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    What’s a pretty cheap good sized city to move to in the US?

    Hi, I’m graduating college in a few years now and have been looking ahead to potential new places to live in the US and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations of pretty cheap but decent sized cities that they would move to, don’t even know if there are any “cheap” left just putting this post out there lol. Also I know we all have different ideas of cheap but I didn’t think it would hurt to ask

    What’s a pretty cheap good sized city to move to in the US?
    byu/No-Minimum2795 inFrugal



    Posted by No-Minimum2795

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    25 Comments

    3. informed-and-sad on

      Chicago is affordable and has good public transportation so you don’t need a car (which will save you a ton of money)

    4. Nervous-Narwhal-1175 on

      Depending on what you mean by “good sized”, take a look at Kalamazoo MI.

      You can get by on 20/hr. And it’s a great place for younger people, as part of it is a college town for Western Michigan University. It’s a vibrant city and Michigan overall is one of the best states to live in.

      You’re also only 2 1/2 hours from either Chicago or Detroit.

    6. cwsjr2323 on

      Consider Lincoln, Ne, a university city and State Capital. The amenities and businesses are tailored to your demographics and the population is nicely mixed due to international students. The bus is free to uni students, and was $1.25 for a single ride. They have passes but I never used that. Pretty much any store you can name is there. Nebraska is Red politically , but the Lincoln-Omaha corridor is Blue. Housing is affordable and there are lots of jobs.

    8. IceExile on

      Cleveland. 50+ years ago it had a larger stature, but has fallen along with exit of USA-based manufacturing. Buffalo is also very slowly on the rise. Toledo might be OK. Omaha/Lincoln might be alright too. What about Tulsa? No idea, but it may be inexpensive and 4 sure is warmer than those other cities I cited. Also, maybe Topeka, Lawrence, Manhattan, Wichita in Kansas might be cool. Arkansas has lots of natural beauty…

    9. AngerPancake on

      Some of this may depend on what field you’re going to be working in. Like if you’re learning about ocean studies moving to Detroit will not help you. But if you’re in IT you can live anywhere.

    13. ohm44 on

      Depending on your chosen career, you may be worse off living in a cheaper place.

      To choose an example I’m familiar with, you’re going to make 100k more for a comparable job in high tech in SF vs Chicago. Yes the rents will be eye watering, and maybe you’ll spend an extra 30k/yr. But all else being equal, you still come out way ahead in the more expensive city.

      Now there are other things in life more important than salary, and I personally would never live in NYC or SF, but don’t limit yourself to a cheap city if this scenario is applicable to you. Of course, if you’re going to make the same salary no matter where you are, pick the cheaper city you like

    19. lizofravenclaw on

      What do you enjoy doing? The cities you’ll be happy in will be heavily influenced by your interests. Clubbing? Multicultural food? Shopping? Live music? Theater? Biking? Beaches/mountains? Do you want somewhere drivable or somewhere that you could ditch the car? Looking for queer, POC, or other minority communities?

    20. TrashTV1980 on

      Memphis, TN is a very cheap place to live. It’s not close to other major cities and has a high rate of violent crime, but is a historic, mid-sized city with diverse food and culture and you won’t need snow gear.

    22. Cookieshaman on

      If you can take the winters Duluth can be a very nice town to live in. Close to some amazing nature getaways, pretty cosmopolitan and some diversity. I’ve always enjoyed visiting anyway.

    23. 1967AMB on

      I would look at San Antonio. We love Texas. Moved here from Missouri. Lots of. Companies have their headquarters in Texas.

    24. Diligent-Committee21 on

      Rustbelt cities are cheapER, but good jobs are harder to come by, and poverty rates are higher. That also means higher crime rates. However, post-college is a good time to move, as other people will be doing the same and looking to date and make friends. rustbelt = post-industrial = used to have factories, but the factories shut down Examples: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, etc. These communities tend to be tight-knit, so if you’re an outsider, it can be difficult, but once you’ve made your way in, it can be very supportive.

    25. ElkHistorical8548 on

      Detroit Michigan! Just moved away. Opportunities are massive, the city is opening up to opportunity majorly, compared to when I was growing up there. Good culture, good people, good history. A real community feel.

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