Best Lower Cost USA Cities to Live

[Alexa9]

What are the best cities to live in that are on the lower side of cost?
I've heard good things about Bozeman, Denver, Austin, Nashville, and Flagstaff. Any other recommendations?

[PFInterest]

this can be googled.
i dont think denver should be on your list.

[Whakamole]

I don't think Austin has been low cost in a while.

[Slacker]

What is your idea of "Lower Cost"?

Denver housing is expensive, however gasoline and food are reasonably priced. Taxes are low (flat 4.63%).

Flagstaff and Austin are also more expensive than much of the US. I would call Prescott and the Prescott Valley low-ish cost, but they can still be both a little more expensive than Pheonix. I mention Prescott because it is near Flagstaff, doesn't get as hot as Phoenix nor as frigid as Flagstaff. Four seasons, great hiking & mtn biking. Easy ~2hr drive to get to Phoenix and ~1hr to get to Flagstaff. If my wife were okay with the area, we'd move to Prescott (but she doesn't care for the feel, look and atmosphere of Prescott). Flagstaff was also on our list but the frigid winters are too much for my wife to handle.

[Alexa9]

What is your idea of "Lower Cost"?

Denver housing is expensive, however gasoline and food are reasonably priced. Taxes are low (flat 4.63%).

Flagstaff and Austin are also more expensive than much of the US. I would call Prescott and the Prescott Valley low-ish cost, but they can still be both a little more expensive than Pheonix. I mention Prescott because it is near Flagstaff, doesn't get as hot as Phoenix nor as frigid as Flagstaff. Four seasons, great hiking & mtn biking. Easy ~2hr drive to get to Phoenix and ~1hr to get to Flagstaff. If my wife were okay with the area, we'd move to Prescott (but she doesn't care for the feel, look and atmosphere of Prescott). Flagstaff was also on our list but the frigid winters are too much for my wife to handle.

Thanks for the first genuine response! I guess by low cost I mean not the coasts particularly NYC and California. I am drawn to Flagstaff because you can easily escape to Phoenix or even Tucson in the winter when you feel like it. Although I suppose you could also live near Phoenix and visit Flagstaff in the heat of summer. I prefer cold weather to broiling however.

[alfaspider]

Denver probably doesn't count as "low cost" anymore. Grand Junction Colorado might be a lower-cost Colorado option if you like desert scenery.

[pshonore]

Come to Hartford but live in the burbs. You have to like cold weather and relative high property and state tax though. But also about two hours to either NYC or Boston. Beautiful scenic country with excellent schools, not terrible traffic with housing prices much cheaper as long as you stay out of Fairfield County .

[renue74]

I think your question is too broad.

What amenities are you looking for? Do you like cold or hot weather? Urban or suburban? Do you like outdoor activities? X miles from the coast? Is medical facility quality important?

If you're strictly looking for LCOL, I know of many small-ish cities in the South that would fit the bill, but I'm not sure I would live there because I would go crazy from lack of anything to do other than visit the local Wal-mart.

[TheTimeLord]

I don't think Austin has been low cost in a while.

True Dat.

[Tamarind]

Central NC (or the greater Triangle area) is an excellent medium COL area. It's not low cost compared to any rural area but looks very cheap compared to a large coastal city.

One of the best ratios of quality/cost of life nationally.

Culture, food, and schools all quite good.

Summer weather is meh (too humid) but winters are warm and relatively low occurrence/severity of most natural disasters.

Lots of jobs, but housing isn't as expensive as on the coast (only $1-2/sq ft for non-luxury rentals).

Good mix of "born here" and "moved here".

And so on.

[livesoft]

Mobile, AL
Corpus Christi, TX
El Paso, TX

[lostinjersey]

Not sure Bozeman should be on your list either. The last I heard, median house price was over $300k, which is pretty crazy for a Montana city (actually town). It wasn't lower cost when I went to college there 25 years ago, and it is wayyyyyyy more expensive now.

