You Can Live in This Charming Town for Less Than $700 a Month
If there's one thing many Americans can agree on, it's that living expenses are not cheap in 2025. Homeownership rates in the United States declined after the 2008 financial crisis but have since rebounded and stabilized, returning to levels similar to those seen 20 years ago. Although it's unclear exactly how many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, what we do know is that many are struggling financially.
To that end, the cost of living is a key consideration when searching for a new place to live. The U.S. News & World Report analyzed 859 cities to determine some of the most affordable places to settle down. These rankings were based on the median gross rent and annual housing costs for homeowners in these areas.
Affordability doesn't necessarily make a city family-friendly, so if you're considering a move for your family, we've also included the overall grade for each city from Niche.com to help you determine what options may be best. The Niche grade is determined based on an analysis of factors such as public schools, cost of living, and commute.
Whether you're considering a move for your family or just interested in learning about some of the best places to live across the country, we'll look at 25 of the most affordable places to live in the U.S. based on recent rankings and available data for 2025.
This post was updated in March 2026 to include updated information about the median home value and monthly rent in each town.
