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National ranking · 2024 BEA RPP

The cheapest U.S. metros

The 100 most affordable metro areas in America, ranked by overall Regional Price Parity. Monroe is the cheapest at 83.6 — where a $100,000 national salary buys about $119,622 of purchasing power.

100
Metros ranked
83.6
#1 — Monroe
$120K
$100K national buys here

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the cheapest metros price well below the national benchmark of 100. This ranking draws on the agency's 2024 Regional Price Parities, published in December 2025 and covering all 387 metro areas. A $100,000 national salary stretches furthest in the metros at the top of this list — see our methodology for how the index is built.

Most Expensive Cheapest Highest Rents

Top 12 cheapest metros

Overall RPP — 100 = national average (lower is cheaper)

RPP

What this shows Monroe leads as the most affordable. The cheapest metros pair near-average goods with much lower rents — housing is what makes them cheap.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities As of 2024

The 100 metros below are ranked by their overall RPP — the BEA's blended index of goods, services, and rents relative to the U.S. national average (100). Lower RPP = lower price level. The cheapest U.S. metros tend to cluster in the rural South and Appalachian regions, where rent pressure is mild and labor costs (which drive service prices) sit well below national norms. The cheapest tier (RPP <85) typically pairs Goods near 95-98 with Services near 80-85 and Rents in the 60-70 range — meaning a $100,000 salary buys roughly $115,000 of national-average purchasing power.

What this list doesn't capture: state and local income tax burden (Tennessee and Florida have no income tax, while West Virginia's tops out at 6.5%), housing-quality differences (an "RPP 65" rent metro may have a much smaller average unit than the national mean), or labor-market access (low-RPP metros are typically smaller MSAs with thinner job markets). Pair this ranking with BLS occupational wage data for your specific job before relocating. The companion salary equivalent calculator shows the purchasing-power conversion explicitly.

