The 25 US cities with the lowest cost of living

The city with the lowest cost of living was a city in Texas.

DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

• 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.

25. Jackson, MississippiJackson, Mississippi.

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%

24. Odessa, TexasOdessa, Texas.

DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Population: 122,630 

Median rent: $1,104

Median home value: $159,700

Percentage of people who rent their home: 39%

Percentage of people who own their home: 61%

23. Lansing, MichiganLansing, Michigan downtown buildings.

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%

22. Kansas City, KansasKansas City, Kansas

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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%

21. Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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%

20. Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama.

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%

19. McAllen, TexasMcAllen, Texas.

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%

18. Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids, Iowa.

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%

17. Wichita, KansasWichita, Kansas.

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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%

16. Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, Alabama.

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%

15. Abilene, TexasAbilene, Texas.

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%

14. Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, Texas.

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%

13. Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio.

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%

12. Topeka, KansasTopeka, Kansas.

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%

11. Erie, PennsylvaniaErie, Pennsylvania.

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Population: 96,616

Median rent: $725

Median home value: $90,500

Percentage of people who rent their home: 48%

Percentage of people who own their home: 52%

10. Akron, OhioAkron, Ohio.

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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%

9. Beaumont, TexasTexas road sign.

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%

8. Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York

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%

7. Evansville, IndianaEvansville, Indiana.

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%

6. Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio.

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%

5. Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio.

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%

4. South Bend, IndianaSouth Bend, Indiana.

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%

3. Brownsville, TexasBrownsville, Texas.

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%

2. Wichita Falls, TexasWichita Falls, Texas.

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%

•  

1. Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, Indiana.

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%

• Read more:
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• The 19 best places to live where the typical home costs less than $260,000 and monthly rent is under $1,000
• The 10 most affordable cities to find a good-paying job as a programmer
• 31 US cities where it’s cheaper to buy a house than to rent a place

Read the original article on Business Insider