With Western Michigan University driving the local economy, “KZoo” (as the locals call it) also is home to two exceptional nationally known microbreweries – Arcadia and Bells. So, if you like education and beer, this might be the spot to call home. Show
14. Amarillo, Texas"The Yellow Rose of Texas" offers the charms of state traditions like big steaks and a love of high school football, in addition to being very easy on the wallet. It’s also known as the "Helium Capital of the World" for having one of the country's most productive helium fields, not that you necessarily care about that for your home search.
15. Meridian, MississippiAlthough Meridian is the seventh-largest city in the state of Mississippi, you’ll still find small-town vibes and historic charm that create a welcoming environment. The city is known for delicious southern food. Plus, there are tributes to musical talents born here, like the town’s very own Jimmie Rodgers.
16. Tupelo, MississippiIf you are looking for other affordable options in the Magnolia State, Tupelo doesn’t disappoint. As the birthplace of Elvis Presley, the town is steeped in musical history. Plus, the Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic driving route in the state, is headquartered here.
17. Muskogee, OklahomaThe city of Muskogee was originally named for the Creek Tribe. Over the decades, the town has blossomed into an affordable oasis for those seeking a lower cost of living.
18. Jackson, MississippiAn affordable cost of living isn’t the only thing that Jackson, Mississippi, offers residents. Additionally, you’ll find ample opportunities to explore Civil War history and the roots of blues music. The city also hosts the USA International Ballet Competition every 4 years, which offers some extra spice for this robust city full of interesting activities.
19. Topeka, KansasAs the state capital of Kansas, Topeka offers a wide range of useful services to residents. Beyond the relatively low cost of living, residents can explore the Mulvane Art Museum and Gage Park, which includes 160 acres of activities, including a zoo and carousel.
20. Richmond, IndianaRichmond, or the Rose City, has been named an All America City twice, in 1987 and 2009. With four colleges and seminaries, there are many educational opportunities in this historic town. If you become a resident, expect cold winters and ample springtime weather.
21. Salina, KansasWhen driving across the Sunflower State, you’ll find Salina nestled in the middle. Although primarily built around the surrounding grain industry, Saline has served as an important stopping point for Americans heading west for centuries. The town is centered around family living. Most families will find plenty of activities to enjoy together. By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Big coastal cities, such as New York and San Francisco, are known for having notoriously high rent prices and an expensive cost of living. But in their smaller Midwestern counterparts, like Indianapolis, Indiana or Toledo, Ohio, life proves much, much cheaper. And while a lower cost of living doesn't always equate to a higher quality of life, it can make a difference for those looking to stretch their paycheck. Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on places to live, released its list of the US cities with the lowest cost of living in 2022. The ranking focused primarily on the ratio of home values to income, median property taxes, median home values, median rent, and ratios of monthly housing cost to income for each place. It also took into account the price of gas, the price of groceries, and the ratio of the median rent to income into consideration. You can read a full breakdown of the methodology here. Many of the top 25 cities fell within the Midwest and the South, with a city in Indiana earning the top spot. Emmie Martin contributed to an earlier version of this article.
Population: 163,778 Median rent: $856 Median home value: $91,400 Percentage of people who rent their home: 51% Percentage of people who own their home: 49% 24. Odessa, TexasOdessa, Texas.DenisTangneyJr/Getty ImagesPopulation: 122,630 Median rent: $1,104 Median home value: $159,700 Percentage of people who rent their home: 39% Percentage of people who own their home: 61% 23. Lansing, MichiganLansing, Michigan downtown buildings.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesPopulation: 117,488 Median rent: $847 Median home value: $87,700 Percentage of people who rent their home: 48% Percentage of people who own their home: 52% 22. Kansas City, KansasKansas City, KansasGetty ImagesPopulation: 153,014 Median rent: $882 Median home value: $101,300 Percentage of people who rent their home: 43% Percentage of people who own their home: 57% 21. Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Andrea Evangelo-Giamou / EyeEmPopulation: 301,286 Median rent: $984 Median home value: $134,800 Percentage of people who rent their home: 53% Percentage of people who own their home: 47% 20. Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama.SeanPavonePhoto/Getty ImagesPopulation: 210,928 Median rent: $870 Median home value: $97,500 Percentage of people who rent their home: 54% Percentage of people who own their home: 46% 19. McAllen, TexasMcAllen, Texas.Denis Tangney Jr/Getty ImagesPopulation: 142,557 Median rent: $829 Median home value: $131,500 Percentage of people who rent their home: 41% Percentage of people who own their home: 59% 18. Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids, Iowa.DenisTangneyJr/iStock/Getty ImagesPopulation: 133,125 Median rent: $791 Median home value: $144,500 Percentage of people who rent their home: 30% Percentage of people who own their home: 70% 17. Wichita, KansasWichita, Kansas.Getty ImagesPopulation: 390,566 Median rent: $821 Median home value: $138,100 Percentage of people who rent their home: 42% Percentage of people who own their home: 58% 16. Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, Alabama.Sean Pavone/ShutterstockPopulation: 199,054 Median rent: $905 Median home value: $121,100 Percentage of people who rent their home: 46% Percentage of people who own their home: 54% 15. Abilene, TexasAbilene, Texas.Grace MuseumPopulation: 124,691 Median rent: $918 Median home value: $131,300 Percentage of people who rent their home: 46% Percentage of people who own their home: 54% 14. Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, Texas.Gimas/ShutterstockPopulation: 199,225 Median rent: $876 Median home value: $138,900 Percentage of people who rent their home: 41% Percentage of people who own their home: 59% 13. Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio.Yuanshuai Si/Getty ImagesPopulation: 383,331 Median rent: $735 Median home value: $73,400 Percentage of people who rent their home: 58% Percentage of people who own their home: 42% 12. Topeka, KansasTopeka, Kansas.Henryk Sadura/shutterstockPopulation: 125,819 Median rent: $815 Median home value: $105,700 Percentage of people who rent their home: 41% Percentage of people who own their home: 59% 11. Erie, PennsylvaniaErie, Pennsylvania.Getty ImagesPopulation: 96,616 Median rent: $725 Median home value: $90,500 Percentage of people who rent their home: 48% Percentage of people who own their home: 52% 10. Akron, OhioAkron, Ohio.ShutterstockPopulation: 197,375 Median rent: $795 Median home value: $83,500 Percentage of people who rent their home: 50% Percentage of people who own their home: 50% 9. Beaumont, TexasTexas road sign.Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesPopulation: 117,321 Median rent: $868 Median home value: $123,700 Percentage of people who rent their home: 45% Percentage of people who own their home: 55% 8. Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkWalter Bibikow/Getty ImagesPopulation: 255,805 Median rent: $801 Median home value: $101,000 Percentage of people who rent their home: 58% Percentage of people who own their home: 42% 7. Evansville, IndianaEvansville, Indiana.Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesPopulation: 118,414 Median rent: $797 Median home value: $98,600 Percentage of people who rent their home: 45% Percentage of people who own their home: 55% 6. Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio.Michael Shake/ShutterstockPopulation: 275,116 Median rent: $737 Median home value: $83,600 Percentage of people who rent their home: 49% Percentage of people who own their home: 51% 5. Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio.David Harmantas/ShutterstockPopulation: 140,444 Median rent: $724 Median home value: $69,400 Percentage of people who rent their home: 53% Percentage of people who own their home: 47% 4. South Bend, IndianaSouth Bend, Indiana.Chuck W Walker/ShutterstockPopulation: 102,686 Median rent: $814 Median home value: $88,600 Percentage of people who rent their home: 42% Percentage of people who own their home: 58% 3. Brownsville, TexasBrownsville, Texas.ShutterstockPopulation: 182,230 Median rent: $754 Median home value: $92,400 Percentage of people who rent their home: 40% Percentage of people who own their home: 60% 2. Wichita Falls, TexasWichita Falls, Texas.DenisTangneyJr/Getty ImagesPopulation: 104,657 Median rent: $828 Median home value: $104,800 Percentage of people who rent their home: 43% Percentage of people who own their home: 57% 1. Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, Indiana.Deb Perry / Getty ImagesPopulation: 268,378 Median rent: $777 Median home value: $121,600 Percentage of people who rent their home: 37% Percentage of people who own their home: 63%
Erin McDowell Reporter, Editorial Partnerships Erin McDowell is a reporter on the Insider Inc. distribution team. She covers food, lifestyle, entertainment, retail, careers, and more for Insider, Business Insider, and Insider Inc.'s partners, including MSN.com and Yahoo. She graduated from Elon University in January 2019, where she studied strategic communications and digital art. She has written for V Magazine, Milk.XYZ, OUT.com, Brides Magazine, and more. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and can be found on LinkedIn. Please send all inquiries, comments, or tips to [email protected]. Read more Read lessErin Snodgrass Reporter Erin Snodgrass is a reporter for Insider. Before joining Insider, Erin was an intern with InvestigateTV and Česká televize. She graduated from Loyola University New Orleans in 2020. Her work has also been published in The Olympian and on Nola.com. She can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter as @erinsnod. Read more Read lessRead next More... Close iconTwo crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. Where is the cheapest and nicest place to live in USA?Lake Side Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana, named the most affordable city to live in America. In its report, Niche also ranked the cheapest places to live in the U.S. At the top of the list was Fort Wayne, Indiana, which also took the top spot in three previous years: 2021, 2019 and 2018.
What city in U.S. has lowest cost of living?The 10 most affordable cities in the US. McAllen, TX. Rent: $1,037. Transportation: $267. ... . Tulsa, OK. Rent: $1,121. Transportation: $272. ... . Knoxville, TN. Rent: $1,290. Transportation: $248. ... . Oklahoma City, OK. Rent: $1,349. ... . Buffalo, NY. Rent: $1,466. ... . Albuquerque, NM. Rent: $1,530. ... . Cincinnati, OH. Rent: $1,518. ... . El Paso, TX. Rent: $1,502.. Where is the cheapest and safest place to live in USA?Augusta, a small city near Georgia's border with South Carolina, is one of the cheapest and safest places to live in the USA. It has a low crime rate and a low cost of living, making it perfect for those looking to live comfortably and save money.
Where is the nicest most affordable place to live?Above you'll see that Sioux Falls, SD is the big winner in 2022, with the best total score and the top ranking among all US cities. Reno, NV, Provo, UT, Madison, WI, and Huntsville, AL round out the top five.
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