Cheapest places to live in the US

Name: US metro areas ranked by cost of living, 2026 (114 metros)
Creator: Slower Sundays

We compared what the same groceries, rent and services cost in 114 metro areas. Here is where your money goes furthest.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

TexarkanaCheapest metro16% cheaper than average
$181,500Lowest typical homeMuncie, IN
13% pricierNew York metroFor comparison, same basket of prices

The 3 cheapest metros

Same groceries, rent and services, priced everywhere. Tap a city for weather, flights and monthly costs.

Michael Barera / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
1Pays you to move
Texarkana, TX/AR16% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,006
Median home
$275,000
Mortgage
$1,511/mo
See Texarkana
Anthony Acosta / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
2
McAllen, TX14% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,030
Median home
$258,750
Mortgage
$1,422/mo
See McAllen
bubba73 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
3Pays you to move
Terre Haute, IN12% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$901
Median home
$189,625
Mortgage
$1,042/mo
See Terre Haute

Ranks 4 to 15

Price levelUS averageShorter bar = cheaper, longer = pricier

4Muncie, INPays you to move12% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$919
Median home
$181,500
Mortgage
$997/mo
5Topeka, KSPays you to move11% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$983
Median home
$256,200
Mortgage
$1,408/mo
6Wichita, KS11% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,054
Median home
$275,000
Mortgage
$1,511/mo
7Jackson, MS11% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,190
Median home
$279,950
Mortgage
$1,538/mo
8Tulsa, OKPays you to move11% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,187
Median home
$329,500
Mortgage
$1,811/mo

Show 7 more

9Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR11% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,170
Median home
$294,975
Mortgage
$1,621/mo
10El Paso, TX10% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,100
Median home
$314,987
Mortgage
$1,731/mo
11Oklahoma City, OK10% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,199
Median home
$312,450
Mortgage
$1,717/mo
12Baton Rouge, LA9% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,143
Median home
$298,250
Mortgage
$1,639/mo
13Spartanburg, SC9% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,148
Median home
$304,950
Mortgage
$1,676/mo
14Fayetteville (Northwest Arkansas), AR9% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,232
Median home
$441,000
Mortgage
$2,423/mo
15Toledo, OH9% cheaper than average
2-bed rent
$1,094
Median home
$219,675
Mortgage
$1,207/mo

Cheap, and they pay you to move

Low-cost metros with an active relocation incentive. Most programs require a remote job.

All towns that pay you to move

Cheapest places to buy a house

The 10 places with the lowest home prices, with the monthly mortgage.

1Muncie, IN$181,500 · $997/mo mortgage
2Terre Haute, IN$189,625 · $1,042/mo mortgage
3Toledo, OH$219,675 · $1,207/mo mortgage
4Akron, OH$233,750 · $1,285/mo mortgage
5Paducah, KY$244,450 · $1,343/mo mortgage

Show 5 more

All 114 metros

Every metro we rank, for when you want the full list.

