Personal-finance company Kiplinger has ranked the cheapest US cities to live in this year.
It considered factors like cost of living, unemployment rates, and home values in 267 urban areas.
While Alabama and Texas dominated the list, Harlingen, Texas, secured the top spot.
US inflation has been cooling over the past year, but housing, food, and other cost of living items remain pricey.
But there are pockets of the country that could offer reprieve. Personal-finance company Kiplinger identified America's cheapest cities as of April 2023. Using data from the Council for Community and Economic Research, Kiplinger calculated the living expenses for 267 urban areas in the US that have a population of at least 50,000. The study weighed factors like prices for housing, groceries, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods and services.
The study shows that many of the most budget-friendly cities in America are found in the South, a region renowned for its advantageous income-to-cost ratio. According to their findings, Harlingen, Texas — a small city of less than 72,000 people in the Rio Grande Valley, next to Brownsville — is America's cheapest city.
Craig Grove, a broker and owner of the Brownsville brokerage GRT Realty, previously told Insider that Harlingen's affordable housing market and down-to-earth atmosphere has made it attractive for prospective homebuyers.
"It is very old school in a nice way — people are very friendly, it still feels like a small town and the houses are affordable," he said.
In southern states like Georgia and Alabama, homebuyers can pluck out a few metros where the cost of living is below the national average. But northern states — from Michigan to Kansas — dot the list as well, if taking up residence in the South doesn't appeal. Read on for the 15 cheapest cities in the US 2023 — maybe one will spark your interest.
15. Florence, Alabama
Florence, Alabama.
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Cost of living: 15.5% below US average Metro population: 151,517 Median household income: $51,639 Median home value: $156,200 Unemployment rate: 2.9%
14. Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama.
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Cost of living: 15.7% below US average Metro population: 430,714 Median household income: $49,691 Median home value: $159,100 Unemployment rate: 3.2%
13. Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas.
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Cost of living: 15.8% below US average Metro population: 270,119 Median household income: $58,354 Median home value: $167,000 Unemployment rate: 3.2%
12. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
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Cost of living: 15.9% below US average Metro population: 681,438 Median household income: $57,392 Median home value: $193,100 Unemployment rate: 3.6%
11. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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Cost of living: 16% below US average Metro population: 1,441,647 Median household income: $61,815 Median home value: $190,800 Unemployment rate: 3%
10. Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi.
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Cost of living: 16.3% below US average Metro population: 586,758 Median household income: $54,123 Median home value: $178,100 Unemployment rate: 3%
9. Albany, Georgia
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Cost of living: 16.5% below US average Metro population: 146,961 Median household income: $48,659 Median home value: $143,200 Unemployment rate: 4%
8. Conway, Arkansas
Conway, Arkansas.
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Cost of living: 16.5% below US average City population: 65,126 Median household income: $53,029 Median home value: $230,900 Unemployment rate: 3.2%
7. Anniston, Alabama
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Cost of living: 16.9% below US average Metro population: 115,972 Median household income: $46,524 Median home value: $139,400 Unemployment rate: 3.8%
6. Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas.
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Cost of living: 17.5% below US average Metro population: 232,670 Median household income: $57,474 Median home value: $154,800 Unemployment rate: 3.1%
5. Joplin, Missouri
Joplin, Missouri.
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Cost of living: 18% below US average Metro population: 182,541 Median household income: $55,045 Median home value: $149,500 Unemployment rate: 2.6%
