ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Top 10 US Cities With Affordable Accommodation and High Quality of Living

The ideal US cities are concentrated in the South and they have affordable accommodation options, lucrative career opportunities and great schools.
PUBLISHED JUN 29, 2023
Cover Image Source: Pexels | Lukas Kloeppel
Cover Image Source: Pexels | Lukas Kloeppel

Moving to a new city means taking a whole lot of things into consideration. However, there's no denying that the city's accommodation options influence our decisions to a large extent. According to RentCafe, the ideal cities in the US to move to are mostly concentrated in the South. RentCafe ranked almost 136 localities based on the cost of living, local economy and quality of life to determine the best places for renters.

If you are planning to switch cities, here are the top 10 places with affordable accommodation options and lucrative career opportunities.

Image Source: Alex Azabache/Pexels
Image Source: Alex Azabache/Pexels

10. Minneapolis, MN

It is one of the most progressive cities in America and has the largest metro area in the Midwest. The quality of life is pretty high with a strong and dynamic economy. The city is surrounded by lakes which means that it offers amazing outdoors. One of the major reasons to move to the Midwest is the affordable rent. The price for a studio apartment in Minnesota is far less when compared to other coastal cities. Minneapolis has many Fortune 500 companies (Target and Xcel Energy are headquartered there) so the unemployment rate is low. The average apartment rent is $1,660. 

9.  Conroe TX

The city offers a 5% cheaper standard of living as compared to the national average with a thriving school system and abundant employment opportunities with rising payscales. The city is conveniently located near the state capital, Houston, so all world-class entertainment and dining experiences are a short drive away. Conroe TX also promises a great outdoor life with Lake Conroe, the Sam Houston National Forest and WG Jones State Forest surrounding the city. The average house rent in Conroe is $1,364. 

8. San Francisco, CA

The city offers pleasant weather along with vibrant art and cultural life. You can enjoy fun activities like biking, surfing and kayaking as the city is home to numerous parks, including the famous Golden Gate Park. San Francisco is also rapidly growing as the rise of tech and entrepreneurship has immensely impacted the city with Apple, Google and Facebook setting headquarters or major offices there. The average house rent is $3313. 

7. Seattle, WA


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Visit Seattle (@visitseattle)


 

This gem of a city offers great accommodation options. Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is the largest school district in Washington state with over 54,000 students in 103 schools. It's a great entrepreneurship hub with Amazon, Microsoft, Costco and Starbucks having their origin offices there. Seattle also has beautiful lush parks like the Olympic National Park while Elliott Bay and Lake Union are close by, enabling you to relax in the midst of nature. The average apartment rent is $2,233.

6. Arlington, VA

Pexels | Spolyakov
Pexels | Spolyakov

The city is an ideal fit for people looking to set up their careers in technology. The city is also has amazing neighborhoods and houses some of the state's biggest industries. The city's crime rate is also 61% lower than the national average. The average house rent is $2427. 

5. Raleigh, NC

The city scores high on the safety index and has been ranked second in the most educated US city list. It's a major hub for research and development and also houses the Research Triangle Park. The place also offers plenty of jobs in the field of tech and hence, young professionals can consider moving there. The average house rent is $1,612. 

4. Atlanta, GA

The city ranks high in terms of cost of living and also housing. The average house rent is $1846, per RentCafe and homes usually sell at around $400K, per CubeSmart.  The place is home to big companies like Coca-Cola, Delta, UPS, Home Depot and also Equifax. 

3. Scottsdale, AZ

The city is a luxurious destination with excellent public schools and high-end apartments as well as amazing resorts. Did we mention that it houses the "World's Finest Golf Destination" and also ranks third in the list by RentCafe.The average rent for an apartment in Scottsdale is $2,092. 

2. Plano, Texas

Pexels | Paweł L
Pexels | Paweł L

The city boasts of great transportation, a strong economy and beautiful sunny weather. It is dubbed the "City of Excellence" and scores pretty high when it comes to the local economy and the overall quality of life. It's the land of great academic achievers which makes it an ideal place to move in with your family as it boasts great public schools. The average house rent is $1,813, per RentCafe. 

1. Charleston, South Carolina 


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Charleston, South Carolina (@charleston)


 

Charleston is said to be the economic hub of South Carolina. Apartments in the city have an average rent of $1,938. The city's average house is pretty spacious and the coastal city also boasts an amazing nightlife. Charleston's unemployment rate is also pretty low, at just 3.4%.



 

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The rising star of the show's Prime Video spinoff could take over as the full time host.
1 day ago
Rick who couldn't tell the difference between Pokemon and Charizard lost out on a deal of a life.
1 day ago
The guest later happily gave it away for free to a Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame collection.
1 day ago
The guest had stumbled into the rare artifact online and didn't have to shell out a lot for it.
2 days ago
Jennings answered the question that was making the rounds on social media for quite some time.
2 days ago
While her letter picks gave her just one clue, Angie nailed the final puzzle in seconds.
3 days ago
While the player wasn't too bothered with the loss, fans didn't seem to let it go.
3 days ago
This wasn't the first time that a contestant made a fool of himself on the show.
4 days ago
Even the stingy star of the show, Rick Harrison couldn't resist paying top dollar for the item.
4 days ago
Kevin O'Leary's deal did offer more capital but didn't align with Strauss's goals.
5 days ago
Harvey was waiting for a long time for someone to give that answer.
6 days ago
All the guest could say was, "I am never going to be able to talk to my wife again."
7 days ago
The TikTok creator claimed that the brand is trying to gain attention, but some viewers disagree.
Apr 16, 2025
Harris made a last ditch attempt for the 'Holy Grail' item but it didn't go as he expected it to.
Apr 16, 2025
Jay Tope, who lost $75,000 earlier in the week, redeemed himself while playing with the star.
Apr 16, 2025
While the question was direct, the entrepreneurs kept beating around the bush.
Apr 15, 2025
Fans are posting videos of the game that they discovered at Costco retail stores.
Apr 15, 2025
Catherine also got some help from her mother who was sitting in the studio audience.
Apr 15, 2025
As David walked up to the host, Carey immediately noticed his clothes and said, "What a great shirt!"
Apr 15, 2025
Even the fans agreed that the answer to the puzzle was just too random for someone to guess.
Apr 14, 2025