Post by migratetoday on Dec 9, 2020 16:27:31 GMT
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA downtown skyline at twilight.
With many American families struggling with high rent, credit card debt and student loans, it may be difficult to find an affordable place to lay down roots. Finding a place to live with good-paying jobs and affordable housing is certainly a delicate balance. Many U.S. cities have one or the other, with American families assuming that a city with decent wages will come with high housing costs. But luckily, there are plenty of cities that offer the best of both worlds.
Downtown Living: Most Affordable Cities in the US
To determine which U.S. cities have plenty of jobs and cheap housing, GOBankingRates analyzed factors such as median listing price, typical market rent and unemployment rate. To qualify, each city had to have values lower than the national average in each category. This study then scored the 50 qualifying cities based on the three factors above, with the lowest value as the most desirable city. GOBankingRates also looked at the labor force participation rate, median household income and livability score for each city. Livability is always scored out of a possible 100. This study is ranked from highest to lowest value, with the No. 1 city being the best.
The Lone Star State has 12 cities on this list; surprisingly, Florida is the second-highest state with only five cities on the list. So, rest assured that there is a city in nearly every state that provides a great balance to live comfortably. Find out if your city has cheap housing and job opportunities.
Last updated: Dec. 7, 2020
A colorful golden and purple sunset falls beneath the horizon at the Fort Myers Beach Pier in Florida, USA.
50. Fort Myers, Florida
Mesa, Arizona, USA - March 5, 2019: Daytime view of the Mesa Arts Center and Center/Main St station in the heart of the downtown district.
49. Mesa, Arizona
Saint Petersburg Florida climate change
48. Saint Petersburg, Florida
Massachusetts-Worcester
47. Worcester, Massachusetts
beach cities, New Bedford, Massachusetts
46. New Bedford, Massachusetts
Aurora is a suburb of Chicago located in the outer region of Greater Chicago in the U.
45. Aurora, Illinois
The view from the capital steps looking over downtown Richmond, Virginia.
44. Richmond, Virginia
[*]Monthly market rent: $1,260
[*]Unemployment rate: 4.4%
[*]Labor force participation rate: 64.6%
[*]Median household income: $48,987
[*]Livability score: 76
[/ul]
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States - July 31, 2016: Pedestrians crossing the Roberto Clemente Bridge on a beautiful summer day.
43. Pittsburgh
[*]Monthly market rent: $1,330
[*]Unemployment rate: 4.6%
[*]Labor force participation rate: 62.8%
[*]Median household income: $47,417
[*]Livability score: 72
[/ul]
A picture of bridges leading into the St.
42. Saint Paul, Minnesota
[*]Monthly market rent: $1,370
[*]Unemployment rate: 4.4%
[*]Labor force participation rate: 70.0%
[*]Median household income: $59,033
[*]Livability score: 64
[/ul]
springtime view in downtown Topeka, Kansas, USA.
41. Lawrence, Kansas
[*]Monthly market rent: $1,070
[*]Unemployment rate: 4.7%
[*]Labor force participation rate: 71.6%
[*]Median household income: $50,985
[*]Livability score: 69
[/ul]
Downtown Manchester, New Hampshire
40. Manchester, New Hampshire
[*]Monthly market rent: $1,450
[*]Unemployment rate: 3.9%
[*]Labor force participation rate: 69.4%
[*]Median household income: $60,232
[*]Livability score: 63
[/ul]
College-Station-Texas
39. College Station, Texas
Lake Mirror in Lakeland, Florida.
38. Lakeland, Florida
Frozen pond in a park in downtown Omaha.
37. Omaha, Nebraska
Fountain Square in downtown Bowling Green.
36. Bowling Green, Kentucky
Melbourne Florida's historic downtown is on the shore of the Indian River Lagoon.
35. Melbourne, Florida
beach park in Cape Coral FL.
34. Cape Coral, Florida
Kansas City, Missouri, USA – Aug.
