Finding the perfect place to settle down and raise a family involves a delicate balance of safety, affordability, and quality of life. The idyllic white picket fence and your two to three children playing in the yard may not be such a far away fantasy as there are still a few cities sprinkled throughout the United States that are cheap, cheerful and comfortably safe.
If you are looking to live comfortably with a family of four you’ll want to factor in all areas of life including school districts, cost of living, proximity to national parks, property taxes and crime rates to name a few. Many of the most affordable and safest places to live pop up throughout central America in the Midwestern to Southwestern regions as 20 of the cheapest, safest and most affordable cities in the United States for a family of four.
GOBankingRates conducted a study of the safest and cheapest places to live based on crime data, cost of living, mortgage rates, home values and more.
Here are some key takeaways:
- Of the top 30 safest and cheapest places to live, 10 cities are in Texas.
- Many of the cities listed are small with only El Paso, Lexington and Fort Wayne surpassing a population of 100,000 people.
- The most expensive monthly cost of living for a family on this list is Cary, North Carolina, which has an estimated $7,453 monthly expenses.
Whether you’re looking for a quiet suburban life or an urban environment with excellent amenities, these cities offer a blend of safety and affordability that’s hard to beat — for you and the kids.
1. College Station, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,122
- Property Crime Rate: 0.82
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,089
2. El Paso, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,346
- Property Crime Rate: 0.89
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $4,445
3. New Braunfels, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,171
- Property Crime Rate: 0.88
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,336
4. Carmel, Indiana
- Average Mortgage Cost: $3,313
- Property Crime Rate: 0.96
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $6,623
5. Meridian, Idaho
- Average Mortgage Cost: $3,150
- Property Crime Rate: 0.98
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $6,466
6. Fishers, Indiana
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,607
- Property Crime Rate: 0.97
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,978
7. Roger, Arkansas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,087
- Property Crime Rate: 0.80
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,296
8. Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,282
- Property Crime Rate: 0.89
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,530
9. Laredo, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,267
- Property Crime Rate: 0.90
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $4,257
10. St. George, Utah
- Average Mortgage Cost: $3,198
- Property Crime Rate: 0.92
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $6,277
11. Ankeny, Iowa
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,091
- Property Crime Rate: 0.93
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,754
12. Waukesha, Wisconsin
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,333
- Property Crime Rate: 0.96
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,755
13. Gilbert, Arizona
- Average Mortgage Cost: $3,531
- Property Crime Rate: 0.93
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $7,049
14. Temple, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,549
- Property Crime Rate: 0.84
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $4,561
15. McAllen, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,363
- Property Crime Rate: 0.82
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $4,463
16. Parma, Ohio
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,139
- Property Crime Rate: 0.95
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $4,596
17. Lakeville, Minnesota
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,886
- Property Crime Rate: 0.98
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $6,371
18. Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,366
- Property Crime Rate: 0.76
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $4,603
19. Brownsville, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,125
- Property Crime Rate: 0.83
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $4,222
20. Nampa, Idaho
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,430
- Property Crime Rate: 0.90
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,368
21. Lexington, Kentucky
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,826
- Property Crime Rate: 0.72
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,080
22. Cary, North Carolina
- Average Mortgage Cost: $3,851
- Property Crime Rate: 0.92
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $7,453
23. Denton, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,220
- Property Crime Rate: 0.76
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,515
24. Huntsville, Alabama
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,733
- Property Crime Rate: 0.87
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,072
25. Pharr, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $996
- Property Crime Rate: 0.87
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $4,093
26. Pasco, Washington
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,483
- Property Crime Rate: 0.71
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,533
27. St. Charles, Missouri
- Average Mortgage Cost: $2,042
- Property Crime Rate: 0.84
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,242
28. Mission, Texas
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,285
- Property Crime Rate: 0.85
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $4,395
29. Orem, Utah
- Average Mortgage Cost: $3,084
- Property Crime Rate: 0.85
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $6,619
30. Ames, Iowa
- Average Mortgage Cost: $1,873
- Property Crime Rate: 0.90
- Estimated Monthly Cost of Living for Married Couple with Kids: $5,643
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the 500 most populated U.S. cities as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey as well as the total households and median household income. For each city a number of factors were found including; livability index as sourced from AreaVibes, 2022 property crime and 2022 violent crime both sourced from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer which is the most recent data available, the average single family home value for March 2024 as sourced from Zillow Home Value Index, average mortgage cost as calculated by assuming a 10% down payment and using the national 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate as sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data, cost-of-living indexes as sourced from Sperlings BestPlaces, average expenditure costs calculated by using the cost-of-living indexes and the national average expenditure costs for a family with children as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. The property crime rate per 1,000 residents was scored and weighted at 1.00, the violent crime rate was scored and weighted at 1.00, the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.00, the average expenditure costs was scored and weighted at 1.50, and the average mortgage cost was scored and weighted at 1.50. All five scores were summed and sorted to show the safest and cheapest cities for a family of four. All data was collected on and is up to date as of April 19, 2024.
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