We recently determined the most affordable small town in every state. But we wanted to know which towns are the most affordable in the whole country — period — so we took another look at the data.
To find the most affordable small towns in the US, we looked at towns with populations between 1,000 and 10,000 whose households spend no more than 30% of their annual income on housing costs. We looked at the average cost of three types of housing — owned houses with a mortgage, owned houses without a mortgage, and rentals — and took a weighted average of these by the proportion of each type of home in the town. Then we ranked the towns.
With eight affordable towns, Louisiana made the list more than any other state. Texas came in second with seven towns.
Click here to read more about our methodology.
50. Owyhee, Nevada
90.3% of homes are affordable
As part of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation — which covers parts of Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon — Owyhee is home to the Shoshone and Paiute tribes. In keeping with their history, farming and ranching remain important industries for those who live on the reservation.
49. Daleville, Virginia
90.4% of homes are affordable
In Daleville, sustainability is a priority. The town features Energy Star- and Earthcraft-certified homes, encourages walking in place of driving to get around town, and offers plenty of green space for residents. Daleville also hosts several community events, including concerts, a farmer's market, and The Virginia Beer & Wine Festival.
48. Beaver Dam, Arizona
90.4% of homes are affordable
Though isolated from the rest of Arizona, Beaver Dam lies close to the Grand Canyon National Park and is only an hour's drive from Las Vegas. One hundred percent of mortgages are affordable for residents, who earn a median household income of $40,982.
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