News | advice | area guide

Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You’d Actually Want to Live, 2017 Edition

Ah, the ever-exciting city life: It’s not everyone’s cup of mocha java. Cramped apartments go for mind-blowing prices, the daily stress and competition can be killers, a wayward cab just splashed gunk all over your Guccis, and that Knob Creek Manhattan you just ordered up to salve the pain (straight up, plenty of bitters, don’t forget the maraschino), cost more than most Americans spend on a nice meal. Subway cars reeking of urine, angry squeegee men, long lines for stupid things like Cronuts—is it all really worth it?

Hell, yeah! City life is thrilling, and full of endless opportunities and diversions. But what’s that you say? The whole shootin’ match isn’t for you?

We’re here to tell you that you can buy a free-standing home with a real backyard in a small town where you’ll actually know your neighbors—without breaking the bank. And we’re not talking about depressed areas where you can buy a house for a song (even a slightly off-key one). Nope, we’re talking about towns whose economies are humming along, so local services are plentiful and your chances of finding a paying gig are good.

The realtor.com® data team ranked more than 500 U.S. Census-designated micropolitan areas (i.e., communities with a population between 10,000 and 50,000) by median home price. We also factored in:

• low unemployment rates
• crime rates below the national average
• households that spend no more than 28% of their annual income on housing costs, so that they have enough left over for just about everything else. (This percentage is commonly accepted to be a healthy proportion.)

Turns out, leaving the perpetually burning city lights behind can really pay off. The median home prices of our top picks range from just $65,600 to $139,900—compared with the national median price of $250,000, or the $800,000 median price tag in San Francisco. We found the most livable small-town oases of affordability in 2017 to be clustered in the Midwest. Sorry, California beach dreamers or mavens of scenic Colorado ski towns—for the average American, homes there are way out of reach.

But does this mean you have to trade excitement for enervation? As the city-dwelling comedian Lenny Bruce once said, “I hate small towns, because once you’ve seen the cannon in the park, that’s it.” So we focused on life beyond the cannons—small towns offering up rich cultures and a surprising amount of fun side diversions.

So prepare yourself for the small towns you just might want to call home.

1. Mexico, MO

Median home price: $65,600

Unemployment rate: 3.6%

Despite its name, this town isn’t south of the border—so you might want to think twice about ordering that “authentic tableside-prepared guacamole” at the local diner. Shift your expectations! In fact, this is a surprise mecca for the arts, with no shortage of indigenous artists and ambitious local performances. The Presser Performing Arts Center provides a dazzling array of classes in art, dance, photography, theater, and writing. And they revel in their history here too, as evidenced by the annual “Walk Back in Time” festival, where locals don costumes and reenact daily life from the Colonial era all the way to World War II.

Not enough, you say? It’s also a great place for alpaca fans! On National Alpaca Day (yes, that’s a thing), Binder’s Hilltop Apple and Berry Farm opens up to visitors who can pick apples and pet the resident llamas—gently, though, the big guys have tempers.

When they’re done, residents can enjoy the rolling woodlands that offer Zen-like serenity. And they can revel in the low crime, enviously low unemployment, and insanely affordable homes in this little town about 100 miles east of St. Louis, MO.

With its central U.S. location and easy access by highway, rail, and air, Mexico also has a thriving distribution industry. It’s home to Brookstone Company’s distribution center and Home Decorators international order center.

Fun fact: Mexico is home to the annual Miss Missouri Pageant—where potential Miss Americas are crowned. What, you don’t like beauty pageants?

2. Guymon, OK

Median home price: $76,000

Unemployment rate: 3.1%

In the western swath of Oklahoma, Guymon is known as the home of the nation’s third-largest pork-processing plant. Seaboard Foods employs about 2,500 workers.

But it’s not just the pork industry bringing home the bacon. (Har!) Thanks to the nearby Hugoton natural gas field, the place also boasts a variety of jobs in oil, bio energy, and renewable energy.

And if you’re clinging to the less than ethnically diverse image of the place from the movie “Oklahoma!” you might be surprised by the multiculturalism of this small town. Guymon is home to refugees from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and Myanmar—many of whom came to work for Seaboard. It also bears the distinction of being the only town in the state with a majority of Hispanic residents, according to U.S. Census data.

