Choosing a cheap city is challenging because the lowest rent is not always the most affordable choice after local income, transportation, utilities, insurance, and neighborhood needs are included. A higher-rent city can leave a household with more room when wages are stronger and daily travel is lower.
This guide will help renters compare major cities by rent relative to local income, understand the strengths and limits of that measure, build an address-level budget, and add the one-time cost of relocating.
The most affordable major cities for renters
Apartments.com compared the 100 most populous U.S. places using average rent and median household income. Frisco leads on rent relative to income, while Wichita, Oklahoma City, and Lubbock combine low dollar rents with below-national rent burdens.
| Rank | City | Average monthly rent | Median annual income | Rent-to-income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frisco, TX | $1,470 | $133,400 | 13% |
| 2 | Gilbert, AZ | $1,570 | $112,400 | 17% |
| 3 | Plano, TX | $1,460 | $99,500 | 18% |
| 4 | Anchorage, AK | $1,340 | $91,000 | 18% |
| 5 | Wichita, KS | $850 | $57,400 | 18% |
| 6 | Oklahoma City, OK | $930 | $61,000 | 18% |
| 7 | Lubbock, TX | $880 | $56,800 | 19% |
| 8 | Chandler, AZ | $1,530 | $98,200 | 19% |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $1,390 | $81,900 | 20% |
| 10 | Aurora, CO | $1,370 | $74,800 | 22% |
Values are rounded for readability. The ranking describes typical citywide rent and income, not the exact lease available to one renter.
Dollar rent and affordability are different
Wichita and Oklahoma City have the lowest rents in the table, but Frisco ranks first because its typical income is much higher relative to rent. A household without a Frisco-level income should not treat the 13% ratio as its own result.
Divide the annual rent for a real apartment by your gross annual household income, then add mandatory fees. Also compare the remaining dollars after housing. Two households with the same percentage can have very different room for food, health care, debt, childcare, and savings.
Price the actual lease
Add application charges, deposit, parking, pets, utilities, internet, renters insurance, amenity fees, trash, laundry, move-in charges, and likely renewal terms. Confirm whether advertised concessions reduce only the first lease term and what the regular monthly price will be afterward.
Check the unit, not only the property. Size, condition, noise, floor, sunlight, accessibility, appliances, pest history, security, and management response all matter. Read the lease and document the move-in condition with photographs.
Match the city to a real job
Median household income is not a job offer. Search the exact occupation, experience level, pay range, benefits, schedule, licensing, and employer location. Remote workers should confirm residence rules, pay adjustments, office travel, and internet availability.
Run the budget using the actual take-home pay and a lower-income case. If employment is not secured, preserve enough savings for the search and avoid a lease that depends on optimistic overtime or bonuses.
Transportation can change the winner
Several cities in the table are car-oriented. Add the payment, insurance, fuel, maintenance, parking, tolls, and commute time for the actual address. In Anchorage, weather and travel may be materially different from Texas or Arizona; in metro suburbs, a short map distance can still mean heavy traffic.
Test trips to work, groceries, health care, schools, and family at the times you would travel. Compare a lower-rent apartment that needs two cars with a higher-rent location that reduces driving. Moveline’s Wichita city guide shows how to connect housing with daily travel.
Add climate, utilities, and insurance
Heating, cooling, water, and insurance differ sharply among Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Ask the utility provider or landlord for rate information and typical use for a similar unit. Check renters and vehicle insurance using the exact ZIP code.
Also review weather, flood, wildfire, hail, heat, and winter-driving needs. A lower rent can lose its advantage when the household must absorb high seasonal bills or additional equipment and insurance.
Budget the move and first month
Add movers or rental truck, fuel, tolls, lodging, supplies, deposits, travel, overlap, storage, utility starts, and immediate household needs. Distance, traffic, city parking, elevators, stairs, carrying distance, and building move hours can change the moving price.
Use Moveline’s moving-cost guide, moving checklist, and mover questions. Keep enough accessible cash for move-in even when a deposit will later be refunded.
