New Report Reveals the Most and Least Expensive U.S. Cities for Household Bills
The average U.S. household now spends more than $25k a year on essential bills; San Jose ranks most expensive at
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doxo today released its annual Top 50 U.S. Cities Household Spend Report, uncovering where Americans pay the most and the least for household bills. San Jose, California is the most expensive city in the country at $44,947 a year — more than twice what households pay in Detroit, the least expensive city at $20,125.
The report arrives as households continue to grapple with a heightened cost of living. Last month, the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that 92.9% of mayors surveyed said the cost of living in their city had worsened over the past year, with 95.5% naming housing costs the primary affordability concern.
Key findings:
-
National median: Americans spend $25,266 per year across the 13 essential household bills:
- Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Gas; Electric; Water & Sewer; Waste & Recycling;
- Auto Insurance; Cable & Satellite; Health Insurance; Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
- Most expensive city: San Jose, at $44,947 a year, 78% above the national median
- Least expensive city: Detroit, at $20,125 a year, 20% below the national median
“Cost of living gets talked about as a single national number, but that’s not how anyone experiences it. It’s thirteen bills a month, and what they add up to depends enormously on where you live,” said Steve Shivers, CEO and Co-founder at doxo. “That’s why we publish this. The national figure doesn’t tell you much. Your city does.”
The 5 Most Expensive U.S. Cities for Household Bills ¹
|
City |
Median Annual Spend |
% Above National Median |
|
$44,947 |
+78% |
|
|
$40,794 |
+61% |
|
|
$39,696 |
+57% |
|
|
$39,345 |
+56% |
|
|
$38,630 |
+53% |
The 5 Least Expensive U.S. Cities for Household Bills ¹
|
City |
Median Annual Spend |
% Below National Median |
|
$20,125 |
-20% |
|
|
$20,140 |
-20% |
|
|
$20,367 |
-19% |
|
|
$20,577 |
-19% |
|
|
$20,939 |
-17% |
The full report ranks all 50 of the largest U.S. cities. To see where yours lands, visit https://www.doxo.com/doxoinsights-2026-top-50-u-s-cities-report/
¹ Data is sourced from the doxoINSIGHTS Top 50 U.S. Cities Household Spend Report 2026. The Cost of Bills Index™ (COBI) compares local bill costs against the national median using a baseline of 100. For the latest analysis of U.S. household bill expenses, visit www.doxo.com/u/insights and select a state to explore state, county, and city data.
About doxoINSIGHTS
doxoINSIGHTS provides direct insight into The Bill Pay Economy™ by leveraging consumer surveys and doxo’s unique aggregate bill pay data set, comprising actual bill payment activity to confirmed household service providers across the country. doxo data brings together the broadest available data set for analyzing actual household bill payment activity, pulling from over 10 million paying consumers across over 97% of U.S. zip codes. doxo’s payment network covers over 120,000 billers in 45 different service categories and enables payments using bank accounts, credit cards or debit cards. This uniquely broad statistical foundation powers doxoINSIGHTS reports, used to highlight key trends for household financial health and bill payment behavior. Uncovering an even deeper level of insight into Americans’ cost of living, doxo’s proprietary Cost of Bills Index™ (COBI), an evergreen feature of doxoINSIGHTS, provides a consistent basis of comparison at the state, county and city level, and taking into account relative costs for each area.
About doxo
For over 10M consumers, doxo’s all-in-one bill management system makes it simple for our customers to organize and pay any bill, on any device and via any method, through a secure checkout. doxo is committed to delivering innovation that transforms the bill pay experience for consumers, billers, and financial technology providers alike. doxo is continually at the forefront of the bill pay market and ecosystem, offering a Unified Bill Pay Calendar, Private Pay Wallet, Real-Time Balance with a linked bank account, $1M Identity Theft Protection, Credit Score Protection, and doxoINSIGHTS for all customers on our doxoPLUS platform; available now on the App Store and Google Play.
doxo has secured investments from Jackson Square Ventures, MDV, and Bezos Expeditions to disrupt a market that accounts for over $5T of US Household spending. To learn more about America’s leading bill pay network, visit doxo.com.
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