Typically I think Midwest and South when this question comes up. Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Des Moines, Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham are all on the bigger side. Rapid City, SD, Omaha, NE, Provo and Ogden, UT, Spokane, WA and Boise, ID, are on the smaller side. There are thousands of internet articles on this topic if you want particulars of what makes a city "best".

[livesoft]

This also cities selected in it own way:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... rs-be.html

[dcabler]

I don't think Austin has been low cost in a while.

True Dat.

Very true. I live in Austin and don't plan to retire here. That said, you don't have to go too terribly far from the city to get back to something somewhat reasonable. But as the area grows, I wonder how long that will last.

[dcabler]

This also cities selected in it own way:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... rs-be.html

You sure this is the article you mean to link to? This is how NYTimes thinks Amazon should select its second headquarters, not a list of places to retire...

[Jeff Albertson]

Cost may be a factor, but don't ignore the many other things that determine your quality of life. This list is by state & might be a good place to start.

2017’s Happiest States in America
https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959/

[seychellois_lib]

This also cities selected in it own way:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... rs-be.html

You sure this is the article you mean to link to? This is how NYTimes thinks Amazon should select its second headquarters, not a list of places to retire...

He may think criteria are identical.

[LarryAllen]

What about Salt Lake City or surrounding area?

[seychellois_lib]

Cost may be a factor, but don't ignore the many other things that determine your quality of life. This list is by state & might be a good place to start.

2017’s Happiest States in America
https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959/

My home state, California, number 4 on the list? I had to chuckle. I figured there was a reason I am paying 10% state income tax on my earnings above $78K, I am just a happy happy guy....

[beardsworth]

If my wife were okay with the area, we'd move to Prescott (but she doesn't care for the feel, look and atmosphere of Prescott).

Could you provide just some brief details behind that comment? Not about your relocation decision "relationship" with your wife but about why some people might consider "the feel, look and atmosphere of Prescott" to be objectionable.

We've never been there, but have heard nice things about it, so I was surprised to see the remark.

Thanks.

[tainted-meat]

my city - Louisville, KY.

mountain bike, walk a river bridge, road bike, pay $5-10 for downtown parking, hike some gnarly knobs, eat some great food from indie chefs all in city limits.

if you get bored you can go to Indianapolis (2hrs), Cincinnati/NorKY (1.5hrs), Red River Gorge (2hrs), Nashville (2.5hrs) or St Louis (4hrs).

I don't think you will get bored here.

Edited to add: our park system was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead who designed Central Park. pretty cool I think.

Also bourbon and horses, if you're into that.

[joe8d]

I Always equate lower cost of living with lower quality of living.

[BeneIRA]

my city - Louisville, KY.

mountain bike, walk a river bridge, road bike, pay $5-10 for downtown parking, hike some gnarly knobs, eat some great food from indie chefs all in city limits.

if you get bored you can go to Indianapolis (2hrs), Cincinnati/NorKY (1.5hrs), Red River Gorge (2hrs), Nashville (2.5hrs) or St Louis (4hrs).

I don't think you will get bored here.

Edited to add: our park system was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead who designed Central Park. pretty cool I think.

Also bourbon and horses, if you're into that.

Don't forget the mega cavern. Not sure I have ever heard someone suggesting Indianapolis for escaping boredom.

OP, is your only criteria low cost of living in comparison to the coasts? There is a lot of variability there. Some places outside of Chicago are cheaper. For instance, some towns between Milwaukee and Chicago, especially in Wisconsin, are cheap and you aren't far from some big cities.

[Mr.BB]

Just remember that low cost of living and quality of life do not necessarily go hand in hand.

[visualguy]

I Always equate lower cost of living with lower quality of living.

Right, there's obviously a trade-off there. Also, it seems that it's mostly about the cost of housing. Taxes vary, but places that don't get you with one tax, get you with another, or if they don't, then services are poor. Costs other than housing don't vary much. Housing isn't really "spending" if you own, because you get your money back with nice appreciation when you or your heirs sell in HCOL areas, and, by definition, housing doesn't appreciate much in LCOL areas. Giving up this appreciation is actually a big financial hit. The benefits of moving from HCOL to LCOL areas upon retirement are highly exaggerated in my opinion, and the downsides are significant.

