This city sits in the San Joaquin Valley, and it is home to more than 530 thousand people. California Do Not Sell My Personal Information Request, Davenport-Bettendorf, Iowa and Nebraska (Quad Cities). January 10, 2017 Named one of the 50 Best Places to Live by Money, Fremont has a lower median home price than many other Bay Area cities, along with great weather, a diverse population, and a prime location. There are many employment opportunities in the tech industry in Seattle, and these are often well-paid positions. A beer-filled Midwestern alternative to ChicagoCity population: 190,739Cost of living index: 89 (11% lower than US average) Take Chipper “Bro” Bell. Therefore, a typical resident of San Jose will spend a little more than 26 percent of their income on living expenses. For creative types and surfer dudes, one of San Diego's largest industries is tourism, so there's likely a bar, restaurant, or hotel gig with your name on it. To wit, the Des Moines Social Club, a nonprofit arts and entertainment venue located in a renovated Art Deco firehouse with murals on the facade, is a hipster's dream. 6. But in terms of overall quality of life and cost of living, these underappreciated cities are all dark-horse candidates to help you author your best move ever. Luckily, there are still some great affordable places left to explore. Or conjuring the password at SafeHouse. Loowit Brewing—dubbed for Mount St. Helens’ early Klickitat name—was one of the pioneers and still draws crowds for its Pacific Northwest-style IPAs, live music, and arcade games. Though this mining town (guess what metal?) Home of Brigham Young University, this traditionally conservative municipality now also plays host to Google Fiber; a cheeky restaurant called the Black Sheep Café that serves farm-to-table Native American cuisine; and a legit brewpub. There are almost 216 thousand people living in San Bernardino. A Southern haven for the active, outdoorsy, and entrepreneurialCity population: 171,863Cost of living index: 92 (8% lower than US average) Most of the bar is made up of Washington-distilled spirits—even in the tucked-away Washington Whis(e)y Parlor upstairs, where you’ll choose from a robust selection of around 50 Washington-made brown water. There are also multiple historical attractions and landmarks. Couver doesn’t lack in grown-up amenities: In the past few years, the dormant downtown has reawakened. At $165,942, the median home price in Cincinnati is also well below the national median home price of $232,933. America’s most affordable, under-the-radar beach cityCity population: 69,913Cost of living index: 90 (10% lower than US average) The 10 Finest Hotel Residences in The World, The 20 Most Expensive Homes in the United States, 10 Prisons That Rival The Accommodations of …, Where $100 million in Vacation Rental Startups …, Chinese Real Estate Investors Take Foothold In …, The History of and Story Behind the Aerosmith Logo, 10 Things You Didn’t Know about Ralph Schlosstein, 10 Things you Didn’t Know About John Krafcik, The History of and Story Behind the American Eagle Logo. Rightfully so: Ventura is filled with interesting stories. This O.C. 9 among the Best Affordable Places to Live in 2019, Baton Rouge falls to the No. People are drawn to the area because of the strong job market and the low unemployment rate. The median home price for properties in Beaverton, California, is just under $320 thousand. Best Places 2020 Rank: 132Metro Population: 829,642Median Home Price: $184,692Average Annual Salary: $45,200Income Spent on Living Expenses: 21.15%. With a little more than a half-million residents, the Youngstown metro area has a cost of living that requires 20.86% of the median household income. Nashville is getting there. The entire Mississippi Gulf Coast is nothing like the Mississippi you've stereotyped in your head, and Gulfport is its de facto capital. The median home value in Ephrata is $162,900, which is less than half of the normal state median. What Does the Serial Number on a Savings Bond Mean? Take it from a West Coaster who just spent his freaking honeymoon there -- the scene does not disappoint. One of the most bike-friendly and walkable cities in the country, temperatures rarely get above 90 or below freezing here, and the 25-mile Boise River Greenbelt gives residents a good reason … The median house price in this lively city is under $309 thousand. Today, those hippies have become the establishment, and the town they rescued boasts a 150-year-old brick theater that still stages live plays and dance performances; a foundry turned venue that books the likes of John Doe and Bonnie Prince Billy; not one but two annual film festivals; and a charter K–8 school dedicated to the arts. Cleverâs Concierge Team can help you compare local agents and negotiate better rates. Over the past decade, an estimated 10,000 new residents have packed into the once-vacant Downtown. Residents spend just one-fifth of their household income on housing costs. ... And stay tuned for our February 2017 issue, where we’ll be sharing our own picks for the West’s best places to