Most Expensive US Cities to Live In

The most expensive of the large US cities we track, ranked by one-bedroom rent.

1. 1San Francisco, CA$2,425/mo
2. 2Santa Ana, CA$2,232/mo
3. 3Washington, DC$1,885/mo
4. 4San Diego, CA$1,883/mo
5. 5Seattle, WA$1,858/mo
6. 6Anaheim, CA$1,764/mo
7. 7New York City, NY$1,705/mo
8. 8Los Angeles, CA$1,688/mo
9. 9Long Beach, CA$1,634/mo
10. 10Denver, CO$1,583/mo
11. 11Atlanta, GA$1,576/mo
12. 12Honolulu, HI$1,570/mo
13. 13Austin, TX$1,457/mo
14. 14Portland, OR$1,440/mo
15. 15Sacramento, CA$1,418/mo

Ranked by median one-bedroom apartment rent (US Census ACS), highest first.

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year; NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010; Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).