Cheapest Places to Live in America (2026)
The cheapest places to live in America in 2026, measured by housing costs, are Johnstown, PA (average rent $898, median home value $83,325), Youngstown, OH ($961 rent, $78,892 home value) and Decatur, IL ($909 rent, $105,663 home value). Among 1,269 U.S. cities with at least 50,000 residents, the typical city has a median rent of $1,858 a month and a median home value of $407,455, so housing in these three costs roughly a third of the national norm. Flint, MI and Waterloo, IA round out the top five.
| # | Place | Median home value | Avg rent | Median household income | Rent / income | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnstown, PA | $83,325 | $898 | $54,614 | 19.7% | 34.4 |
| 2 | Youngstown, OH | $78,892 | $961 | $38,592 | 29.9% | 35.5 |
| 3 | Decatur, IL | $105,663 | $909 | $53,779 | 20.3% | 37.4 |
| 4 | Flint, MI | $98,284 | $1,022 | $43,087 | 28.5% | 39.6 |
| 5 | Waterloo, IA | $146,058 | $933 | $55,529 | 20.2% | 43.0 |
| 6 | Muncie, IN | $139,343 | $966 | $49,584 | 23.4% | 43.1 |
| 7 | Mansfield, OH | $159,294 | $880 | $51,784 | 20.4% | 43.2 |
| 8 | Huntington, WV | $129,244 | $1,015 | $48,192 | 25.3% | 43.2 |
| 9 | Albany, GA | $132,994 | $1,028 | $47,309 | 26.1% | 44.0 |
| 10 | New Castle, PA | $155,332 | $944 | $53,816 | 21.1% | 44.5 |
| 11 | Donna, TX | $151,469 | $968 | $35,214 | 33% | 44.6 |
| 12 | Jackson, MS | $110,790 | $1,158 | $43,323 | 32.1% | 44.8 |
| 13 | Terre Haute, IN | $153,105 | $998 | $52,051 | 23% | 45.6 |
| 14 | Alexandria, LA | $144,746 | $1,045 | $51,413 | 24.4% | 45.9 |
| 15 | Gary, IN | $90,379 | $1,319 | $38,404 | 41.2% | 46.6 |
| 16 | Toledo, OH | $142,870 | $1,087 | $51,908 | 25.1% | 46.8 |
| 17 | Enid, OK | $137,317 | $1,111 | $61,701 | 21.6% | 46.8 |
| 18 | Meridian, MS | $115,897 | $1,215 | $44,031 | 33.1% | 46.9 |
| 19 | Warren, OH | $164,504 | $993 | $49,748 | 23.9% | 46.9 |
| 20 | Montgomery, AL | $128,445 | $1,177 | $57,149 | 24.7% | 47.4 |
| 21 | Altoona, PA | $143,861 | $1,121 | $53,452 | 25.2% | 47.8 |
| 22 | Salina, KS | $178,551 | $966 | $59,008 | 19.7% | 47.9 |
| 23 | Charleston, WV | $159,460 | $1,066 | $58,729 | 21.8% | 48.3 |
| 24 | Shreveport, LA | $145,574 | $1,137 | $50,311 | 27.1% | 48.5 |
| 25 | Akron, OH | $141,456 | $1,162 | $50,793 | 27.5% | 48.6 |
What “cheapest” means in this ranking
This list ranks cities by housing cost, the largest item in most household budgets. Each city gets a cost index that averages two ratios: its rent relative to the peer median and its home value relative to the peer median. A score of 100 is typical; a score of 50 means housing costs about half as much as in the typical city of 50,000 or more.
Johnstown scores 34.4. Its average rent of $898 is about 48% of the $1,858 peer median, and its median home value of $83,325 is about 20% of the $407,455 peer median. Averaged together, that puts housing roughly 66% below typical. At the other end of the same peer group, Newport Beach, CA scores 670.9, nearly 20 times Johnstown’s index.
Every city in the top 25 scores below 50. Even Akron, OH, at No. 25 with an index of 48.6, has housing costs at less than half the national middle.
The index covers rent and home values only. It does not include groceries, utilities, taxes, transportation or health care, so it describes the biggest piece of the cost of living rather than the whole picture.
