The 25 US cities with the lowest cost of living

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The 25 US cities with the lowest cost of living
  • It can be extremely expensive to live in big cities like New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.
  • However, living in other cities, like Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Brownsville, Texas, can be much more affordable.
  • Wichita Falls, Texas, was named the city with the lowest cost of living.

Big coastal cities, such as New York and San Francisco, feature notoriously high rent prices and an expensive cost of living. But in their smaller Midwestern counterparts, like Indianapolis and Toledo, Ohio, things prove 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 2020.

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 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.

The top 25 cities all fell within the Midwest, the South, and the Southwest, with a city in Texas earning the top spot.

Emmie Martin contributed to an earlier version of this article.

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25. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

25. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Shutterstock

Population: 637,284

Median rent: $849

Median home value: $153,700

Percentage of people who rent their home: 41%

Percentage of people who own their home: 59%

24. Augusta, Georgia

24. Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia. Shutterstock

Population: 127,139

Median rent: $851

Median home value: $104,600

Percentage of people who rent their home: 47%

Percentage of people who own their home: 53%

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23. Louisville, Kentucky

23. Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky. Jillian Cain/Shutterstock

Population: 617,032

Median rent: $812

Median home value: $152,300

Percentage of people who rent their home: 60%

Percentage of people who own their home: 40%

22. Topeka, Kansas

22. Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas. Henryk Sadura/shutterstock

Population: 126,877

Median rent: $790

Median home value: $102,600

Percentage of people who rent their home: 43%

Percentage of people who own their home: 57%

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21. Palm Bay, Florida

21. Palm Bay, Florida
Palm Bay, Florida. Thomas Kelley/Shutterstock

Population: 110,271

Median rent: $1,027

Median home value: $136,600

Percentage of people who rent their home: 27%

Percentage of people who own their home: 73%

20. Huntsville, Alabama

20. Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama. Rob Hainer/Shutterstock

Population: 193,663

Median rent: $804

Median home value: $176,100

Percentage of people who rent their home: 42%

Percentage of people who own their home: 58%

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19. Corpus Christi, Texas

19. Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Population: 324,692

Median rent: $996

Median home value: $133,200

Percentage of people who rent their home: 43%

Percentage of people who own their home: 57%

18. El Paso, Texas

18. El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas. BrianWancho/Shutterstock

Population: 680,354

Median rent: $814

Median home value: $123,900

Percentage of people who rent their home: 41%

Percentage of people who own their home: 59%

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17. Akron, Ohio

17. Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio. Shutterstock

Population: 198,314

Median rent: $735

Median home value: $81,400

Percentage of people who rent their home: 49%

Percentage of people who own their home: 51%

16. Killeen, Texas

16. Killeen, Texas
Killeen, Texas. Giorgia Basso/Shutterstock

Population: 143,070

Median rent: $912

Median home value: $121,500

Percentage of people who rent their home: 56%

Percentage of people who own their home: 44%

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15. Jackson, Mississippi

15. Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Population: 168,862

Median rent: $824

Median home value: $90,800

Percentage of people who rent their home: 50%

Percentage of people who own their home: 50%

14. Evansville, Indiana

14. Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana. Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Population: 118,952

Median rent: $755

Median home value: $92,300

Percentage of people who rent their home: 45%

Percentage of people who own their home: 55%

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13. Dayton, Ohio

13. Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio. David Harmantas/Shutterstock

Population: 140,782

Median rent: $681

Median home value: $66,500

Percentage of people who rent their home: 53%

Percentage of people who own their home: 47%

12. Birmingham, Alabama

12. Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama. SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images

Population: 212,021

Median rent: $797

Median home value: $89,200

Percentage of people who rent their home: 54%

Percentage of people who own their home: 46%

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11. Odessa, Texas

11. Odessa, Texas
Odessa, Texas. DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Population: 118,582

Median rent: $1,052

Median home value: $149,900

Percentage of people who rent their home: 39%

Percentage of people who own their home: 61%

10. Toledo, Ohio

10. Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio. Michael Shake/Shutterstock

Population: 278,193

Median rent: $700

Median home value: $79,900

Percentage of people who rent their home: 49%

Percentage of people who own their home: 51%

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9. Montgomery, Alabama

9. Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Population: 200,156

Median rent: $867

Median home value: $119,600

Percentage of people who rent their home: 45%

Percentage of people who own their home: 55%

8. South Bend, Indiana

8. South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana. Chuck W Walker/Shutterstock

Population: 102,233

Median rent: $767

Median home value: $82,500

Percentage of people who rent their home: 43%

Percentage of people who own their home: 57%

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7. Abilene, Texas

7. Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas. Grace Museum

Population: 123,676

Median rent: $912

Median home value: $114,000

Percentage of people who rent their home: 46%

Percentage of people who own their home: 54%

6. McAllen, Texas

6. McAllen, Texas
McAllen, Texas. Denis Tangney Jr/Getty Images

Population: 141,597

Median rent: $767

Median home value: $123,900

Percentage of people who rent their home: 40%

Percentage of people who own their home: 60%

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5. Fort Wayne, Indiana

5. Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana. Deb Perry / Getty Images

Population: 264,052

Median rent: $735

Median home value: $110,600

Percentage of people who rent their home: 38%

Percentage of people who own their home: 62%

4. Amarillo, Texas

4. Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas. Gimas/Shutterstock

Population: 198,773

Median rent: $839

Median home value: $127,200

Percentage of people who rent their home: 40%

Percentage of people who own their home: 60%

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3. Beaumont, Texas

3. Beaumont, Texas
Texas road sign. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Population: 118,632

Median rent: $843

Median home value: $104,400

Percentage of people who rent their home: 45%

Percentage of people who own their home: 55%

2. Brownsville, Texas

2. Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas. Shutterstock

Population: 182,679

Median rent: $710

Median home value: $87,600

Percentage of people who rent their home: 38%

Percentage of people who own their home: 62%

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