See all 114 metros, cheapest first

Rank	Metro	Vs US average	Housing index	Median listed home
1	Texarkana, TX/AR	16% cheaper	49.9	$275,000
2	McAllen, TX	14% cheaper	55.9	$258,750
3	Terre Haute, IN	12% cheaper	51.9	$189,625
4	Muncie, IN	12% cheaper	57.5	$181,500
5	Topeka, KS	11% cheaper	65.0	$256,200
6	Wichita, KS	11% cheaper	66.2	$275,000
7	Jackson, MS	11% cheaper	64.8	$279,950
8	Tulsa, OK	11% cheaper	68.2	$329,500
9	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	11% cheaper	68.3	$294,975
10	El Paso, TX	10% cheaper	71.2	$314,987
11	Oklahoma City, OK	10% cheaper	73.9	$312,450
12	Baton Rouge, LA	9% cheaper	74.2	$298,250
13	Spartanburg, SC	9% cheaper	68.0	$304,950
14	Fayetteville (Northwest Arkansas), AR	9% cheaper	76.9	$441,000
15	Toledo, OH	9% cheaper	67.3	$219,675
16	Chattanooga, TN	9% cheaper	76.5	$395,000
17	Evansville, IN	8% cheaper	66.7	$259,225
18	Fond du Lac, WI	8% cheaper	67.3	$339,900
19	Birmingham-Hoover, AL	8% cheaper	71.9	$289,950
20	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	8% cheaper	84.7	$339,996
21	Jackson, MI	8% cheaper	67.1	$254,950
22	Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	8% cheaper	70.6	$314,900
23	Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	8% cheaper	86.4	$389,498
24	Winston-Salem, NC	8% cheaper	71.4	$334,900
25	Memphis area (West Memphis, AR), TN/AR	8% cheaper	79.8	$299,950
26	Southwest Michigan (Niles-Benton Harbor), MI	8% cheaper	71.6	$409,450
27	Kansas City, MO-KS	7% cheaper	86.6	$389,975
28	Knoxville, TN	7% cheaper	82.8	$447,000
29	Fort Wayne, IN	7% cheaper	72.3	$309,450
30	New Orleans-Metairie, LA	7% cheaper	86.0	$287,000
31	Greensboro, NC	7% cheaper	74.5	$327,000
32	Huntsville, AL	7% cheaper	77.9	$364,900
33	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	7% cheaper	78.6	$312,000
34	Greenville, SC	7% cheaper	76.8	$382,450
35	Morgantown, WV	7% cheaper	69.1	$349,700
36	Akron, OH	7% cheaper	76.8	$233,750
37	Myrtle Beach, SC	6% cheaper	83.1	$315,000
38	Columbia, SC	6% cheaper	79.5	$299,763
39	Pittsburgh, PA	5% cheaper	72.0	$245,000
40	San Antonio, TX	5% cheaper	94.6	$320,374
41	Bloomington, IN	5% cheaper	85.6	$359,675
42	St. Louis, MO-IL	5% cheaper	79.0	$285,950
43	Savannah, GA	5% cheaper	86.0	$399,900
44	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	5% cheaper	87.6	$347,000
45	Columbus, OH	5% cheaper	87.9	$374,950
46	Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI	4% cheaper	86.6	$399,900
47	Albuquerque, NM	4% cheaper	89.2	$410,750
48	Indianapolis, IN	4% cheaper	88.9	$310,000
49	Syracuse, NY	4% cheaper	80.7	$304,894
50	Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY	4% cheaper	81.0	$267,450
51	Nashville, TN	4% cheaper	104.6	$533,995
52	Wilmington, NC	4% cheaper	93.2	$471,489
53	Asheville, NC	3% cheaper	93.4	$575,000
54	Tucson, AZ	3% cheaper	91.8	$372,500
55	Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	3% cheaper	97.1	$399,450
56	Rochester, NY	3% cheaper	87.5	$298,350
57	Lakeland, FL	3% cheaper	95.9	$329,000
58	Madison, WI	3% cheaper	99.7	$469,465
59	Charlotte, NC	3% cheaper	97.6	$424,950
60	Durham, NC	2% cheaper	98.9	$460,135
61	Richmond, VA	2% cheaper	99.1	$439,925
62	Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	2% cheaper	99.8	$429,950
63	Austin, TX	2% cheaper	120.4	$446,450
64	Raleigh, NC	2% cheaper	103.5	$445,000
65	Provo-Orem, UT	2% cheaper	104.1	$569,900
66	Boise, ID	2% cheaper	105.6	$609,925
67	Houston, TX	1% cheaper	104.5	$353,995
68	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	1% cheaper	96.3	$326,859
69	Daytona Beach, FL	1% cheaper	108.4	$374,950
70	Jacksonville, FL	1% cheaper	109.8	$379,000
71	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	About the US average	102.6	$419,975
72	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	About the US average	105.5	$412,225
73	Melbourne, FL	About the US average	111.7	$369,775
74	Atlanta, GA	About the US average	111.0	$415,000
75	Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV	About the US average	115.5	$464,900
76	Detroit, MI	About the US average	94.7	$274,950
77	Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	About the US average	97.1	$477,950
78	Ogden-Clearfield, UT	About the US average	117.9	$537,213
79	Colorado Springs, CO	1% pricier	116.2	$484,950
80	Salt Lake City, UT	1% pricier	123.3	$564,950
81	Bakersfield, CA	1% pricier	90.3	$396,500
82	Tampa, FL	1% pricier	125.8	$385,398
83	Charleston, SC	1% pricier	119.8	$479,450
84	Orlando, FL	1% pricier	123.4	$410,000
85	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	2% pricier	103.9	$569,450
86	Fresno, CA	2% pricier	95.7	$469,500
87	Fort Myers, FL	2% pricier	125.1	$379,900
88	Sarasota, FL	2% pricier	128.0	$457,450
89	Worcester, MA-CT	3% pricier	113.0	$549,946
90	Philadelphia, PA	3% pricier	113.1	$374,950
91	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	3% pricier	110.2	$449,900
92	Dallas-Fort Worth, TX	3% pricier	117.9	$422,495
93	Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	3% pricier	121.2	$475,000
94	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin	4% pricier	112.0	$389,450
95	Baltimore, MD	4% pricier	118.2	$375,000
96	New Haven-Milford, CT	5% pricier	124.3	$425,000
97	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	5% pricier	111.8	$407,500
98	Stockton-Lodi, CA	5% pricier	115.6	$585,000
99	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	5% pricier	125.1	$587,750
100	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood	6% pricier	146.9	$569,900
101	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	6% pricier	129.3	$584,984
102	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA	7% pricier	130.2	$599,950
103	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT	7% pricier	150.5	$776,000
104	Boston-Cambridge-Newton	8% pricier	148.4	$784,778
105	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria	9% pricier	151.1	$572,150
106	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	10% pricier	211.9	$1,388,472
107	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	11% pricier	171.1	$942,076
108	Urban Honolulu, HI	11% pricier	135.5	$675,000
109	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue	11% pricier	151.3	$749,970
110	San Diego-Carlsbad	12% pricier	179.3	$888,450
111	New York-Newark-Jersey City	13% pricier	148.6	$742,000
112	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	14% pricier	170.4	$1,034,500
113	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach	14% pricier	155.6	$490,000
114	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward	16% pricier	194.7	$957,475

Compare whole states

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest place to live in the US?

Of the 114 metros we rank, Texarkana, TX/AR has the lowest price level at 84.0, 16.0% below the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024).

Where are houses cheapest?

Muncie, IN, with a median listed home of $181,500 (Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026).

What does the price level measure?

The BEA regional price parity prices the same basket of goods, services and rent in every metro. The US average is 100, so 84 means the same life costs 16% less there.

How did you pick the metros?

The 100 most populous US metros (Census Vintage 2025), every city on our destination list, and the expensive metros families are leaving. Three large metros, Cleveland, Dayton and Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, have no current BEA figures on FRED after the 2023 metro redraw, so they are left out.

Find the cities that fit your family

Answer a few quick questions and get your shortlist, ranked on what you care about. Free, no account.

Find my cities

Notes on the numbers

1Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA.
2Price level and housing index (US = 100): BEA regional price parities via FRED, 2024. Median listing: Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026.

Sources for this page