33. Kansas City, Missouri
Empty green hammock in shade tree shades at lakeside park in Grand Prairie, Texas, USA.
32. Grand Prairie, Texas
Beautiful light illuminated the downtown urban core city center of Yakima, WA.
31. Yakima, Washington
Tyler, TX - April 21, 2019: Smith County Courthouse with historical marker located in downtown Tyler, TX - Image.
30. Tyler, Texas
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 28: The Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers, on September 28, 2010 in Arlington, Texas.
29. Arlington, Texas
"Skyline of Little Rock, Arkansas, with Arkansas River full of boats in foreground.
28. Little Rock, Arkansas
Livonia Michigan
27. Livonia, Michigan
Greenville, South Carolina at dusk
26. Greenville, South Carolina
Golden sunset over the port at lake Thunderbird, Norman, Oklahoma - Image.
25. Norman, Oklahoma
JOHNSON CITY, TN, USA-9/30/18: Downtown image showing intersection of Market and Commerce.
24. Johnson City, Tennessee
Beaumont is a Town in South East Texas - Image.
23. Beaumont, Texas
San Angelo is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States.
22. San Angelo, Texas
The Battery in Charleston, South Carolina at Twilight.
21. North Charleston, South Carolina
skyline of down town Springfield Missouri
20. Springfield, Missouri
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in West Texas, United States.
19. Abilene, Texas
Lincoln, Nebraska skyline
18. Lincoln, Nebraska
Gazebo at the Kyle House in Bryan, Texas.
17. Bryan, Texas
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, USA - April 27, 2018: Daytime view of shops and buildings along S Main Street in the historic Rose District.
16. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA cityscape in Bricktown at dusk.
15. Oklahoma City
Fargo, North Dakota
14. Fargo, North Dakota
Billings Montana downtown
13. Billings, Montana
McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the twenty-second most populous city in Texas.
12. McAllen, Texas
Independence, Missouri
11. Independence, Missouri
Rochester Minnesota
10. Rochester, Minnesota
Dallas, TX, USA, October, 29, 2017: Statue of cowboy on horse near Mesquite Arena.
9. Mesquite, Texas
Newport News, Virginia at city center
8. Newport News, Virginia
Amarillo, U.S.A. - May 21 2011: Texas, Route 66, the buildings of the city center
7. Amarillo, Texas
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA - JUNE 21, 2017: Riverwalk along the Big Sioux River.
6. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Breathtaking aerial view of idyllic neighborhoods richly colored with colorful Autumn trees.
5. Appleton, Wisconsin
Lubbock, Texas / USA - Circa September 2019 Various windmills in use on the Great Plains of America on display at the American Windmill Museum, in Lubbock , Texas.
4. Lubbock, Texas
Sterling Heights, Michigan
3. Sterling Heights, Michigan
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County.
2. Fort Smith, Arkansas
The old Cedar Rapids (Iowa) City Hall sits on an island in the Cedar River.
1. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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[/ul]Methodology: In order to identify cities in the U.S. that have plenty of jobs and cheap housing, GOBankingRates gathered information on the top 475 biggest housing markets in the U.S., according to Zillow. To be considered for the ranking, each city had to have data available on: 1) its median listing price (for single-family, condominium and co-operative housing), according to Zillow; 2) its typical market rent (for multifamily, single-family, condominium and co-operative housing), according to Zillow; and 3) its unemployment rate, according to the 2018 American Community Survey. To move on, cities had to have values lower than the U.S. average in all three of the above categories. GOBankingRates then scored the 50 qualifying cities on the above three criteria, with the lowest values considered most desirable. Finally, GOBankingRates ranked each city based on its cumulative score for all three criteria, with factors No. 1 and No. 2 each carrying half as much weight as factor No. 3 to capture that they are both a measure of housing affordability. All research was conducted on and up to date as of Jan. 30, 2020.