How comfortably you can live in an area or city is one of the factors you should take into consideration when deciding whether or not you should move there. US News, in a recent survey of over 2,000 residents in the US concerning how important particular factors are to working out where you live, it was found that property value was 25%, making it one of the most important. DotCom Magazine are now going to present what we feel are the top 5 most affordable places to live in the country, based on such amounts as average income, cost of owning or renting property and the cost of taxes and utilities.
Anchorage, Alaska
This is the most northerly located and as the state’s center for industry and commerce, it makes sense that the annual salary is higher than the national average, sitting at $57,770 compared to $49,630. The average amount of people’s income in Anchorage that is exclusively spent on living expenses is 26.08%.
St Louis, Missouri
The largest metropolitan area in the whole of Missouri is a great place to live. It actually is more affordable to live there than any other area of the same size in the country. Take for example, Tampa and Baltimore, which are not able to compare to the 25.95% cost of living of the average salary of $48.240 that is likely in St. Louis. It is worth noting perhaps though that in a different list ranking Best Places to Live, it ranked much lower than Anchorage.
Lafayette, Louisiana
There are so many reasons to love Lafayette. It is a gorgeous city and has nice people there too. For many it may seem like a downside that the average income is a lot lower than the national average. However, when you take into consideration that the cost of living is also relatively low, it manages to balance out and be a place that offers great value for your money. Compared to other places where the average salary is incredibly high, but so too is the cost of living.
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is an upstate metropolitan area of New York that is ideal for anyone looking for a New York City vibe for a fraction of the cost. New York City is incredibly expensive to live in. When looking at Syracuse though, consider the fact that the annual salary is sitting around the national average, while the cost of living is still relatively low. It also means, thanks to its position, if you wanted to visit the great NYC you could for a day trip but don’t have to attempt to live there.
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville in Alabama was a clear winner, when looking at the affordability of the most populated places in the country. The annual salary is considerably higher than the national average, while on the other side of things the cost of living is much lower than the national average. This means that people in Huntsville get to keep more of their hard-earned money for themselves.
