10 Very Affordable Towns

Tired of your wallet screaming every time you pay rent? Fear not, my frugal friends. Today, we've got the lowdown on 10 cities that won't leave you eating ramen on Thanksgiving. Whether you're a penny-pinching pro or just looking for a place that won't break the bank, we've got the spots where affordability is a reality. Now, before we get started, understand, if a place is cheap, there's a reason for it being so cheap. Crime, poverty, a bad location, or lack of jobs always seems to come along with affordability. Are these places Gary, Indiana or Camden, New Jersey bad? No. Are they perfect? Nowhere near perfect, but they are cheap. Got it? Get it? Good. Let's take a look. Number 10, Spartanburg, South Carolina. Spartanburg, where the accents are thicker than the local barbecue sauce. This quirky town is a delightful mix of Southern charm and unexpected surprises. You might stumble upon a hidden sculpture garden or get too far out of town and find yourself face-to-face with a giant peach that doubles as a water tower. This is like a carnivore's dream. Spartanburg is known for their barbecue and they have more than enough barbecue joints to keep you satisfied. Spartanburg is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's like a postcard here. Sure, it's got its problems like every place, but it is beautiful. It's a nice town and it's affordable. They have a livability score of 75 out of 100. In my experience, usually when you start getting below, let's say 64 livability score, you start having questions about whether it's a decent place to live. Anything above 70, it's pretty decent. It's an average place. Spartanburg has a population of about 38,000 residents. That's the city itself, not the metro area, which that's not too big, cozy crowd. The average home value here is $222,000. That's second quarter 2024. And during that same time, the US average was about 413,000. So pretty close to half price. They have some perks to living here. Everything you need is a stone's throw. The commute is short and sweet, sort of like a fast food drive-through. Hospitals, clinics, and good air. You could breathe easy here. And overall, the cost of living is pretty low. Number nine, Lafayette, Louisiana. Lafayette is a place where music is always playing, the food is always spicy, and the accents are really hard to understand if you're from California. That's been my experience. My other experience there is the gumbo is always solid here. Don't be surprised if you find yourself two-stepping in the grocery store or accidentally ordering a po'boy instead of a sandwich. Yeah, they call them po'boys there. But hey, that's the charm of Lafayette. It's a town that embraces its quirks, celebrates its Cajun heritage, and knows how to throw a good party. Just be sure to pack some loose-fitting clothing because you will eat and drink a lot when you visit there, and your belly will kind of protrude a little bit. That's, again, my experience. This is in the heart of Cajun country, in case what I've told you so far about Lafayette didn't clue you in. You will find it in the southwestern part of the state. It is at about an hour west of Baton Rouge and about two hours west of New Orleans. Lafayette has a livability score of 73. The city itself has a population of about 125,000 residents, and the average home value is about $218,000. The perks of Lafayette are the cost of living is affordable, like clearance rack shopping. Neighbors are friendly, parks are lovely, and the community is pretty tight-knit. I brought this up on my videos before, but there's a documentary called Happy, and they found some of the happiest people in the country, the United States, are the Cajun people down in southern Louisiana. And a lot of that is they have tight-knit communities, they stay close to their family and friends, and do things like dinner once a week with family. Not just like the people who live in your house, cousins, aunts, uncles, that's not unusual there. Number eight, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains, and so does the delicious aroma of barbecue. This is another place that is known for its barbecue, and that has nothing to do with the ranking on this video. I am a big fan of barbecue sauce. I've actually told my wife to give up on perfume and just put a little barbecue sauce behind her ears, and I'm ready to go. Tulsa's a little deceiving. Most people think it's like a total hick town, or just, you know, it's just, I don't know. There's just a bad aura about Tulsa for a lot of outsiders. People that live there know it's a pretty decent place to live. It just has some areas like every city. One thing you can count on in Tulsa is affordability. This place is cheap. It's also where you'll find a lot of Route 66 nostalgia. Tulsa, Oklahoma is in the middle of the prairie, and it sits on the Arkansas River. Tulsa gets a livability score of 75. They have a population of about 413,000 residents, and the average home value is $204,000. That's a bargain. Now, the perks of living here is it's a full-blown city. They've got all the amenities and all the things you're gonna need. Their cost of living is lower