[AntsOnTheMarch]

I can't recommend it personally because I haven't been but a friend's son moved from the NYC metro area to Kansas City for an internship after college and has raved about it. If his rent is any indication of COL it seem dirt cheap. Maybe something to google.

[jbmitt]

Not sure Bozeman should be on your list either. The last I heard, median house price was over $300k, which is pretty crazy for a Montana city (actually town). It wasn't lower cost when I went to college there 25 years ago, and it is wayyyyyyy more expensive now.

Typically I think Midwest and South when this question comes up. Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Des Moines, Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham are all on the bigger side. Rapid City, SD, Omaha, NE, Provo and Ogden, UT, Spokane, WA and Boise, ID, are on the smaller side. There are thousands of internet articles on this topic if you want particulars of what makes a city "best".

Last I checked, Omaha is bigger than Des Moines. Omaha is pushing 1m metro area, Des Moines is only 650k-ish.

Rapid City is small, perhaps you're thinking Sioux Falls? The later is approximately three times the size of the prior.

[Watty]

This page of housing prices might be usefull for you.

https://www.nar.realtor/topics/metropol ... ordability

About halfway down the page there is a "pricing data" section where you can see the information as a PDF or Excel spreadsheet.

I don't know how you define "best" and "city" but if you are looking for a major metropolitan area than Atlanta, where I am at, would be somewhere on the list since for a major metropolitan area it has relatively low housing prices and property taxes but these vary a lot by where you are at in the city so be careful about looking at averages.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_M ... ted_States

Depending on what you are looking for a college town might be an option since they often have a lot of plusses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... ted_States

[adamthesmythe]

Flagstaff is known for relatively high housing costs relative to the rest of Arizona. The winter is not as severe as you might think from the amount of snow.

Some in the area complain bitterly about the lack of well-paying jobs.

[stlutz]

Compared to NYC or the Bay area, everywhere is cheap. If that is your measuring stick, the whole rest of the country is your oyster. If the whole rest of the country is your measuring stick, Denver and Bozeman are HCOL.

[Tamales]

Broad-brush averages/medians for housing prices in large metro areas can really mislead. They all have ranges. Sometimes very wide ranges.

A tool like the Trulia heat map of housing cost per square foot can give a more granular breakdown of various suburbs.
for example in the case of Denver: https://www.trulia.com/home_prices/Colo ... -heat_map/
The granularity gets finer as you zoom in. Neat tool! Only found it recently.

[AlwaysBeClimbing]

Just remember that low cost of living and quality of life do not necessarily go hand in hand.

And the converse is also true. A lot of places have been bid up massively in cost because everyone just had to move there because it WAS such a great place, and now massively overcrowded and built-up so that place is no longer the great place it once was. I moved from such a high cost area to a low cost area where the quality of life is much superior IMO to the place I left. YMMV

[mega317]

I think Ann Arbor counts as low-er. Although maybe my view is skewed because my time there was book ended by coastal Southern California. Certainly similar or less expensive than Austin and Denver. Beautiful city. Lots of living options--can live in walking distance from everything you'd need or get a much larger home within 10 minutes. Great restaurants. Nice people. Access to Detroit which gets all the major concerts, 4 professional sports, etc. Major college athletics. Good schools. Mild winters haha.

[carolinaman]

What are the best cities to live in that are on the lower side of cost?
I've heard good things about Bozeman, Denver, Austin, Nashville, and Flagstaff. Any other recommendations?

Nashville is a great city. I am not sure of its costs, but pretty sure it would be on the low end of the cities you mentioned. Tennessee does not have a state income tax, and I believe overall is one of lower taxed states. IMO, Tennessee is one of the prettiest states and Nashville has some great suburbs.

