The 25 US cities with the lowest cost of living

indianapolis

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Indianapolis, Indiana.

Big coastal cities, such as New York and San Francisco, feature notoriously high rent prices and an expensive cost of living. But in their smaller Midwestern counterparts, like Indianapolis and Toledo, things prove 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, recently released its list of the US cities with the lowest cost of living. The ranking — which assessed more than 220 cities with populations of more than 100,000 — focused primarily on the ratio of home values to income, median property taxes, median home values, median rent, and monthly housing cost to income ratios for each place. It also took the price of gas, the price of groceries, the median rent to income ratio into consideration. Read a full breakdown of the methodology here. 

The top 25 cities all fell within two regions: the Midwest and the South, with a city in Indiana earning the top spot. Check out the rest of the list below. 

25. Little Rock, Arkansas

Population: 196,188

Median rent: $785

Median home value: $151,600

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 3.3 to 1

24. Indianapolis, Indiana

Population: 835,097

Median rent: $784

Median home value: $117,200

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.8 to 1

23. Amarillo, Texas

Population: 194,930

Median rent: $751

Median home value: $114,800

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.4 to 1

22. Mobile, Alabama

Population: 194,942

Median rent: $764

Median home value: $123,600

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 3.1 to 1

21. Toledo, Ohio

Population: 283,932

Median rent: $638

Median home value: $80,600

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.4 to 1

20. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Population: 395,599

Median rent: $738

Median home value: $123,100

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.9 to 1

19. Springfield, Illinois

Population: 116,815

Median rent: $727

Median home value: $116,600

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.4 to 1

18. Springfield, Missouri

Population: 162,333

Median rent: $668

Median home value: $106,900

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 3.3 to 1

17. Shreveport, Louisiana

Population: 200,692

Median rent: $761

Median home value: $125,600

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 3.3 to 1

16. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Population: 160,964

Median rent: $713

Median home value: $155,200

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 3 to 1

15. Davenport, Iowa

Population: 101,316

Median rent: $693

Median home value: $121,200

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.7 to 1

14. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Population: 600,729

Median rent: $763

Median home value: $135,200

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.9 to 1

13. Louisville, Kentucky

Population: 605,762

Median rent: $713

Median home value: $140,400

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 3.1 to 1

12. Wichita Falls, Texas

Population: 104,771

Median rent: $731

Median home value: $92,000

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.1 to 1

11. Abilene, Texas

Population: 120,776

Median rent: $775

Median home value: $95,000

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.2 to 1

10. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Population: 128,009

Median rent: $702

Median home value: $134,600

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.35 to 1

9. Topeka, Kansas

Population: 127,660

Median rent: $708

Median home value: $95,400

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.3 to 1

8. Rochester, Minnesota

Population: 109,252

Median rent: $801

Median home value: $163,400

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.6 to 1

7. Montgomery, Alabama

Population: 204,095

Median rent: $818

Median home value: $119,500

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.7 to 1

6. South Bend, Indiana

Population: 100,422

Median rent: $711

Median home value: $83,100

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.4 to 1

5. Wichita, Kansas

Population: 385,518

Median rent: $708

Median home value: $118,400

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.6 to 1

4. Huntsville, Alabama

Population: 184,132

Median rent: $723

Median home value: $160,400

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 3.3 to 1

3. Odessa, Texas

Population: 107,325

Median rent: $890

Median home value: $109,500

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2 to 1

2. Evansville, Indiana

Population: 120,220

Median rent: $707

Median home value: $90,000

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.5 to 1

1. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Population: 255,784

Median rent: $661

Median home value: $99,800

Rent to income ratio: 0.2 to 1

Home value to income ratio: 2.3 to 1

 

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