Boston, MA
San Diego, CA
Miami, FL
Baltimore, MD
San Jose, CA
Portland, OR
Oakland, CA
Seattle Leads in Cost-of-Living Worries
Seattle ranks as the #1 U.S. city experiencing cost-of-living pressure, with a final weighted score of 60.4 that helps to solidify its #1 spot. Residents make 11,250 cost-of-living-related searches each month, at 1,404 per 100,000 residents. These search behaviors signal widespread financial strain across the Evergreen State’s most populous city. Despite an average monthly salary of $6,526, affordability remains constrained with a one-bedroom apartment averaging $2,445 a month, while monthly essentials average $1,573. With metro-area inflation at 3.1%, even above-average earners are feeling squeezed to make ends meet.
New York City Ranks Second for the Most Worried About Cost of Living
New York City ranks as the #2 U.S. city where residents are most worried about affording everyday costs, also earning a final weighted score of 60.4. Though residents bring home $5,250 on average each month, this hasn’t shielded them from rising costs. With rent of a one-bedroom apartment averaging $4,564 a month and monthly living costs averaging $1,646, the city is experiencing a mounting affordability gap. Additionally, 26,140 cost-of-living-related searches, 313 per 100,000 residents, reflect the growing concern of residents struggling to keep up.
San Francisco Ranks Third for the Most Worried About Cost of Living
San Francisco ranks #3, continuing the trend of pressure to afford the essentials across the West Coast, with a final weighted score of 58.2. Though San Francisco may offer the highest average monthly salary at $7,508 among the top three cities, costs remain relentlessly high. With average rent at $3,458 for a one-bedroom and monthly living expenses averaging $1,620, the city continues to test affordability limits, which are reflected in 6,290 monthly searches related to cost-of-living concerns. When looking at these concerns per 100,000 residents, it equates to 782 searches a month.
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While budgeting can help to offset some expenses, rapidly rising rent, essential costs, and steady inflation across America’s largest cities continue to heighten financial strain. As affordability gaps widen, access to simple, low-fee financial products becomes more and more important.
Methodology
To determine which U.S. cities are experiencing the greatest cost-of-living worries, we analyzed the 50 most populous cities in America using 2026 population data estimates from World Population Review. The 50 most populous U.S. cities were selected to provide an overview of major U.S. urban centers, offering a broad look at cost-of-living pressures across the country rather than an exhaustive analysis of each municipality.
Each city was evaluated across five key affordability indicators, with each metric weighted equally at 20% to calculate a final weighted score. Equal weighting was used to ensure that no single factor disproportionately influenced the ranking, allowing the index to reflect a balanced view of overall affordability pressures across the following metrics:
1. Consumer Price Index (CPI):
The most recent CPI data available, sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for each city, or its closest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) if city-level data was unavailable.
2. Average Monthly Salary:
Average net monthly salary data was sourced from Numbeo to estimate typical post-tax take-home earnings for residents.
3. Housing Costs:
The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment located in the city center was collected from Numbeo to represent baseline housing affordability.
4. Monthly Living Costs:
Average monthly consumer expenses (including groceries, utilities, transportation, clothing, sports & leisure, and childcare) were sourced from Numbeo to estimate everyday household spending excluding rent.
5. Cost-of-living Search Interest:
Monthly search volume for cost of living-related keywords (“cost of living + [City]”) was collected using KeywordTool. Search volumes reflect Google search demand originating from each U.S. city analyzed and were normalized per 100,000 residents to account for differences in city size.
All data reflects the most recent publicly available figures as of February 23, 2026.