"Best cities" is in the eye of the beholder. I suggest you add some other criteria, positive and negative, to better select a city.

[Valuethinker]

I think your question is too broad.

What amenities are you looking for? Do you like cold or hot weather? Urban or suburban? Do you like outdoor activities? X miles from the coast? Is medical facility quality important?

If you're strictly looking for LCOL, I know of many small-ish cities in the South that would fit the bill, but I'm not sure I would live there because I would go crazy from lack of anything to do other than visit the local Wal-mart.

Church. Everybody goes to church. What's more, they ask you what church you attend-- where I come from that would be seen as rude and intrusive.

Bingo. High school sports events are still a big thing-- loyalty to the local team.

I used to marvel at the red light bookstores in trailers -- I think that had something to do with town laws, so they were placed just outside town or county boundaries.

I don't know how many counties are still dry, but the Jack Daniels distillery is in a dry county, though (TN).

[Valuethinker]

Cost may be a factor, but don't ignore the many other things that determine your quality of life. This list is by state & might be a good place to start.

2017’s Happiest States in America
https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959/

My home state, California, number 4 on the list? I had to chuckle. I figured there was a reason I am paying 10% state income tax on my earnings above $78K, I am just a happy happy guy....

For better or for worse all the Californians I have met are "going for it". Trying to live their lives to the utmost and seize the opportunities that presents.

Whether that is career, in Silicon Valley, or training for triathlons, or scuba diving, surfing or whatever. The place has some phenomenal cultural resources -- thinking things like the Huntington library in LA, etc. People generally have a very positive outlook on life -- they are living the American Dream of self-actualization and achievement.

And the weather is great if you like that kind of boring sunshine stuff . (I live in England )

Conversely the traffic is generally horrible-- which makes it hard to meet people, meet up with people, maintain friendships and relationships. And it must be quite lonely. There must be a sense that if you are not happy or fulfilled then there is something wrong with you. Community ties are perhaps not what they are in other parts of the USA.

[bigred77]

I personally am a big fan of non-coastal big cities. Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Kansas City, and Denver would all be on my list.

You just have to confirm you can afford the cost of the type of housing you want (big single family home in the suburbs or 2 bedroom condo in the city center) before you pull the trigger. I like places with great dining, nightlife, professional sports, and within 20 miles of an international airport.

If you like outdoor recreation and 4 distinct seasons, I think Denver would be the number 1 contender.

[alfaspider]

I Always equate lower cost of living with lower quality of living.

There are different reasons why areas are expensive. One reason is proximity to jobs, which may be completely independent from other things that lead to high quality of living. It makes little sense to pay for job proximity if you are retired. I'd MUCH rather live in a place like Colorado than NYC-area New Jersey. The latter is only expensive due to the fact that one can commute to NYC- which means job opportunities- but the commute means it's not ideal if you want to be in NYC for cultural opportunities.

[Mr.BB]

Just remember that low cost of living and quality of life do not necessarily go hand in hand.

And the converse is also true. A lot of places have been bid up massively in cost because everyone just had to move there because it WAS such a great place, and now massively overcrowded and built-up so that place is no longer the great place it once was. I moved from such a high cost area to a low cost area where the quality of life is much superior IMO to the place I left. YMMV

I guess it can like the stock market. The minute the word gets out of a hot place people start going there and the attributes that made it special disappear.

[hicabob]

Conversely the traffic is generally horrible-- which makes it hard to meet people, meet up with people, maintain friendships and relationships. And it must be quite lonely. There must be a sense that if you are not happy or fulfilled then there is something wrong with you. Community ties are perhaps not what they are in other parts of the USA.

Compared to Southern England the vehicle traffic in the Bay Area and LA area is not bad at all.

[bradshaw1965]

Shhhh, as soon as the word gets out they are no longer best or lower cost, see my former towns of Austin and Asheville.