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 Monroe, LA 83.6 93.7 72.2 42.8
2 Eagle Pass, TX 83.8 93.8 81.9 53.7
3 Dothan, AL 83.8 96.4 84.3 46.9
4 Texarkana, TX-AR 84.0 93.7 79.3 49.9
5 Enid, OK * 84.3 93.8 74.4 51.4
6 Hammond, LA 84.5 93.7 71.0 48.2
7 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 84.8 93.7 72.6 52.3
8 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 84.8 96.4 85.8 47.7
9 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 85.1 93.7 71.3 51.3
10 Wildwood-The Villages, FL 85.4 96.2 89.0 51.7
11 Jackson, TN 85.5 96.2 72.6 56.6
12 Gadsden, AL 85.7 96.4 86.7 53.7
13 Alexandria, LA 85.7 93.7 71.1 53.7
14 Joplin, MO-KS 85.7 94.2 85.9 54.0
15 Hot Springs, AR 85.7 93.6 74.3 57.3
16 Lake Charles, LA 85.9 93.7 71.7 51.8
17 Jonesboro, AR 85.9 93.6 75.0 53.8
18 Fort Smith, AR-OK 85.9 93.6 73.8 53.4
19 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 85.9 93.8 81.2 55.9
20 Johnstown, PA 85.9 100.7 108.9 42.3
21 Lawton, OK 85.9 93.8 73.0 57.4
22 Anniston-Oxford, AL 85.9 96.4 87.1 54.7
23 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 86.0 93.8 81.2 57.7
24 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL 86.1 94.2 85.6 56.4
25 Paducah, KY-IL 86.1 96.0 76.9 48.8
26 Morristown, TN 86.4 96.2 72.4 59.0
27 St. Joseph, MO-KS 86.4 94.2 88.3 55.4
28 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA 86.4 96.2 75.9 56.5
29 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 86.5 94.0 82.7 57.8
30 Grand Island, NE 86.7 94.1 74.2 61.7
31 Grand Forks, ND-MN 86.7 95.6 77.1 59.7
32 Florence, SC 86.8 96.3 87.7 52.4
33 Laredo, TX 87.0 93.8 80.6 59.7
34 Minot, ND 87.0 95.7 72.9 63.2
35 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 87.1 93.7 83.7 63.1
36 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 87.1 96.3 92.9 45.9
37 Lafayette, LA 87.2 93.7 71.2 58.8
38 Decatur, AL 87.2 96.4 84.7 58.1
39 Dubuque, IA 87.3 93.7 81.2 64.0
40 Youngstown-Warren, OH 87.4 93.6 96.3 53.4
41 St. Cloud, MN 87.6 95.4 88.7 65.1
42 Hattiesburg, MS 87.6 96.2 76.9 60.1
43 Albany, GA 87.7 96.3 88.3 54.6
44 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 87.7 99.7 132.2 53.2
45 Farmington, NM 87.7 96.1 77.9 56.6
46 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA 87.7 96.3 87.3 56.3
47 Tuscaloosa, AL 87.7 96.4 84.4 58.2
48 Terre Haute, IN 87.8 94.3 86.6 51.9
49 Johnson City, TN 87.9 96.2 71.9 63.2
50 Auburn-Opelika, AL 87.9 96.4 83.9 62.1
51 Jefferson City, MO 88.0 94.2 85.5 62.1
52 Rocky Mount, NC 88.0 96.6 88.4 56.1
53 Sumter, SC 88.0 96.3 87.3 60.8
54 Cleveland, TN 88.1 96.2 72.3 60.3
55 Mobile, AL 88.1 96.4 84.2 60.1
56 Muncie, IN 88.1 94.3 86.4 57.5
57 Valdosta, GA 88.3 96.3 87.8 58.8
58 Wheeling, WV-OH 88.3 96.4 94.9 51.4
59 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 88.3 96.6 88.2 59.3
60 Beckley, WV 88.4 96.3 91.8 52.2
61 Greenville, NC 88.4 96.6 87.3 57.3
62 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 88.4 96.3 87.9 51.3
63 Decatur, IL 88.4 93.6 91.1 56.2
64 Goldsboro, NC 88.5 96.6 87.9 57.7
65 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 88.5 96.6 87.8 59.6
66 Macon-Bibb County, GA 88.5 96.3 89.5 58.9
67 Springfield, MO 88.6 94.2 85.8 65.6
68 Owensboro, KY 88.6 96.2 75.2 55.7
69 Charleston, WV 88.7 96.3 91.7 51.4
70 Duluth, MN-WI 88.8 95.3 87.3 71.1
71 Topeka, KS 88.8 94.0 88.9 65.0
72 Ames, IA 88.8 93.7 83.0 69.2
73 Mansfield, OH 88.9 93.6 96.2 54.9
74 Pocatello, ID 88.9 96.2 69.8 66.4
75 Wichita, KS 88.9 94.0 88.5 66.2
76 Cedar Rapids, IA 89.0 93.7 84.0 71.4
77 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH 89.0 96.4 95.0 52.4
78 Jackson, MS 89.0 96.2 78.1 64.8
79 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL 89.1 94.2 89.9 68.3
80 Rapid City, SD 89.2 95.5 79.1 72.6
81 Tulsa, OK 89.2 93.8 73.9 68.2
82 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 89.2 96.2 91.9 61.9
83 Sandusky, OH 89.3 93.6 96.7 59.5
84 Columbus, GA-AL 89.3 96.3 89.7 61.2
85 Lynchburg, VA 89.4 96.8 87.8 63.9
86 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 89.4 93.6 74.6 68.3
87 Canton-Massillon, OH 89.4 93.6 96.9 58.1
88 Columbia, MO 89.4 94.2 86.0 69.2
89 Longview, TX 89.5 93.8 83.5 66.7
90 Altoona, PA 89.5 100.7 107.7 55.0
91 Wichita Falls, TX 89.5 93.8 84.1 68.2
92 Kokomo, IN 89.6 94.3 86.3 59.3
93 Lima, OH 89.7 93.6 95.8 57.3
94 Montgomery, AL 89.7 96.4 84.9 64.3
95 Victoria, TX 89.8 93.8 85.3 69.3
96 Dalton, GA 89.8 96.3 88.8 63.3
97 El Paso, TX 89.9 93.8 82.6 71.2
98 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 90.0 96.2 76.3 67.9
99 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 90.0 93.8 83.1 70.9
100 Rome, GA 90.2 96.3 90.7 60.3

About This Ranking

The Regional Price Parity (RPP) measures price level differences across U.S. metro areas. A value of 100 equals the national average. Cities below 100 have a lower cost of living than the national average. This ranking shows the 100 metros with the lowest overall RPP, meaning the most affordable places to live in the United States.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area Index where national average = 100