In some cities, it’s easier to stretch a dollar than in others, thanks to a wide range of factors that can make the overall cost of living more expensive or more affordable.
To determine where the most affordable places are, financial website GOBankingRates, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Sperling’s Best Places, analyzed the three largest cities in every state and ranked affordability based on median household income, median monthly homeowner costs and median gross rent.
Using those factors, it then scored each city’s overall cost of living on a scale ranging from a low score of 79.70 in Rockford, Illinois, to the highest score of 145.60 in Hilo, Hawaii.
Based on that ranking, here are the top 10 cities where your paycheck could go the furthest:
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Median household income: $44,449
Median monthly homeowner costs: $938
Median gross rent: $670
Cost of living score: 81.20
Parkersburg, West Virginia
Median household income: $34,296
Median monthly homeowner costs: $838
Median gross rent: $607
Cost of living score: 80.20
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Median household income: $35,956
Median monthly homeowner costs: $950
Median gross rent: $617
Cost of living score: 82.10
Aberdeen, South Dakota
Median household income: $46,330
Median monthly homeowner costs: $1,079
Median gross rent: $602
Cost of living score: 94.70
Davenport, Iowa
Median household income: $48,191
Median monthly homeowner costs: $1,141
Median gross rent: $707
Cost of living score: 89.50
Springfield, Missouri
Median household income: $33,769
Median monthly homeowner costs: $911
Median gross rent: $676
Cost of living score: 84.30
Wichita, Kansas
Median household income: $46,775
Median monthly homeowner costs: $1,184
Median gross rent: $716
Cost of living score: 84.60
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Median household income: $43,473
Median monthly homeowner costs: $1,173
Median gross rent: $655
Cost of living score: 87.30
Great Falls, Montana
Median household income: $43,497
Median monthly homeowner costs: $1,149
Median gross rent: $613
Cost of living score: 95.40
Rockford, Illinois
Median household income: $40,143
Median monthly homeowner costs: $1,132
Median gross rent: $728
Cost of living score: 79.70