[TheEternalVortex]

Conversely the traffic is generally horrible-- which makes it hard to meet people, meet up with people, maintain friendships and relationships. And it must be quite lonely. There must be a sense that if you are not happy or fulfilled then there is something wrong with you. Community ties are perhaps not what they are in other parts of the USA.

Compared to Southern England the vehicle traffic in the Bay Area and LA area is not bad at all.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/20/autos/t ... index.html

[David Jay]

I guess it can like the stock market. The minute the word gets out of a hot place people start going there and the attributes that made it special disappear.

Reminds me of the Yogi Berra line about a NYC restaurant: "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded"

[hicabob]

Conversely the traffic is generally horrible-- which makes it hard to meet people, meet up with people, maintain friendships and relationships. And it must be quite lonely. There must be a sense that if you are not happy or fulfilled then there is something wrong with you. Community ties are perhaps not what they are in other parts of the USA.

Compared to Southern England the vehicle traffic in the Bay Area and LA area is not bad at all.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/20/autos/t ... index.html

I stand corrected. tom-tom puts London at 25th worst, LA at 12th!
http://www.businessinsider.com/most-con ... dex-2017-2

but SF bay area doesn't even make the list so perhaps it's close to even?
Cross big cities in China off the list though.

[Lakeparty]

make and save plenty of money and live where you want to might be a more satisfying strategy

[new2bogle]

I think your question is too broad.

What amenities are you looking for? Do you like cold or hot weather? Urban or suburban? Do you like outdoor activities? X miles from the coast? Is medical facility quality important?

If you're strictly looking for LCOL, I know of many small-ish cities in the South that would fit the bill, but I'm not sure I would live there because I would go crazy from lack of anything to do other than visit the local Wal-mart.

Church. Everybody goes to church. What's more, they ask you what church you attend-- where I come from that would be seen as rude and intrusive.

Bingo. High school sports events are still a big thing-- loyalty to the local team.

I used to marvel at the red light bookstores in trailers -- I think that had something to do with town laws, so they were placed just outside town or county boundaries.

I don't know how many counties are still dry, but the Jack Daniels distillery is in a dry county, though (TN).

This is exactly why I can't move to the deep south. TX is about as close as I can get. Southerns want you to believe they are hospitable to everyone, unless you go to the church on the other side of town. No government intrusion in your life - except I can't buy liquor on Sundays for some reason. Nothing to do so let's all go watch the high school football... what's a museum? And the amount of adult type shops littered along the highway, I guess family values end at the city limits.

[Imbros]

I have been looking at Chattanooga area lately due to reasonably better (better than Midwest) climate year-round, low cost of living and housing and no state income taxes. They are also phasing out taxes on dividend and interest income.

[bradshaw1965]

I have been looking at Chattanooga area lately due to reasonably better (better than Midwest) climate year-round, low cost of living and housing and no state income taxes. They are also phasing out taxes on dividend and interest income.

You'll have to do the research on being a resident but Chattanooga is a pretty pleasant place to visit. Lots to like.

[CULater]

Santa Fe vs. Flagstaff = Santa Fe.

[Admiral]

I really don't understand these threads, of which there have been dozens.

What is "best"?

How can one just choose a city to live in from posting on a message board? If you're working, don't you need to secure a job before you move? Or at least understand the local economy and the jobs and housing available? If you're retired, don't you need to understand things like healthcare, cultural pursuits, weather, taxes, and so on? Would you not want to be reasonably close to your family (ok, I know some people want to be far away!). Low cost is just one of a million factors that define a place.

I guess in a broader sense, for me (and I live in a city), the point of living in a metro area is diversity: lots of different kinds of people doing lots of different things, lots of different neighborhoods, foods, cultural attractions, etc--combined with the ability to get around easily without the need for a car.

Many of the places listed above may be "cities" with low cost, relatively speaking, but they do not have the diversity of character, thought, and opinion that, for me, make a city what it should be. You will get a million opinions and suggestions but only YOU know what you value, and those things should drive any decision to move (to anyplace).

Just my $.02 (taxed at 7% where I live )