than a Limbo bar, and the commute is normally shorter than a Netflix episode. Number seven, Brownsville, Texas. Brownsville is where the tacos are always hot, the sun is always shining, and the Spanish you learned in high school is finally going to come in handy. Forget your fancy lattes and overpriced avocado toast, because in Brownsville, you'll be feasting on authentic Mexican cuisine that's so good you'll probably dream about it in both English and Spanish. Plus, it's got beaches not too far away. Brownsville has some problems. They're working on them. I mean, they've got a little crime, and they've got a little poverty, but it's not the worst place. It is affordable, though. If you're looking for it on a map, it is at the tip of Texas, where you can see Mexico from your porch along the northern bank of the Rio Grande. Brownsville actually has a livability score of 79, and a lot of that is because it is so affordable. They've got a population of about 189,000 residents, and the average home value is $186,000. So what are the perks of living in Brownsville? One, they've got some pretty good healthcare facilities. The cost of living is so low, it's like you're in a perpetual sale. Housing is affordable, and the commute is considered quick and easy. Number six, Youngstown, Ohio. This was a serious manufacturing hub back in the day. This is where America was made. A lot of steel came out of this area. The steel mills may be gone, but the grit and humor remain stronger than ever in Youngstown. It's the kind of place where dirty jokes, our local love language, and dodging potholes is considered an extreme sport. Here you'll find friendly folks that can tell you the best places to find a chili dog and a lawyer. So if you're looking for a town with a unique personality and a strong sense of community, and a surprisingly good selection of dive bars, Youngstown might be the kind of place you're looking for. And it's cheap. If you're looking for Youngstown on a map, it is situated between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and it is a great place to stop and take a leak if you're going to either city to see the rivalry game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. Twice a year they play, one in each stadium. I looked into getting tickets for this. Most teams you can go there, and let's say it's a $500 ticket for a really good seat or a decent seat. On a Pittsburgh game, it's like triple the price. That is a serious rivalry right there. There's a good question. What is the biggest rivalry in professional football in the NFL? Let me know in the comment section below. Here's the best part about Youngstown. The livability score is 81. That is outstanding for a place that's got a little crime, but everything's so affordable, it's insane. The city itself only has a population of about 60,000 residents. And what I'm about to tell you is not a typo, it's real. The average home value here is about $58,000. So here are the perks of living in Youngstown. One, there's really no commute problems. There's really not a lot of traffic. It's like 20 minutes. You could probably walk it. The cost of living is so low, you'll have money left over no matter what you buy. Pack your bags, everyone. Youngstown's calling for you, but just buckle up and get ready for some rough winters if you move there. Number five, Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville is where rocket scientists and rednecks coexist in perfect harmony. This quirky Southern town is like a mullet. Business up front, party in the back. You've got NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center rubbing shoulders with honky-tonk bars and barbecue joints. This is a very unique place. You'd think Alabama and you just, in your head, most people will picture, you know, hillbillies and rednecks and all that good stuff. And you have this one town that is totally different and has some of the greatest minds this country has. Huntsville is located in the Tennessee River Valley. It's situated in Madison and extends into neighboring Limestone County. This is all about aerospace and defense industries. Like I said, you got NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and you have the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal here, or not too far away. The livability score in Huntsville is 83. They have a population of about 221,000 residents and the average home value is about $281,000. That is not bad. They got all the typical perks you want from a good place. Not a horrible amount of traffic. They got grocery stores, parks, and coffee shops galore, affordable, and it's highly rated. Number four, Fort Wayne, Indiana, where the rivers flow and the jokes write themselves. Forget Pittsburgh, this city's got three rivers and they're enough to keep you entertained for days if you're into that whole kayaking thing or fishing for that matter. Plus they've got a minor league baseball team called the 10 Cups, and honestly, who doesn't love a good pun? Oh, and don't even get me started on the city's unofficial mascot, the Turtle. That's right, the Turtle. It's slow, it's steady, it's Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne, in