The top five cheapest cities to live in
1. Johnstown, PA
Johnstown combines the lowest overall index with an unusually manageable rent burden. Its median household income of $54,614 is about 71% of the $77,241 peer median, while its housing costs are about a third of typical. Average rent takes 19.7% of median income, tied with Salina, KS, for the lowest share in the top 25. The median home value is about 1.5 times the median income; across the full peer group, the median home value is about 5.3 times the median income. The caveat: Johnstown is the only city in the top 25 where home values fell over the past year, down 12.3%.
2. Youngstown, OH
Youngstown has the lowest median home value on the list at $78,892, but its median household income of $38,592 is almost exactly half the peer median. Rent of $961 equals 29.9% of income, slightly higher than the roughly 29% that the peer-median rent represents against peer-median income. In other words, Youngstown is cheap in dollar terms but not cheaper relative to what local households earn. Home values rose 11.9% in the past year, the fastest gain in the top 25.
3. Decatur, IL
Decatur pairs a $909 average rent with a $53,779 median income, putting rent at 20.3% of income. Its median home value of $105,663 is about twice the median income. Values rose 9.9% over the year.
4. Flint, MI
Flint is the largest of the top five, with 122,880 residents. Its median home value is $98,284 and average rent is $1,022, but median income is $43,087, so rent consumes 28.5% of income. Values rose 8.3%.
5. Waterloo, IA
Waterloo has a higher home value ($146,058) than the four cities above it, but a low rent of $933 keeps its index at 43.0. Its median income of $55,529 is the highest in the top five, and rent takes 20.2% of it. Home values were relatively stable, up 2%.
Cheap housing versus local income
Low housing costs on this list almost always come with lower incomes. All 25 cities have median household incomes below the $77,241 peer median. The highest is Enid, OK, at $61,701; the lowest is Donna, TX, at $35,214. That gap matters because a low rent is only a bargain if the household’s income comes from somewhere else or holds up locally.
The rent-as-a-share-of-income column separates two groups:
- Cheap relative to income (about 20–22%): Johnstown (19.7%), Salina, KS (19.7%), Waterloo (20.2%), Decatur (20.3%), Mansfield, OH (20.4%), New Castle, PA (21.1%), Enid (21.6%) and Charleston, WV (21.8%). In these cities, local earnings stretch further against rent than the national norm.
- Cheap in dollars, not in burden (above 30%): Gary, IN (41.2%), Meridian, MS (33.1%), Donna (33.0%) and Jackson, MS (32.1%). Here, low incomes offset the low prices, and rent takes a larger share of income than in the typical city.
Gary illustrates the split most clearly. Its median home value of $90,379 is the third-lowest in the top 25, yet its average rent of $1,319 is the highest on the list. Against a median income of $38,404, that rent takes more than 41% of earnings. Gary is among the cheapest places to buy, but not among the cheapest places to rent.
For someone moving with a remote job or retirement income set by national rather than local pay, the dollar figures are what count, and every city here offers rent at roughly $540 to $980 a month below the $1,858 peer median. For someone who would be earning a local wage, the burden figure is the better guide.
Where prices are heading
Low prices have not meant stagnant prices over the past year. Of the 25 cities, 24 saw home values rise. The largest gains were in Youngstown (11.9%), Shreveport, LA (11.0%), Warren, OH (10.7%), Mansfield (10.1%) and Decatur (9.9%). At the flat end were Albany, GA (0.6%), Charleston, WV (1.0%) and Waterloo (2.0%). Johnstown was the lone decline, at -12.3%.
For buyers, that cuts two ways. Rising values in cities like Youngstown and Warren suggest the cheapest entry prices may not last, while Johnstown’s drop lowers the price of entry but signals a softer market. One year of change is a short window, and this data does not show longer trends.
Regional patterns
The list is concentrated in older industrial cities of the Midwest and Pennsylvania. Ohio places five cities in the top 25 (Youngstown, Mansfield, Toledo, Warren and Akron), more than any other state. Pennsylvania (Johnstown, New Castle, Altoona) and Indiana (Muncie, Terre Haute, Gary) each place three. Add Decatur, Flint and Waterloo, and 14 of the 25 cheapest cities are in that band of states.
A second cluster sits in the South: two cities each in West Virginia (Huntington and Charleston), Mississippi (Jackson and Meridian) and Louisiana (Alexandria and Shreveport), plus Albany, GA, Montgomery, AL, and Donna, TX. The Plains contribute Salina, KS, and Enid, OK. No city in the West or Northeast outside Pennsylvania appears in the top 25.
