ATLANTA — With interest rates going up and people looking to get more bang for their buck as they buy a new home, a recent study shows the cheapest places to live in the United States are mainly in the South.
Kiplinger looked at calculations of living expenses by the Council for Community and Economic Research in 265 urban areas across the country and then narrowed it by looking at metro areas with at least 50,000 people.
Two Georgia cities ended up making the list.
Coming in at No. 16 was the Augusta metro area.
“The metro area, which includes Aiken, South Carolina, is a major center for cybersecurity companies thanks to the presence of the U.S. Army Cyber Command at nearby Fort Gordon,” Kiplinger said. “The area remains among the country’s cheapest cities to live in despite the presence of so many well-paid occupations.”
The Augusta area has a population of more than 616,000 people and the cost of living there is about 15.5% below the national average, Kiplinger said.
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A little bit higher on the list was Albany, Georgia, coming in at No. 9.
The small city is most well-known as being the hometown of the great Ray Charles.
“Although the unemployment rate runs a bit higher than the national average in Albany, the overall cost of living helps ease that pain. Folks spend nearly 17% less than the national average to reside in the metro area, thanks primarily to housing costs that run 40% below what the typical American pays,” Kiplinger said.
The cost of living in the Albany area is about 16.5% below the national average, Kiplinger said.
The overall cheapest place to live according to the study was Harlingen, Texas. To read the full list, CLICK HERE.
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