The 15 cheapest cities to live in the US, where locals spend under 25% of their incomes on housing a

• US News & World Report released its 2023 ranking of the most affordable places to live in the US.
• The cost of housing in these 15 cities was less than a quarter of what the typical resident made.
• Spots in the South and Midwest, such as Hickory, North Carolina, and Youngstown, Ohio, top the list.

Believe it or not — you don't have to sacrifice quality for affordability if you're looking to move in 2023.

A US News & World Report ranking of the cheapest places to live in the US listed several affordable cities — mostly in the South and Midwest — with great schools and urban amenities.

US News & World Report assessed typical incomes, typical housing costs including taxes and utilities, and the percentage of income that goes to the cost of housing to determine the rankings. It also considered the cost of goods and services across the cities.

Rent or mortgage payments are considered affordable when a person limits them to 30% or less of what they make each month, according to Insider's personal finance desk. In each of the cities on the list — including Brownsville, Texas, and Youngstown, Ohio — the costs were even less: residents typically spent less than 25% of their monthly incomes on housing.

No big cities made the cut. In fact, most of these places have a small-town flair with access to parks and hiking trails — outdoorsy lures that have been popular with American movers since the pandemic.

Several spots, such as Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, also topped US News & World Report's list of best places to live in the US. That ranking, also released last week, considered affordability, how many people were moving there, how happy residents were, crime rates, and other quality-of-life indicators.

Here are the typical incomes and costs of housing in US News & World Report's list of the top 15 cheapest places to live.

15. Brownsville, Texas

Population of the metro area: 420,554

Average salary: $39,240

Percent of income spent on living costs: 23.34%

14. South Bend, Indiana

Population of the metro area: 323,681

Average salary: $49,240

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.94%

13. Fayetteville, Arkansas

Population of the metro area: 538,063

Average salary: $51,590

Percent of income spent on living costs:: 20.44%

12. Greenville, South Carolina

Population of the metro area: 918,166

Average salary: $48,350

Percent of income spent on living costs: 21.31%

11. Spartanburg, South Carolina

Population of the metro area: 322,864

Average salary: $47,400

Percent of income spent on living costs: 21.67%

10. Knoxville, Tennessee

Population of the metro area: 873,816

Average salary: $49,290

Percent of income spent on living costs: 21.13%

9. Quad Cities – Davenport-Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline-Rock Island, Illinois metro area

Population of the metro area: 384,055

Average salary: $51,240

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.14%

8. Green Bay, Wisconsin

Population of the metro area: 326,590

Average salary: $51,510

Percent of income spent on living costs: 19.92%

7. Peoria, Illinois

Population of the metro area: 404,226

Average salary: $54,370

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.62%

6. Beaumont, Texas

Population of the metro area: 397,924

Average salary: $50,750

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.31%

5. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Population of the metro area: 415,887

Average salary: $50,330

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.07%

4. Huntsville, Alabama

Population of the metro area: 483,366

Average salary: $61,140

Percent of income spent on living costs: 19.62%

3. Huntington, West Virginia-Ashland, Kentucky metro area

Population of the metro area: 361,177

Average salary: $45,520

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.69%

2. Youngstown, Ohio

Population of the metro area: 542,459

Average salary: $45,090

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.29%

1. Hickory, North Carolina

Population of the metro area: 364,877

Average salary: $44,470 per year

Percent of income spent on living costs: 18.95%

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