live! Some of its appealing features include the community’s diversity, the vibrant nightlife, and good job opportunities. Don’t overlook the award-winning public schools and the location right on the doorstep of Rocky Mountain National Park. It has many of the benefits of Los Angeles without the high price tag. According to Niche, Vancouver appeals to both young professionals and families, and it has an urban-suburban mix fell. Best Places 2020 Rank: 72Metro Population: 1,131,570Median Home Price: $152,842Average Annual Salary: $49,420Income Spent on Living Expenses: 20.93%. And despite the boomlet, it’s a place where you can still patch together a mix of surfing and part-time work and live the beach-town dream. In terms of perceived "coolness," H-Town is still in Austin's overinflated shadow, but in a state this hot, the shade is a pretty good place to be. Then walk over to the 1877 Palace Restaurant and Saloon—it claims to be Arizona’s oldest frontier saloon. The small-business community here is one of the country's best-supported, with companies like Lamp Post Group, The Company Lab, and GIGTANK all offering help and funding to the entrepreneurial-minded. The 20 Most Affordable Places to Live on the West Coast, 10 Prisons That Rival The Accommodations of Most Hotels, Where $100 million in Vacation Rental Startups is Going. It's also a stone's throw from mountain biking, hiking, and whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River. Folks who grew up in this area are flocking back, energizing Gulfport's local scene with new additions like a Downtown pedestrian street lined with bars and outdoor restaurants, and the Chandeleur Brewing Company, which hosts street-closing beer and music festivals all year round. “They choose Prescott for the quality of life.” Even teenagers are trading their screens for the woods: “About four years ago, the first high school mountain-biking team got started, and now we’ve got eight teams and 150 kids racing mountain bikes every weekend.” But what he’s most proud of is that everyone gets along—bikers and hikers and trail runners and horseback riders. 12 Best Affordable Place to Live in 2019, has fallen five spots to rank 17th on the list this year. Or even in Oregon. Check. Take notes, Austin. Earning potential is also high in this town, as the median household income is more than $70 thousand. For a thousand different reasons, you're considering a move this year, and well you should: It's a big ol' country we have here, and opportunity favors those in motion. We’re partial to Ventura Spirits Company (and its stellar Strawberry Brandy) and Bell Arts Factory, a collective with more than 30 artists. The small Southern city that feels much, much biggerCity population: 60,670Cost of living index: 105 (5% higher than US average) You probably have low expectations for the capital of Iowa. However, it is more affordable than the other metro areas listed on the West Coast, including Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego. For a fully subversive coffee experience, we recommend Caffeina Coffee Roasting Company, where a mother-daughter duo built their dream roaster-meets-coffee shop-meets favorite hangout. It is an affordable city with a population of under 22 thousand people, and a median home value of $253,276. Nearby, Tiger Alley—named for the gambling districts that existed during the Gold Rush era—blends handmade and upcycled goods with a well-curated selection of vintage. Captain Pancho Mayoral of Island Packers Cruises, which leads trips to the Channel Islands, says of the area, "The beaches are perfect and the ocean is so rich with biodiversity. It's home to the Coos Art Museum, Egyptian Theater, Coos Historical and Maritime Museum New History Center, and the Oregon Coast Historic Railway. With them have come new sports stadiums, new neighborhoods like the artsy EaDo or the hipster-historic Montrose, and a worldly food scene that extends waaaay beyond the usual barbecue and Tex-Mex (though, obviously, both of those are great too). There is something for people of all ages, from beautiful parks to nearby wineries. It is important not to just choose a location based on affordability, as an area must meet your needs in terms of the lifestyle you desire. (Note that this article was written in 2017--values and populations have inevitably changed since then.). But before you move out of the city, consider your wants and needs. Lincoln residents spend just 21.07% of the median household income on rent or mortgage payments and additional housing costs. Blackfoot is the home of the Idaho Potato Museum and the world's largest potato chip and baked potato. Although Santa Rosa is an affordable place to live in California and elsewhere along the West Coast, it is not considered affordable compared to other cities in the United States. town was engineered for livability back in the 1960s. Modesto is the county seat and largest city in Stanislaus County, and it has a population of more than 803 thousand people. A house here costs $239,000 on average, and rent in a two-bedroom apartment runs only $932.