The most expensive U.S. state overall right now is Hawaii , mainly because of extremely high housing, food, and transportation costs driven by its island location and limited land.

Quick Scoop: What’s the most expensive state?

If you look at broad “cost of living” data (housing, groceries, utilities, transport, healthcare), Hawaii almost always comes out on top as the priciest place to live in the U.S. Everyday goods are more expensive to ship in, land for housing is limited, and demand to live there stays high, which pushes prices up.

Here’s a quick way to think about it:

  • Housing: Hawaii’s average home values are the highest in the country, well above places like California and Massachusetts.
  • Groceries and goods: Much has to be imported by ship or air, so basic items cost more than on the mainland.
  • Transportation: Gas and car-related costs tend to be higher, again tied to import and distance factors.

In contrast, states in the Midwest and South (like Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, or Arkansas) usually rank as some of the least expensive, with lower housing and everyday costs compared with coastal states.

Mini breakdown: “Most expensive” can mean different things

When people argue online about “what’s the most expensive state,” they’re often talking about slightly different things:

  • Overall cost of living index : Combines housing, groceries, utilities, transport, and healthcare; Hawaii usually ranks number one here.
  • Most expensive for housing alone : Hawaii also leads on average home values, with California and Massachusetts following behind.
  • Most expensive big-city life : Cities like San Francisco, New York City, and Honolulu skew the averages for their states and make everything feel even more expensive day-to-day.

So if your main pain point is rent or buying a home, Hawaii and California are brutal; if you look at everything combined, Hawaii still wins the “most expensive” crown.

Tiny “forum-style” take

“Every time people argue ‘NY vs CA’ for most expensive, Hawaii is in the corner like: you all are cute.”

People moving from high-cost states (California, New York, Massachusetts) are often shocked to find that Hawaii can feel like an even bigger jump, especially on groceries and housing. At the same time, many say the climate and lifestyle are what make them stay, despite the wallet pain.

TL;DR: If you’re asking “what’s the most expensive state to live in?” in 2026 terms, the answer is Hawaii , with California and Massachusetts usually close behind depending on the metric you look at.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.