12 Cheapest Small Towns to Live In the United States

Pittsburg, Kan.

Cost of living: 19.4% below U.S. average

City population: 20,171

Median household income: $34,956

Median home value: $88,500

Unemployment rate: 4.4%

The award for the cheapest of the cheapest small town in the United States goes to Pittsburg, Kan., according to the analysis performed by C2ER’s Cost of Living Index.

Just a two-hour drive from Kansas City on Route 69, Pittsburg offers an urban-suburban mixed feel as it is home to numerous restaurants, bars, parks and coffee shops but these are all less crowded than the ones in bigger cities.

In its earlier days, the town was known for its coal industry. Nowadays, the presence of the Pittsburg State University has turned it into an educational and cultural hub. Actor Gary Busey and Brian Moorman, retired two-time Pro Bowl punter for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills are among the former alumni of Pittsburg University.

The average income in Pittsburg is $31,000 less than the U.S. median income but the $152,000 cheaper median home prices more than compensate for that. Housing expenses are 37.2 below the national average and residents here pay less for many other things, including a visit to the doctor or to the beauty parlor.