The 25 US cities with the lowest cost of living
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- It can be extremely expensive to live in big cities like New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.
- However, living in places, like Fort Wayne, Indiana, or Brownsville, Texas, can be more affordable.
- Fort Wayne, Indiana, was named the city with the lowest cost of living for 2022.
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.
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
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%
DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
Population: 122,630
Median home value: $159,700
Percentage of people who rent their home: 39%
Percentage of people who own their home: 61%
Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Population: 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%
Getty Images
Population: 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%
Andrea Evangelo-Giamou / EyeEm
Population: 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%
SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images
Population: 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%
Denis Tangney Jr/Getty Images
Population: 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%
DenisTangneyJr/iStock/Getty Images
Population: 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%
Getty Images
Population: 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%
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Population: 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%
Grace Museum
Population: 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%
Gimas/Shutterstock
Population: 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%
Yuanshuai Si/Getty Images
Population: 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%
Henryk Sadura/shutterstock
Population: 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%
Getty Images
Population: 96,616
Median home value: $90,500
Percentage of people who rent their home: 48%
Percentage of people who own their home: 52%
Shutterstock
Population: 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%
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Population: 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%
Walter Bibikow/Getty Images
Population: 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%
Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Population: 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%
Michael Shake/Shutterstock
Population: 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%
David Harmantas/Shutterstock
Population: 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%
Chuck W Walker/Shutterstock
Population: 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%
Shutterstock
Population: 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%
DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
Population: 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%
Deb Perry / Getty Images
Population: 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%
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