The two groups differ in a consistent way. The Southern cities tend to have higher rents for similar home values; Jackson ($1,158), Meridian ($1,215) and Montgomery ($1,177) all rent above $1,100, while most of the Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana entries rent below $1,000. The Plains cities stand out for income: Enid and Salina have the two highest median incomes on the list, which is why their rent burdens are among the lowest.
Larger cities on the list
Most of the cheapest places to live in the U.S. are small cities; 19 of the 25 have fewer than 100,000 residents. For readers who want a bigger city, six options exceed 120,000 people:
- Toledo, OH: 290,847 residents, index 46.8, rent $1,087, home value $142,870, rent burden 25.1%.
- Akron, OH: 198,961 residents, index 48.6, rent $1,162, home value $141,456, rent burden 27.5%.
- Montgomery, AL: 197,516 residents, index 47.4, rent $1,177, home value $128,445, income $57,149, rent burden 24.7%.
- Shreveport, LA: 191,933 residents, index 48.5, rent $1,137, home value $145,574, values up 11.0%.
- Jackson, MS: 154,490 residents, index 44.8, rent $1,158, home value $110,790, rent burden 32.1%.
- Flint, MI: 122,880 residents, index 39.6, the cheapest of the larger cities.
Toledo, the largest city in the top 25, still has housing costs more than 50% below typical, with a rent burden below the peer-wide ratio.
Who each option suits
- Lowest possible housing cost, with income brought from elsewhere: Johnstown, Youngstown and Decatur have the three lowest indexes. Youngstown has the lowest home prices; Mansfield, OH has the lowest average rent at $880.
- Best balance of rent and local income: Johnstown and Salina, KS (both 19.7%), followed by Waterloo and Decatur. Enid, OK offers the highest median income on the list with a 21.6% rent burden.
- Buyers watching appreciation: Youngstown, Shreveport, Warren and Mansfield posted double-digit or near-double-digit value gains. Buyers who prefer stable prices may look at Albany, Charleston or Waterloo.
- Renters on a local wage: approach Gary, Meridian, Donna and Jackson with care; their rent burdens exceed 32%.
- Investors: low entry prices are the starting point for rental investing. Repit’s lists of affordable cities to start investing and cities for cash flow look at these markets from a landlord’s angle.
What this data does and doesn’t cover
This ranking answers which cities have the most affordable places to live in terms of rent and home prices, and how those costs compare with local income, as of September 2026. It does not measure job availability, wage growth, school quality, safety, commute times, property taxes or non-housing expenses, and it covers only cities with 50,000 or more residents, so smaller towns and rural areas are not included. Readers comparing finalists can use each city’s Repit page for local housing, school and career detail before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest place to live in America in 2026?
Johnstown, PA ranks first among 1,269 U.S. cities with 50,000+ residents, with an average rent of $898 and a median home value of $83,325. Its housing cost index of 34.4 means housing runs roughly 66% below the typical city.
Which city has the cheapest homes in the U.S.?
Among cities of 50,000 or more, Youngstown, OH has the lowest median home value in the top 25 at $78,892, compared with a peer median of $407,455. Johnstown, PA ($83,325) and Gary, IN ($90,379) follow.
Do the cheapest cities also have lower incomes?
Yes. All 25 cheapest cities have median household incomes below the $77,241 peer median, ranging from $35,214 in Donna, TX to $61,701 in Enid, OK. In some, such as Gary, IN, rent still takes over 40% of median income.
Which state has the most cheap cities to live in?
Ohio has the most, with five cities in the top 25: Youngstown, Mansfield, Toledo, Warren and Akron. Pennsylvania and Indiana each have three.
What is the cheapest large city to live in?
Toledo, OH, with 290,847 residents, is the largest city in the top 25, with an average rent of $1,087 and a median home value of $142,870. Flint, MI has the lowest cost index among cities over 120,000 people at 39.6.
Sources and methodology
Home values and rents are Repit's ZIP-level estimates as of September 2026, averaged across each city's ZIP codes; household income and population are from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2022), population-weighted. ZIP codes that fail Repit's data-quality checks are excluded. The cost index averages rent and home value relative to the median of U.S. cities with 50,000+ residents; it covers housing costs only, not groceries, taxes, transportation or insurance.