Most Affordable Places to Live in America - 2026 Rankings

Stretching your dollar further? Our affordability rankings identify the cheapest places to live in America without sacrificing quality of life. These ZIP codes offer the lowest housing costs, rents, and overall cost of living in the US.

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Most Affordable ZIP Codes in America

50 ZIP codes ranked

#	ZIP · City · State	Population	Median Income	Median Home	Safety	Median Home Value
1	53218 Milwaukee, WI	36,940	$24,282	$90,185	D	41
2	53204 Milwaukee, WI	40,810	$30,767	$92,108	D	45
3	46201 Indianapolis, IN	26,280	$27,847	$92,511	C	46
4	10451 Bronx, NY	62,890	$28,930	$92,942	C	46
5	40203 Louisville, KY	21,380	$31,478	$93,976	F	41
6	89101 Las Vegas, NV	30,640	$32,143	$94,730	C	45
7	33127 Miami, FL	49,370	$26,575	$96,527	D	40
8	06105 Hartford, CT	44,310	$23,133	$96,582	C	41
9	48207 Detroit, MI	18,340	$30,831	$97,965	D	41
10	68101 Omaha, NE	14,280	$25,666	$99,026	D	41
11	64109 Kansas City, MO	30,180	$23,802	$100,314	D	41
12	10456 Bronx, NY	72,450	$28,461	$102,801	C	44
13	23222 Richmond, VA	43,280	$31,032	$108,373	D	42
14	53206 Milwaukee, WI	32,840	$27,115	$108,654	D	41
15	48201 Detroit, MI	12,840	$31,039	$115,164	C	43
16	48234 Detroit, MI	37,480	$32,661	$117,398	D	44
17	06106 Hartford, CT	50,280	$28,453	$118,761	D	41
18	60637 Chicago, IL	34,590	$25,809	$124,329	D	41
19	89106 Las Vegas, NV	43,450	$30,223	$127,074	D	42
20	50309 Des Moines, IA	18,420	$55,199	$155,054	C+	57
21	85701 Tucson, AZ	8,420	$44,820	$158,954	C	54
22	89102 Las Vegas, NV	53,120	$55,733	$161,196	C	56
23	70119 New Orleans, LA	49,230	$45,501	$162,386	C	51
24	02119 Boston, MA	30,510	$48,482	$163,009	C	52
25	89119 Las Vegas, NV	44,820	$50,037	$163,627	C	54
26	21218 Baltimore, MD	44,870	$45,070	$165,125	C+	57
27	68102 Omaha, NE	11,380	$52,155	$165,384	B	58
28	90004 Los Angeles, CA	52,430	$47,154	$165,979	C+	55
29	97203 Portland, OR	52,140	$45,207	$166,821	C+	55
30	85003 Phoenix, AZ	8,420	$41,084	$168,133	B	56
31	21224 Baltimore, MD	50,140	$43,586	$168,270	C+	55
32	67213 Wichita, KS	43,280	$49,818	$169,462	C	55
33	63110 St. Louis, MO	37,290	$41,018	$169,660	C	51
34	78201 San Antonio, TX	39,120	$54,122	$171,154	C+	56
35	19104 Philadelphia, PA	39,680	$48,013	$171,595	C+	56
36	29201 Columbia, SC	16,480	$40,635	$172,863	C+	56
37	63104 St. Louis, MO	19,840	$54,431	$172,975	C	53
38	21201 Baltimore, MD	30,540	$53,631	$174,800	C	53
39	73104 Oklahoma City, OK	19,230	$50,086	$175,195	C	53
40	91401 Van Nuys, CA	112,250	$47,810	$176,383	C	50
41	29204 Columbia, SC	46,480	$40,363	$181,970	C+	55
42	30318 Atlanta, GA	44,690	$42,029	$182,379	C	54
43	80205 Denver, CO	40,780	$44,057	$183,788	C	50
44	28205 Charlotte, NC	53,180	$45,906	$185,746	C	51
45	32210 Jacksonville, FL	58,940	$43,270	$186,786	C	52
46	33603 Tampa, FL	36,810	$55,618	$187,110	C+	58
47	70112 New Orleans, LA	12,870	$50,777	$187,336	C+	52
48	95101 San Jose, CA	42,310	$47,953	$187,744	C	49
49	85001 Phoenix, AZ	3,120	$53,686	$189,264	C+	55
50	70116 New Orleans, LA	23,410	$42,403	$189,354	C+	52

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest place to live in the US? ▼

The most affordable cities in the US are typically in the Midwest and South, with median home values well below the national average of $303,400 and median rents under $800/month. Browse our rankings for the full list.

Where can I live cheaply in the US? ▼

Use our Affordability Calculator to find ZIP codes within your budget. Many affordable areas in states like Mississippi, Arkansas, and West Virginia offer low costs with decent quality of life.

What is the most affordable state to live in? ▼

States consistently ranking as most affordable include Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa. Use ZipScore to find the specific neighborhoods within these states that offer the best value.

Explore Top ZIP Codes

53218 - Milwaukee, WI 53204 - Milwaukee, WI 46201 - Indianapolis, IN 10451 - Bronx, NY 40203 - Louisville, KY 89101 - Las Vegas, NV 33127 - Miami, FL 06105 - Hartford, CT 48207 - Detroit, MI 68101 - Omaha, NE 64109 - Kansas City, MO 10456 - Bronx, NY 23222 - Richmond, VA 53206 - Milwaukee, WI 48201 - Detroit, MI 48234 - Detroit, MI 06106 - Hartford, CT 60637 - Chicago, IL 89106 - Las Vegas, NV 50309 - Des Moines, IA

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Rankings based on real data from US Census Bureau (ACS), FBI Uniform Crime Report, EPA AirNow, and FEMA National Risk Index. Updated periodically.

Most Affordable Places to Live in America - 2026 Rankings

Most Affordable ZIP Codes in America

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore Top ZIP Codes

Compare Any Two ZIP Codes Side by Side

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