my opinion, is one of the better cities in the Midwest to live. I mean, it's very affordable, the crime isn't terrible, the poverty isn't terrible, the people are decent, and Fort Wayne is a city that's on the rise. It is located at the confluence of three rivers, perfect for water lovers, in the northeastern part of the state. The livability score is 84 and they have a population of about 267,000 residents. Their average home value is $233,000. That's a deal, especially for a good place. This place doesn't have much traffic. It's a warm, welcoming vibe and affordable housing. Number three, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Fayetteville, Arkansas is not like the rest of Arkansas. I've said many times on this channel that the Northwest section of Arkansas isn't just different from the rest of the state. It's like another world compared to the rest of Arkansas. This is where they got jobs, educated people, and a majority of the population has a majority of their own teeth. Arkansas is a beautiful state and that isn't lost on this section either. This is a really nice part of Arkansas as well. You've got some pretty nice towns up there. You got Rogers, Bentonville, Fayetteville, obviously, Springdale, these are all places that have jobs. This is a great area for the economy. The rest of the state sucks when it comes to economy, but this area is not bad and Fayetteville is a big part of it. Case you don't know, it's in the Ozark Mountains, the northwestern part of the state. They have a livability score of 81. Their population is just under 100,000 residents and the average home value, it's a little up there compared to some of the other ones on this list. It's 336,000, a bit pricier, but it's worth it. And this is a young place to live too. We were talking about Maine the other day, their median age is like 45. A majority of the states are between 40 and 30. Fayetteville, Arkansas is 28. But the perks about living here, great selection of grocery stores, restaurants and parks, museums and theaters, and all that youthful energy. Number two, Springfield, Missouri. Springfield, Missouri calls themselves the live music show capital of the world. I thought that was awesome, but they throw the word show in there and I guess it's different. Anyway, the title isn't just a catchy slogan. This town's got more musical talent per capita than Hairspray in a 1980s rock band. Springfield's got a quirky charm that'll kind of make you want to stay. Now, Springfield's got some problems. They've had some crime over the years they've been working on. It's still a little high, but it's not crazy high like South Side Chicago or Gary, Indiana. Starting to be a pretty good place to live. It is located in the heart of the Ozarks and southwestern part of the state. And we never talk about Missouri too much. But Springfield has a livability score of 74. They got about 170 people in the city alone, not the metro area. And the average home value here is $122,000. That is not bad. Population, again, this one's pretty young. 33 years old is their average age. Their perks, zoos, parks, nature centers, endless fun. The commute is only about 18 minutes. The national average is like 24. They've got some good hospitals, plenty of doctors, great nursing homes, and pretty good air quality in Springfield. All right, before we get to number one, don't forget we have another channel called the Suite Life for Briggs. It's, you know, videos about where we stay when we travel and stuff like that on cruises. There's a link for that down below. All right, on to number one. And number one, Davenport, Iowa. You know, Davenport is not that bad. As far as Midwestern cities go, it's kind of not the best. But compared to Southern cities and some on the West Coast, it's a great place to live. This is the heart of the Midwest, so you know it's a pretty decent place to raise a family, find a lot of friendly people, and they're very welcoming. Now, one of the biggest knocks of Davenport, and you'll hear people from the Midwest complain about it because it's pretty high, like I said, for the Midwest. Their crime rate is 80% above the national average. That's not terrible, considering there's places like Detroit and Gary, Indiana, where their violent crime rate's like 400% above the national average. Their overall crime's like 350% above the national average. So 80 isn't great, but it's not horrible. They just have a really high standard in the Great Plains area of the Midwest, you know, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas. Davenport has a livability score of 77. They've got a population of just over 100,000 residents. And the average home value is about $175,000. That's not bad. So the perks of living here, high affordability and appreciation. So property values are going up, but it's still affordable. The cost of living is lower than my IQ on four margaritas. And they got plenty of restaurants, parks, and entertainment within walking distance. All right, that's today's video. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Hope you got some information out of it. Now go out, have a great day. Be nice to each other.