Top 15 Safest and Cheapest Places to Live in the US

“Affordable” and “safe” aren’t always synonymous when it comes to housing. The towns and cities in the US that provide the greatest balance of both are included in our list.

The cost of living and crime rates are combined in this GOBankingRates study using data from several databases. The majority of the towns and cities in our top 15 share a few characteristics. Consider suburbs, primarily in the Midwest but also in the East, Mountain West, and South, with populations ranging from 20,000 to 40,000. Avoid going to the East or West Coasts for the most part.

Three of Illinois’s spots are among the top 15. Ohio has two, and Mississippi has two. These towns may be unknown to you, but our data suggests that you won’t find a better combination of inexpensive housing and low crime rates.

1. South Kingstown, Rhode Island

• Population: 31,851
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.7
• Annual expenditures: $22,254

South Kingstown, also known as “SK,” is the only coastal town among our top 15. This year marks the 300th birthday of South Kingstown, the county seat of Washington County. The University of Rhode Island is located in the village of Kingston.

In South Kingstown, groceries will typically set you back $5,664 for a year, or $472 per month.

2. Arlington, Massachusetts

• Population: 45,617
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.4
• Annual expenditures: $23,556

Nearly 400 years ago, people first settled in the Arlington village. Arlington has a low crime rate, an inexpensive cost of living, and convenient access to Boston, which is only six miles to the southeast.

At $69,388 per month, Arlington has the highest housing costs among our top 15. Your annual expenses for groceries and utilities will come to about $6,000.

3. Edwardsville, Illinois

• Population: 25,218
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.5
• Annual expenditures: $20,965

Edwardsville, an Illinois suburb of St. Louis, serves as Madison County’s county seat. It is situated along historic Route 66 in the southern region of the state.

In our top 15, Edwardsville has the highest overall crime rate—5.5, which is still quite low—per 1,000 residents. Your monthly grocery budget will only be roughly $431.

4. Mundelein, Illinois

• Population: 31,560
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.3
• Annual expenditures: $20,907

Approximately 35 miles northwest of Windy City is this Chicago suburb. Diamond Lake, the Mundelein Heritage Museum, the Millennium Trail, and the Greenway Preserve are some of the attractions.

At $21,063, Mundelein has one of the lowest housing costs among our top 15.

5. White Lake, Michigan

• Population: 30,990
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.2
• Annual expenditures: $22,185

White Lake Township is a Detroit suburb that is home to Highland Recreation Area and Alpine Valley Ski Resort. The White River Light Station and Museum and the Historic Playhouse at White Lake are two of its attractions.

Our survey indicates that groceries in White Lake cost $5,191 annually, or approximately $432 per month.

6. Mason, Ohio

• Population: 35,089
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.1
• Annual expenditures: $21,046

Mason is situated approximately 20 miles north of Cincinnati in southwestern Ohio. The Western & Southern Open, a professional tennis competition that dates back to 1899, is held there. Mason is also proud of the Kings Island amusement park.

With a housing cost of approximately $27,000, Mason is ranked in the middle of our top 15.

7. Brandon, Mississippi

• Population: 25,373
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 5.3
• Annual expenditures: $20,767

Brandon, the county seat of Rankin County, is a rapidly expanding city situated approximately 15 miles east of Jackson, the state capital of Mississippi. It has the newly constructed Brandon Amphitheater and the Downtown Brandon Historic District.

At $17,172, Brandon has the lowest housing cost among our top 15 cities, in addition to having a low crime rate.

8. Lake in the Hills, Illinois

• Population: 28,945
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.1
• Annual expenditures: $23,339

In the 1990s, the population of Lake in the Hills, another Chicago suburb, increased from 6,000 to 23,000. It has the lowest overall crime rate among our top 15 cities, at just 3.1 per 1,000 residents.

At $5,091, Lake in the Hills has the second-cheapest annual grocery expenditure on our list.

9. Muskego, Wisconsin

• Population: 25,242
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.8
• Annual expenditures: $22,228

Muskego frequently appears on lists of the most affordable priced and safest cities in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee suburb was ranked as the third-best place to buy a house in the country in 2018 by PennyGeeks.com.

The cost of housing in Muskego ($30,361) is higher than in most of the other cities in our top 15. The average monthly cost of groceries is $442.

10. Independence, Kentucky

• Population: 28,920
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.9
• Annual expenditures: $21,871

Independence is located in Kenton County in northern Kentucky, approximately 15 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio, and 70 miles north of the state capital, Frankfort.

In our top 15, Independence has the second-cheapest housing cost ($18,212).

11. Madison, Mississippi

• Population: 27,719
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.5
• Annual expenditures: $20,698

Jackson, the state capital of Mississippi, has a suburb called Madison. Madison, which is home to Strawberry Patch Park and the 10-acre Simmons Arboretum, has seen a 12x increase in population since 1980. In Scholaroo’s 2023 rankings of the greatest American cities to live in, it came in at number seven.

At $3,940, Madison has the second-cheapest annual utility cost among our top 15.

12. Windsor, Colorado

• Population: 35,788
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.5
• Annual expenditures: $20,347

Windsor is situated in northern Colorado, approximately 90 minutes north of Denver and about 25 minutes by car from Loveland and Fort Collins. Windsor Lake, the Art & Heritage Center, and over two dozen parks are located there.

After suffering significant damage during a tornado in 2008, Windsor has recovered. At $39,253, housing costs rank second on our list, but other expenses like utilities, healthcare, and transportation are among the lowest.

13. Zionsville, Indiana

• Population: 31,702
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.6
• Annual expenditures: $21,282

Not many towns are as safe as Zionsville, dubbed the “Dahlia City” because it is a suburb of Indianapolis. In our analysis, only Lake in the Hills, Illinois, had a higher overall crime rate per 1,000 residents (3.6).

In addition to over 500 acres of parks, Zionsville boasts a historic downtown with a main drag paved in brick.

14. Avon Lake, Ohio

• Population: 25,588
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 4.3
• Annual expenditures: $19,671

Situated on the southern bank of Lake Erie, this suburb of Cleveland is among the few cities on our list where the annual expenditure is less than $20,000. It has a boat launch, bike trails, and lots of parks.

Avon Lake has some of the lowest expenses for housing, utilities, healthcare, and transportation out of all the 15 cities in our study.

15. Rexburg, Idaho

• Population: 35,300
• Total crime rate per 1,000 residents: 3.9
• Annual expenditures: $19,267

Rexburg bills itself as “America’s Family Community” and is situated approximately 30 miles northeast of Idaho Falls and 80 miles northeast of Pocatello. Mostly populated by Mormons, Brigham Young University-Idaho is located there. Teton Lakes Winter Park, St. Anthony Sand Dunes, and the Legacy Flight Museum are a few of the city’s attractions.

Apart from having a low crime rate, Rexburg has the lowest annual grocery, utility, and transportation costs ($404, $323, and $292, respectively) of any city in our research.