Cost of Living in the Southeast
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, DC, Alabama, Delaware, Mississippi, South Carolina & West Virginia
Photo: Elijah Mears / UnsplashThe Southeast — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, DC, Alabama, Delaware, Mississippi, South Carolina & West Virginia — covers 24 cities we track across 13 states. Median one-bedroom rent across those cities is $1,110 — about the same as the $1,130 median across the 6 regions we track.
The cheapest city we track in the Southeast is Charleston, WV, at $668/mo for a one-bedroom; the priciest is Washington, DC, at $1,885/mo. Median household income across the region's tracked cities is $65,856, about the same as the $65,767 median across all regions.
Region Medians
Medians across the 24 cities we track in the Southeast — not a population-weighted regional figure.
States in the Southeast
Cities in the Southeast
- Jacksonville, FL1BR $1,146
- Charlotte, NC1BR $1,374
- Nashville, TN1BR $1,336
- Washington, DC1BR $1,885
- Louisville, KY1BR $877
- Memphis, TN1BR $948
- Baltimore, MD1BR $1,073
- Atlanta, GA1BR $1,576
- Raleigh, NC1BR $1,323
- Virginia Beach, VA1BR $1,357
- Tampa, FL1BR $1,324
- Lexington, KY1BR $887
- Norfolk, VA1BR $1,032
- Richmond, VA1BR $1,195
- Columbus, GA1BR $875
- Augusta, GA1BR $916
- Birmingham, AL1BR $1,004
- Charleston, SC1BR $1,430
- Jackson, MS1BR $816
- Frederick, MD1BR $1,418
- Bowling Green, KY1BR $833
- Wilmington, DE1BR $1,024
- Charleston, WV1BR $668
- Annapolis, MD1BR $1,598
Southeast cost of living — FAQ
- Is the Southeast expensive to live in?
- The Southeast is around the middle of the 6 US regions we track. Its median one-bedroom rent of $1,110 ranks #4 of 6 and is about the same as the $1,130 median.
- What is the cheapest city to live in in the Southeast?
- Charleston, WV is the cheapest of the cities we track in the Southeast, with a one-bedroom rent of $668 a month.
- What is the most expensive city in the Southeast?
- Washington, DC is the priciest of the cities we track in the Southeast, with a one-bedroom rent of $1,885 a month.
- Which states are in the Southeast?
- We track cities in 13 states in the Southeast: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, DC, Alabama, Delaware, Mississippi, South Carolina & West Virginia.
Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year; NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010; Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).