Cheapest City To Live in Every East Coast State

The East Coast, with its gorgeous beachside properties, big cities and beautiful suburbs can seem like a perfect place to live — except for the cost of living, that is. Life on the Eastern Seaboard can be a rather expensive decision, one that can very quickly drain your finances with mortgage rates and cost of living that wildly outpace annual income.

That doesn’t mean that living on the East Coast is out of reach for the average American, though. After compiling data related to annual cost of living, average monthly mortgages, median household incomes and overall livability, GOBankingRates has found some of the cheapest cities in which to live within every state on the East Coast.

Dreaming of a life in Connecticut? Hoping to settle down in Maine? Holding out for a place in New York? Dive into this list and you just might find what you’re looking for.

• Livability score: 85
• Median household income: $41,972
• Average monthly mortgage: $1,362
• Annual cost of living: $41,992

• Livability score: 68
• Median household income: $58,336
• Average monthly mortgage: $1,754
• Annual cost of living: $45,716

• Livability score: 55
• Median household income:$33,628
• Average monthly mortgage: $1,098
• Annual cost of living: $36,190

• Livability score: 51
• Median household income: $39,527
• Average monthly mortgage: $627
• Annual cost of living: $29,977

• Livability score: 73
• Median household income: $47,489
• Average monthly mortgage: $1,307
• Annual cost of living: $37,889

• Livability score: 78
• Median household income: $47,819
• Average monthly mortgage: $781
• Annual cost of living: $31,271

• Livability score: 56
• Median household income: $48,521
• Average monthly mortgage: $1,305
• Annual cost of living: $39,143

• Livability score: 66
• Median household income: $54,520
• Average monthly mortgage: $1,413
• Annual cost of living: $40,001

• Livability score: 70
• Median household income: $40,450
• Average monthly mortgage: $754
• Annual cost of living: $33,503

• Livability score: 68
• Median household income: $44,878
• Average monthly mortgage: $641
• Annual cost of living: $29,823

• Livability score: 56
• Median household income: $53,981
• Average monthly mortgage: $609
• Annual cost of living: $30,759

• Livability score: 67
• Median household income: $44,595
• Average monthly mortgage: $342
• Annual cost of living: $25,797

• Livability score: 64
• Median household income: $45,921
• Average monthly mortgage: $1,973
• Annual cost of living: $49,647

• Livability score: 52
• Median household income: $33,066
• Average monthly mortgage: $835
• Annual cost of living: $31,571

• Livability score: 79
• Median household income: $55,000
• Average monthly mortgage: $1,409
• Annual cost of living: $41,985

• Livability score: 69
• Median household income: $42,434
• Average monthly mortgage: $716
• Annual cost of living: $31,092

Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities in East Coast states to find the cheapest city to live in each state. First GOBankingRates identified cities in East Coast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont. Once the cities were identified, GOBankingRates found total population, population ages 65 and over, total households and household median income, all sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Using this data, the percentage of the population ages 65 and over was calculated. The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and include the grocery, healthcare, housing, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous cost-of-living indexes. Using the cost-of-living indexes and the national average expenditure costs for retired residents, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure cost for retired residents for each location was calculated. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes for each location. The average single-family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index for November 2024. Using the average home value, assuming a 10% down payment, and using the most recent national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate (sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data), the average mortgage was calculated. Using the average mortgage and average expenditure costs, the average cost of living was calculated. The cities with the lowest cost of living for each state were found to determine the cheapest cities to live in each state. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Jan. 8, 2025.