3 Cheapest Big Cities in America

Small towns don’t have a monopoly on low living costs. In our search for the cheapest places to live in the U.S., we found three big cities that rank surprisingly high for affordability. Is one of these sizable cities right for you?

Indianapolis

City Population: 853,173

Cost of Living: 16.2% below U.S. average

Median Household Income: $41,987 (U.S.: $53,889)

Median Home Value: $118,300 (U.S.: $178,600)

Average Monthly Rent: $690 (U.S.: $1,004)

Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (U.S.: 4.9%)

Highlight: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Memphis

City Population: 655,770

Cost of Living: 17.0% below U.S. average

Median Household Income: $36,445 (U.S.: $53,889)

Median Home Value: $94,000 (U.S.: $178,600)

Average Monthly Rent: $685 (U.S.: $1,004)

Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (U.S.: 4.9%)

Highlight: Graceland

Oklahoma City

City Population: 631,346

Cost of Living: 15.5% below U.S. average

Median Household Income: $47,779 (U.S.: $53,889)

Median Home Value: $138,600 (U.S.: $178,600)

Average Monthly Rent: $818 (U.S.: $1,004)

Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (U.S.: 4.9%)

Highlight: NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder

See the full list of the cheapest U.S. cities to live in.