Make a confident decision by considering these 15 factors that will impact your life. Alabama has the fourth-lowest cost of livingabout 12.1% lower than most of the U.S. Another important consideration is affordability. Pound for pound, it will cost you less than half what it would in Seattle, where it wouldn't exactly be "Southern" fried chicken anyway. "description": "FortuneBuilders has determined the 12 states with the most affordable cost of living. Nicknamed The Ville for its picturesque Tudor-style downtown, Swarthmore is a small town with a laid-back ambiance. Heres what housing prices, the median annual salary and the job market look like: At 10.5% below the average cost of living, Iowa is another one of the most affordable states. The latest Consumer Price Index for June came in even hotter than expected, at 9.1%. All Rights Reserved. Oregon has a liberal advantage of -4 points due to 32% of voters identifying as conservative; however, 35% of voters identify as moderate. All rights reserved. And while its cost of living averages about 23% higher than the national average, College Park is a significantly less expensive place to live than nearby Washington, Arlington, or Alexandria. The Hoosier states median house price is $142,500. The most liberal city is San Francisco, California, followed by Washington, DC; Seattle, Washington; Oakland, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Detroit, Michigan; New York City, New York; Buffalo, New York; and Baltimore, Maryland. Everything else is cheaper, too. Coming in at the top of the list is Cambridge, Massachusetts in the Boston area. Generally, towns and neighborhoods with highly ranked schools and districts, and towns and neighborhoods with a high percentage of residents who have received a bachelors degree or higher, will perform very well in the rankings., Niches report also reveals some macro trends, including emerging parts of the country like Pennsylvania. Hawaii is tied with both Maryland and Oregon has the eighth-most liberal state in the United States. If you wish to buy a home, the median price is $146,000. Go Iowa State Cyclones! What are the top 10 cheapest states to live in? Theyve helped with 6 million movesboth long and shortall over the country.). "@type": "WebPage", Historically, Poughkeepsie hasnt had the best reputation as a college town. Here's how to make a budget in just five steps. Lets compare Tennessees average housing prices, income and job market to the rest of the country: Housing prices are high in Tennessee (and it doesnt help that the average household income is $10,000 lower than the national median). Northfield itself is a charming Midwestern town characterized by its welcoming, pedestrian-friendly downtown area and lively picturesque neighborhoods. It enjoys a cost of living slightly higher than the rest of The Bay State but far lower than nearby Cambridge (also on our list of the most affordable liberal college towns). Tennessee boasts affordable housing with an index of 82.6, one of the lowest in the nation. Fortunately, Berkeley is full of college students/potential roommates. The median income of a family of four in Mississippi is $70,656. Iowa could be the future home for you. Iowa 12. Massachusetts is also the home state of well-known politicians such as Elizabeth Warren, Michael Dukakis, Jill Stein, and the Kennedys. You can hike hundreds of trails, climb mountains, and visit places like Harpers Ferry to learn the local history. A one-bedroom apartment in Annandale on Hudson, New York, averages about $1,586 per month about $300 higher than the New York average. The biggest cost difference is housing, which is 24% higher than the rest of the country. New Hampshire is 28% conservative, giving it a slightly less liberal advantage than New York of 2 points. Berkeleys cost of living is much more reasonable than San Francisco or New York. In contrast, Indianas capital, Indianapolis, is one of the nations most affordable cities. Switzerland is the second-most expensive country in which to live. Fort Waynewhich was the cheapest place to live in 2022went down several slots this year. California, Colorado and Hawaii were the top three In a different college town, Austin, Texas, you can expect to be on the hook for 50-60% more. How about a mountain of Southern fried chicken in The Mountain State? Now that weve explored some of the cheapest states to live in, its smart to also consider the other side of the coin. Here are the 10 states that are the most liberal: Conservatives Greatly Outnumber Liberals in 19 U.S. States. Candidates typically do most of their campaigning in the swing states, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado, Nevada, and Florida. Find a RamseyTrusted real estate agent today! Located near the Twin Cities, Northfield, Minnesota, is home to Carleton College and St. Olaf College. Cost of living often plays a huge role for those trying to decide where to settle roots, start a family, or even start a business. In the 2016 presidential election, 59% of voters voted Democratic. To find the states with the lowest cost of living, we look at the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). Here are the top 10 cheapest states to live in, according to WalletHubs report. Mississippi Olympia may be the capital of Washington, but with a population of only 50,000 people, it enjoys a small college-town feel. Pakistan is considered as the country with the lowest average cost of living. For the first time, Niches rankings include data recorded during the pandemic and released through 2021. We call them RamseyTrusted because we trust them to take care of you. Heres what housing