18 states represented in this shortlist.
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Ranking
Cheapest Places to Live in the U.S. Research Shortlist
A starter affordability shortlist using ACS rent-to-income where available, current cost-pressure labels, city size, and population momentum while utilities, taxes, and live listing data remain queued. Rankings are transparent research aids. Verify rent, wages, school programs, crime, commute, taxes, and neighborhood details before making a relocation decision.
Vinton, Iowa is first under this page's stated ordering.
Median transparent recent-grad fit score across the displayed cities.
$1,005 median rent among covered rows.
How to use this shortlist
A starter affordability shortlist using ACS rent-to-income where available, current cost-pressure labels, city size, and population momentum while utilities, taxes, and live listing data remain queued. The order is a research screen, not a promise that the first city fits every household. Open a city profile, run the affordability calculator, and verify current housing, salary, neighborhood safety, school boundaries, taxes, insurance, and commute details before deciding.
| City | Catalog | Grad fit | Median rent | Median income | 2025 population | City unemployment | Growth | Jobs | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinton, Iowa | 2025 population #4899 | 71/100 | $942 | $66,495 | 5,004 | 2.5% | +1.42% | strong | rent-friendly |
| Ardsley, New York | 2025 population #4898 | 65/100 | $3,501 | $243,000 | 5,007 | 5.7% | -1.65% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Pana, Illinois | 2025 population #4897 | 57/100 | $684 | $46,168 | 5,010 | 6.4% | -3.51% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Breckenridge, Colorado | 2025 population #4894 | 69/100 | $1,752 | $138,191 | 5,015 | 0.5% | -1.20% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Richland Center, Wisconsin | 2025 population #4891 | 62/100 | $683 | $51,932 | 5,020 | 4.6% | -3.52% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Wahoo, Nebraska | 2025 population #4889 | 75/100 | $907 | $89,457 | 5,023 | 3.6% | +4.60% | strong | rent-friendly |
| Glennville, Georgia | 2025 population #4888 | 58/100 | $548 | $52,844 | 5,023 | 9.9% | -4.81% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Chatsworth, Georgia | 2025 population #4885 | 68/100 | $821 | $69,058 | 5,029 | 1.0% | +2.91% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Sea Cliff, New York | 2025 population #4884 | 66/100 | $2,315 | $193,590 | 5,031 | 13.5% | -0.44% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Leonardtown, Maryland | 2025 population #4883 | 82/100 | $2,002 | $153,819 | 5,033 | 2.1% | +11.50% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Sparta, Tennessee | 2025 population #4881 | 65/100 | $731 | $50,080 | 5,038 | 7.8% | +0.44% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Lindstrom, Minnesota | 2025 population #4878 | 64/100 | $1,176 | $98,226 | 5,039 | 2.8% | +2.96% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| New Martinsville, West Virginia | 2025 population #4879 | 59/100 | $688 | $60,946 | 5,039 | 5.3% | -3.32% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Lillington, North Carolina | 2025 population #4876 | 68/100 | $997 | $81,760 | 5,040 | 3.9% | +3.05% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Redwood Falls, Minnesota | 2025 population #4875 | 61/100 | $832 | $61,750 | 5,040 | 3.3% | -1.31% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Creedmoor, North Carolina | 2025 population #4872 | 70/100 | $1,065 | $82,961 | 5,046 | 8.2% | +2.81% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Harrington Park, New Jersey | 2025 population #4870 | 74/100 | $1,414 | $180,500 | 5,052 | 3.3% | +6.58% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Pittsboro, North Carolina | 2025 population #4868 | 80/100 | $1,211 | $81,639 | 5,054 | 1.1% | +11.27% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Middletown, Maryland | 2025 population #4867 | 71/100 | $1,813 | $173,333 | 5,056 | 4.0% | +2.31% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Saltillo, Mississippi | 2025 population #4863 | 69/100 | $999 | $80,640 | 5,060 | 1.3% | +2.26% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Wildwood, New Jersey | 2025 population #4861 | 59/100 | $997 | $75,222 | 5,068 | 7.4% | -1.69% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania | 2025 population #4860 | 72/100 | $1,305 | $92,083 | 5,069 | 1.0% | 0.00% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Old Westbury, New York | 2025 population #4857 | 76/100 | $3,501 | $250,001 | 5,071 | 5.2% | +17.79% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| South Barrington, Illinois | 2025 population #4855 | 65/100 | $2,200 | $221,575 | 5,071 | 2.0% | -0.08% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Falcon Heights, Minnesota | 2025 population #4856 | 62/100 | $1,202 | $96,528 | 5,071 | 4.8% | -5.37% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Whitehouse, Ohio | 2025 population #4854 | 70/100 | $881 | $93,229 | 5,073 | 1.7% | +1.70% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Dodgeville, Wisconsin | 2025 population #4852 | 71/100 | $999 | $72,288 | 5,076 | 6.6% | +1.81% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Osage Beach, Missouri | 2025 population #4851 | 75/100 | $772 | $55,994 | 5,079 | 2.7% | +8.66% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Connell, Washington | 2025 population #4850 | 53/100 | $1,011 | $77,721 | 5,080 | 4.0% | -6.67% | competitive | rent-friendly |
| Franklin, New Jersey | 2025 population #4847 | 65/100 | $1,381 | $92,744 | 5,083 | 7.2% | +3.48% | competitive | rent-friendly |