Cheapest places to live in the US
Ranked from live housing data across 103 US metros, not a hand-picked list. “Cheap” here means two different things, so you can switch between them: the lowest typical home value in dollars, and the lowest home price compared with what people locally actually earn — the number that decides whether you can afford to live there on a local salary.
Live data: 103 of 103 metros refreshed — BLS unemployment 2026-07 · FBI crime 2025 · Census ACS ACS 2024 5-year · Zillow ZHVI 2026-07-31 · last refresh Sep 6, 2026. Sources and limits.
The cheapest metro tracked is Wichita, KS at about $226k for a typical home — 42% below the median metro on this list ($389k).
| # | Metro | Typical home | Median income | Price ÷ income | Typical rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WichitaKS | $226k | $71k | 3.2× | $1,214/mo |
| 2 | Little RockAR | $231k | $67k | 3.4× | $1,270/mo |
| 3 | PittsburghPA | $232k | $76k | 3.1× | $1,499/mo |
| 4 | Oklahoma CityOK | $246k | $72k | 3.4× | $1,390/mo |
| 5 | Cedar RapidsIA | $247k | $78k | 3.2× | $1,283/mo |
| 6 | AugustaGA | $253k | $69k | 3.7× | $1,510/mo |
| 7 | ClevelandOH | $254k | $71k | 3.6× | $1,476/mo |
| 8 | TulsaOK | $254k | $69k | 3.7× | $1,373/mo |
| 9 | ColumbiaSC | $256k | $68k | 3.8× | $1,562/mo |
| 10 | Fort WayneIN | $261k | $71k | 3.7× | $1,299/mo |
| 11 | BirminghamAL | $264k | $71k | 3.7× | $1,456/mo |
| 12 | DetroitMI | $270k | $77k | 3.5× | $1,531/mo |
| 13 | SpringfieldMO | $273k | $65k | 4.2× | $1,261/mo |
| 14 | St LouisMO | $277k | $80k | 3.5× | $1,445/mo |
| 15 | San AntonioTX | $279k | $76k | 3.7× | $1,425/mo |
| 16 | LouisvilleKY | $282k | $68k | 4.1× | $1,357/mo |
| 17 | BuffaloNY | $293k | $72k | 4.1× | $1,446/mo |
| 18 | Des MoinesIA | $296k | $86k | 3.4× | $1,311/mo |
| 19 | IndianapolisIN | $296k | $80k | 3.7× | $1,571/mo |
| 20 | LincolnNE | $304k | $75k | 4.1× | $1,332/mo |
| 21 | RoanokeVA | $304k | $69k | 4.4× | $1,424/mo |
| 22 | HoustonTX | $308k | $82k | 3.8× | $1,654/mo |
| 23 | PensacolaFL | $311k | $76k | 4.1× | $1,761/mo |
| 24 | OmahaNE | $311k | $85k | 3.7× | $1,420/mo |
| 25 | CincinnatiOH | $311k | $81k | 3.8× | $1,552/mo |
| 26 | GreenvilleSC | $315k | $71k | 4.4× | $1,577/mo |
| 27 | HuntsvilleAL | $317k | $86k | 3.7× | $1,385/mo |
| 28 | ChattanoogaTN | $326k | $72k | 4.5× | $1,531/mo |
| 29 | LexingtonKY | $328k | $72k | 4.6× | $1,541/mo |
| 30 | Kansas CityMO | $330k | $83k | 4.0× | $1,546/mo |
Cheap is not the same as affordable
A $180k home is no bargain if local wages are $38k, and a $400k home can be comfortable where households earn $110k. That is why the second view sorts on the price-to-income ratio. Anything under about 3× has historically been considered affordable; most large coastal metros now sit above 6×.
Low prices usually come with trade-offs
The cheapest metros often score lower on job market, healthcare access or school outcomes. Rather than take a list on trust, weight the factors you actually care about and see which affordable places still rank well for you. If you are moving for work you can do anywhere, the remote-worker ranking already balances price against climate and safety.
Where these numbers come from
Typical home values and rents come from Zillow’s research data (ZHVI and ZORI), median household income from the Census American Community Survey, refreshed weekly. See the methodology for vintages and limits, and the relocation guide for what a move itself costs.