prices, salaries and the job market look like in Missouri: In Missouri, there are plenty of small towns where you can put down roots. "url": "https://www.thanmerrill.com/" The cheapest part of Alabama is the Anniston-Oxford area, which has a cost of living thats 17% below the national average. As with any city, the cost of living varies with each section of town but generally averages about 2% higher than the rest of the country. TheBritish overseasterritoryhas a cost ofliving index of146.04. Its got one of the lowest health care costs in the country17% below average! Brownsville, Texas has been named the cheapest place to live in the US. Take a look at our list of the cheapest states to live in. John M. Chase | Istock Unreleased | Getty Images. In the 2016 presidential election, 60.3% of voters voted Democratic. Its known for its vibrant local arts scene, the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College, and its liberal politics. Im okay living near conservatives so long as the state government itself is solidly blue and Im living in a city or the suburb of a major city. Missouri 9. Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images. A student living off campus at UC Santa Barbara should expect to shell out about $2,100 for a one-bedroom apartment each month. Rent 3 bedrooms Center/Outside Center: $2,724.11 /$1,913.70. Now, lets compare housing prices, salaries and unemployment rates in Kansas to the rest of the country: With low home prices, low unemployment rates and high salaries, Kansas is one of the best states to live in financially. Home to a major university and a rich history in the civil rights movement, Alabama is anything but boring. The only weak factors for Cambridge: housing, affordability and weather. Want to find someplace cheaper? Santa Barbaras median home price hovers just under $1.2 million. "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fb.fortunecdn.com/images/FBLogoDownload.png" Just about 60% of Norton residents vote Democrat. Most of your decision-making will be influenced by personal incentives and preferences, such as the affordability of big cities within those states, or cost of healthcare or transportation. Its hot here all the fucking time and this shit is has both the worst of red conservative politics and the prices of a city like NY or LA so like theres no point staying here after next year. Located near fellow liberal college town Berkeley, Oakland is home to myriad colleges, including Mills College, Holy Names University, and California College of the Arts. Iowa Median Home Price: $147,800 Estimated Monthly Mortgage Payment: $702 Iowa came in at the top of our list of the most affordable homes in America. 56.3% of Vermont voters voted Democratic in the 2016 election, while 30.3% voted Republican. Published April 28, 2023 5:51 p.m. PDT. Arkansas calls itself The Natural State, but sometimes you just need a burger. A subreddit for people who want to move to a new city, state or province in their country. Coming in third for overall cost of living at 87.8, Arkansas has a lot to offer for those looking to slash their budget. 1. It was number 27 in 2021, number 13 in 2022 and now its number one in 2023. As of August 2022,Mississippi is the least expensive state to live in, according to worldpopulationreview.com. If you were to relocate to Tennessee, you would enjoy the lack of state income tax, as well as low grocery costs. With an overall cost of living score of 89.4, you are likely to find a very affordable home in this Southeastern state. This includes the average amount it would cost to rent an apartment or purchase a home in a particular area. However, any of the twelve states that made it into our rankings will offer you significant savings. Or head to Niche.com, where you can see the healthiest cities, the best spots for families, the best places (defined as a non-rural town with a population of 1,000 or more), the best suburbs and more. Home to three Air Force bases, the state attracts federal government spending on military and research. With a housing cost index of 71.8, Kansas puts itself on the map as one of the cheapest places to live in the U.S. You could buy a median-priced home in the Sunflower State at $137,700. Home to Oberlin College since 1833, Oberlin is an energetic and politically active place well known for its Progressive student population. Nestled in Californias picturesque San Gabriel foothills, Claremont is home to the prestigious consortium of Claremont colleges. 2022 Cost of Living Score: 45 out of 50 points (Top States Grade: A). With a population of just under 40,000 people, charming Amherst, Massachusetts is one of The Bay States more affordable college towns. Since the factors sourced from the American Community Survey are a five-year average, these changes are controlled in a sense, but some of the pandemics impact is sure to be seen., Nevertheless, there werent many surprises on this years report, according to Bell. Its also one of Americas biggest steel pipe makers, since the soil contains limestone, iron ore and coalthe main ingredients for steel. Nashville is the most expensive city in Tennessee (shocker, we know). }, Factors affecting the most affordable states to live in. Craving some pizza? The median home price in St. Paul Park is $204,800, while you can find a place to rent for just $891. Such economic diversity makes for an interesting town. Read more:These are the poorest cities in every state in the US. Nearly 67% of Providence voters vote Democrat, making this charming Rhode Island town a solidly liberal one. The company also looks at factors like affordability, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity and public schools, to name a few. New York is geographically split, a majority of upstate areas vote conservative, and the larger metro areas vote liberal. Take a look: Beyond the numbers, Indiana is surprisingly beautiful. ], Expect to pay a low monthly rent of about $629 for a one-bedroom if you prefer to rent. In fact, with its bike lanes, vibrant arts scene, and collection of locally owned businesses, Boulder feels like the quintessential college town. Buying a home or renting an apartment in Meridian, Mississippi, will cost you roughly half of what it would in Bozeman, Montana. U.S. citizens typically identify as either Democratic or Republican, or liberal or conservative. Aerial abstract view of homes in the suburb in Birmingham, Alabama. If you're buying a sweet home in Birmingham, you will pay less than a third of what you would for a comparable house in Anaheim, California. Peeterv | Istock Unreleased | Getty Images. University of North Carolina, AshevilleNestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville has been called the eastern equivalent of the many mountain resort towns that dot the American West, particularly in the Rocky Mountains. Indeed, this picturesque little town has enjoyed a renaissance of late and has attracted a young crowd of artist and musician types. It takes a mere 10.6 percent of the median household income to afford a home in the Hawkeye State. Moving somewhere new is a big adventure! Utility bills run close to the national average. Most of Marylands liberal base is in the Washington D.C. metro area and Baltimore. Our ranking of the 12 cheapest states to live in was curated by weighing these different indexes. For example, there are multiple states that dont have income tax, which can save you a lot of money. Its overall cost of living score is 88.9, with a housing score of 71.6. Keep reading to take a quick tour of the United States, as we make a pit stop at 12 different states to explore why they are the most affordable in the nation. For the college student living in Evanston, the cost of living is slightly higher than that of Chicago. Maybe youre curious. The states location alongside the Mississippi River made it a strategic military location during the But with its cost of living averaging only 1.5% above the national norm, Middletown, Connecticut, is a surprisingly affordable college town. Same thing for the oil to fry it in roughly half the price in Morgantown compared to up north. Mechanics perform tire rotations on customer vehicles at a Pep Boys - Manny Moe & Jack service center in Clarksville, Indiana. Later, when you want to get your cholesterol checked, your visit to the doctor will cost about half what it would in Dubuque, Iowa. The median price for a single-family home in Mississippi is$140,818, and rent for a two-bedroom apartment costs, on average,$777. The data is based on a 2018 Gallup pull. In fact, the towns and neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh area are some of the most affordable in the country, and the towns in Philadelphia improved in affordability this year., The report also shows the best places for diversity. With the third-best healthcare system and fifth-best education system in the nation, Iowa is no state to skip over. These Nashville prices will be music to your ears. Atlanta drives that number down a bit, with a cost of living thats 2%higherthan average. Cost of livingindex measures theaverage cost of living in the U.S. as a baseline of 100, saysworldpopulationreview.com. It is also ranked as one of the best places to live. Surprisingly, living here isnt as expensive as one might initially think. "@context": "https://schema.org", 2022 Cost of Living Score: 49 out of 50 points (Top States Grade: A+). The state economy runs on agriculture and trade, and it helps that transportation costs are so low. With a cost of living index of 89.4 and a low housing cost index of 70.2, one of the lowest in the nation, it offers opportunities to those looking to reduce their housing budgets. Its cost ofliving index is123.35, saysnumbeo.com. }, Home to the University of Vermont, plus a handful of smaller colleges, Burlington enjoys a youthful vibe. Colonial Village has seen quite the rise in the past few years, said Bell. With an exceptionally low cost-of-living index score of 83.3, Mississippi is well below the national average of 100. Let us know in the comments below! Alabama - Cost Of Living Index: 87.9. Maryland voters are 29% conservative, giving the state a -1 point liberal advantage. Located just across the bridge from San Francisco, Berkeley has been synonymous with Progressive politics for decades. A can of peaches in the state It has everything from sand dunes up north to forests and limestone caves down south. "logo": { The Sooner State has the second-lowest cost of living in the U.S., so your hard 2023 Lampo Licensing, LLC. Cambridge also benefits from having very strong universities, which contribute to the higher education rate, employment opportunities and access to amenities provided by the universities., A couple of unique criteria in our Young Professionals ranking include Millennials below poverty and young professional newcomers, and Cambridge showed improvement in both those factors as well as higher education rate and overall score, said Bell. Overall cost of living index score: 83.3. Students at nearby Smith College can expect to spend about 8% more on necessities than the rest of the country but about 20% less than other students in Massachusetts. On the Republican side, Florida has the unfortunate claim of being the most unaffordable state overall, with a 58% cost-burden rate.