The 25 Most Affordable Cities in America

Discover the cheapest cities to live in the US based on median rent, home values, and income data from the Census Bureau.

# City Median Rent Median Income Home Value Population
1 Youngstown, OH $718 $34,746 $58,400 59,605
2 Decatur, IL $796 $50,809 $97,300 70,368
3 Springfield, OH $805 $45,883 $107,600 58,410
4 Canton, OH $826 $39,754 $94,400 70,105
5 Erie, PA $836 $43,397 $108,200 94,156
6 Lorain, OH $839 $45,799 $123,500 65,207
7 Kingsport, TN $843 $50,436 $203,000 55,807
8 Fort Smith, AR $852 $52,692 $168,100 89,496
9 Flint, MI $859 $36,194 $47,600 80,835
10 Elyria, OH $859 $53,204 $142,800 52,833
11 Decatur, AL $861 $59,831 $190,500 57,760
12 Pocatello, ID $861 $57,931 $240,600 57,152
13 Dayton, OH $866 $43,454 $93,200 136,741
14 Great Falls, MT $866 $63,934 $237,400 60,412
15 Muncie, IN $867 $43,395 $92,000 64,739
16 Terre Haute, IN $877 $41,960 $109,500 58,491
17 Toledo, OH $880 $47,532 $107,000 268,461
18 St. Joseph, MO $884 $55,578 $144,200 71,542
19 Joplin, MO $889 $51,154 $159,700 52,218
20 Harlingen, TX $893 $55,891 $125,700 71,669
21 Cleveland, OH $894 $39,187 $94,100 367,523
22 Waterloo, IA $896 $56,344 $150,200 66,947
23 Albany, GA $898 $45,201 $118,700 67,939
24 Owensboro, KY $900 $53,295 $162,900 60,112
25 Green Bay, WI $904 $62,546 $191,500 106,585

Key Takeaways

  • Youngstown, OH ranks #1 with a median rent of $718.
  • The top 5 cities are: Youngstown, OH; Decatur, IL; Springfield, OH; Canton, OH; Erie, PA.
  • Median household income in the #1 city is $34,746, with a population of 59,605.

Methodology

Rankings based on US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Only cities with population over 50,000 are included in national rankings. State rankings include all cities over 25,000. Data reflects the most recent available estimates.

Read our full methodologyVerify at data.census.gov