Have you ever wondered what the best value state is to live in?
To help you find the best value state, we have scoured the data to compare salaries and cost of living. It turns out that the top 5 best value states include Georgia, Idaho, Texas, Virginia, and Illinois. Some of these states offer great salaries, while others rank high due to their cheap cost of living. Whatever the reason, these are places you should consider if you want a high quality of life. See the infographic below for the full details!
For those interested, the full data for each of the states is listed in the table below
Ranking of US States by Value (Salary Adjusted by Cost of Living)
| Rank | State | Avg Salary | Cost of Living | Adjusted Salary |
| 1 | Georgia | 76,580 | 91.8 | 83,420 |
| 2 | Virginia | 78,640 | 94.6 | 83,129 |
| 3 | Texas | 75,210 | 92.6 | 81,220 |
| 4 | Idaho | 68,070 | 89.3 | 76,226 |
| 5 | Illinois | 73,390 | 96.6 | 75,973 |
| 6 | Missouri | 69,160 | 91.6 | 75,502 |
| 7 | Michigan | 68,460 | 91.2 | 75,066 |
| 8 | Indiana | 65,890 | 88.1 | 74,790 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 71,200 | 95.6 | 74,477 |
| 10 | Utah | 68,780 | 92.4 | 74,437 |
| 11 | Ohio | 68,360 | 92.1 | 74,224 |
| 12 | Colorado | 74,020 | 100.7 | 73,505 |
| 13 | Alabama | 65,960 | 89.9 | 73,370 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 65,630 | 90.5 | 72,519 |
| 15 | Delaware | 74,280 | 103 | 72,117 |
| 16 | Kansas | 64,590 | 90 | 71,767 |
| 17 | Nebraska | 65,820 | 92.8 | 70,927 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 64,730 | 91.8 | 70,512 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 63,720 | 90.5 | 70,409 |
| 20 | Kentucky | 61,970 | 89.1 | 69,551 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 67,100 | 97.4 | 68,891 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | 70,120 | 102.9 | 68,144 |
| 23 | Washington | 72,950 | 107.1 | 68,114 |
| 24 | Arkansas | 62,160 | 91.5 | 67,934 |
| 25 | Iowa | 62,420 | 91.9 | 67,922 |
| 26 | Florida | 68,060 | 100.6 | 67,654 |
| 27 | Louisiana | 62,990 | 93.3 | 67,513 |
| 28 | Maryland | 80,360 | 120.1 | 66,911 |
| 29 | New York | 89,850 | 134.3 | 66,902 |
| 30 | Mississippi | 56,030 | 84.3 | 66,465 |
| 31 | Minnesota | 68,660 | 103.4 | 66,402 |
| 32 | New Jersey | 84,160 | 127.4 | 66,060 |
| 33 | Arizona | 64,440 | 98.6 | 65,355 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | 77,180 | 122.3 | 63,107 |
| 35 | South Dakota | 60,000 | 97.7 | 61,412 |
| 36 | District of Columbia | 90,220 | 147.6 | 61,125 |
| 37 | South Carolina | 59,240 | 97.3 | 60,884 |
| 38 | Montana | 61,100 | 102 | 59,902 |
| 39 | Nevada | 63,260 | 107.2 | 59,011 |
| 40 | Alaska | 78,480 | 133 | 59,008 |
| 41 | California | 78,090 | 133.7 | 58,407 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | 68,250 | 117.2 | 58,234 |
| 43 | Connecticut | 77,020 | 132.7 | 58,041 |
| 44 | West Virginia | 59,520 | 103.7 | 57,396 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | 80,030 | 140 | 57,164 |
| 46 | Vermont | 70,420 | 123.3 | 57,113 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 56,230 | 102 | 55,127 |
| 48 | Maine | 61,530 | 114.3 | 53,832 |
| 49 | Oregon | 65,820 | 130.5 | 50,437 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 59,810 | 166.9 | 35,836 |
| Data Not Available | New Mexico | 61,880 | NA | Data Not Available |