New list identifies and ranks America’s best affordable citiesOften times, the cities found on “best places to live” lists can be a bit on the pricey side. While they are great places, not everyone can afford to live in them, or at least live well. With this in mind, Livability.com has named Topeka a Best Affordable Place to Live, 2015. Topeka is less expensive than most, yet it offers an extremely high quality of life, allowing families to save money on many cost-of-living expenses.
Our editors looked at cost of living across a number of categories such as health care, food, housing, and transportation using data from C2ER and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They also examined the tax climate in each state and even looked at how much things like eggs, pizza and haircuts cost in each city.
In addition, our editors factored in Livability’s own unique LivScore. One city per state was selected to give some geographic balance because much of the cost-of-living data is calculated at the county level.
“With cities, as with anything, there’s a bit of ‘you get what you pay for,’” says Livability editor, Matt Carmichael. “Therefore, it was important for us to strike a balance and find cities that are both affordable and livable.”
Topeka offers residents a low cost of living, more than 7 percent under the national average. Area home prices rank among the lowest on this list and come in about 18 percent below most U.S. cities. Top employers including Westar Energy, Collective Brands and Goodyear form the foundation of Topeka’s economy, which has a 4.3 percent unemployment rate. First-class attractions, art galleries and performing arts venues, expansive parks, and nature trails give residents a high quality of life.
Best Affordable Places to Live, 2015
- Round Rock, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Lawton, OK
- Lansing, MI
- Appleton, WI
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Rochester, MN
- Nampa, ID
- Topeka, KS
- Cedar Rapids, IA
Photo credit: VisitTopeka.com of Kansas Children's Discovery Center