“We have many subcultures here that people find energizing,” says Jada Breeden, executive director at the Guymon Chamber of Commerce. “We even have 32 different languages spoken at local schools.”

Fun fact: The Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2015. Nearly 1,000 cowboys and cowgirls compete in the rodeo each year.

3. Decatur, IN

Median home price: $81,900

Unemployment rate: 3.1%

Only 30 minutes from Fort Wayne, the second-largest city in Indiana, Decatur offers its residents homes on the cheap without much crime or traffic. Options range from pretty, older abodes downtown to newer developments on the outskirts of the town—at just a fraction of Fort Wayne prices.

“People love the savings they can have from living here,” says Eileen Eichhorn, owner of Eichhorn Jewelry, which opened in 1965. These days, with the rise of telecommuters, “you don’t have to live where you work.”

Residents can while away their time in the town’s dozen parks, including Bellmont Pond, a fantastic place for freshwater fishing.

Fun fact: Bowling is one of America’s time-proven justifications for drinking and eating artery-clogging food, and this town has more than a half dozen great lanes. You’ll have a personalized ball in no time.

4. Oskaloosa, IA

Median home price: $98,500

Unemployment rate: 3.4%

Those moving to Oskaloosa don’t have to give up life in the fast lane. Instead, they can check out the Southern Iowa Speedway, a dirt track that hosts weekly stock car races.

But those who do want to enjoy a slower pace of life can kick off their weekends with a late brunch at awesome family-owned restaurants like Brickhouse Cafe, or pass the time sitting in a lawn chair in City Square Park, listening to a surprisingly diverse selection of free concerts. Art lovers can stroll through Art on the Square, an art show with 70 local and nationally known artists.

“It just has that feel-like-home type of feeling,” says Deann DeGroot, of the Oskaloosa Area Chamber and Development Group. “Very friendly, very welcoming.”

Fun fact: The annual festival called “Sweet Corn Serenade” features a pedal tractor pull, pie-baking contest, and fresh-cooked sweet corn—for only 50 cents! Is that a bargain, or what?

5. Hereford, TX

Median home price: $98,900

Unemployment rate: 3.3%

When you set foot in Hereford, located in the Texas Panhandle, it doesn’t take long to confirm you’re in the “Beef Capital of the World.” More than a million cattle graze on rich pastures within 50 miles of Hereford, and toddlers wear bibs that read, “BEEF, it’s what’s for dinner.”

Those cows put dinner on the table in more ways than one—the town has an enviously low 3.3% unemployment rate. Give credit to the thriving dairy, grain farming, farm equipment sales, agricultural banking, and even animal nutrition industries.

When they’re not chowing down on oh-so-fresh burgers, residents can take a short drive to Palo Duro Canyon State Park, with more than 30 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, and Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where 300 species of migratory birds have been recorded.

Fun fact: A 1942 article in Collier’s magazine called Hereford the “town without a toothache,” after a Texas Department of Health report found that Hereford’s school children had the lowest rate of tooth decay in the country.

6. Worthington, MN

Median home price: $119,900

Unemployment rate: 3.6%

Nestled in the southwest corner of Minnesota, Worthington is a rural community with cosmopolitan flair. Walk down 10th Street—Worthington’s version of Main Street—and you’ll find taco shops, Asian groceries, and no shortage of classic American grills serving up juicy steaks.

“We have a population that represents the true America,” says Bradley Chapulis, the town’s director of community and economic development. “Those things that you experience in New York and Chicago, we have them here on a smaller scale.”

The town is home to JBS, the local pork-processing plant, which employs about 2,400 people.

Fun fact: To celebrate its many cultures, Worthington hosts its annual International Festival, featuring a talent contest, ethnic cuisines, and world music.

7. Malvern, AR

Median home price: $120,000

Unemployment rate: 3.6%

Did you know that Malvern’s nickname is the “Brick Capital of the World”? (We’re guessing you didn’t.) An abundance of clay deposits in the area has supported a thriving brick industry since the early 1890s. To celebrate its heritage, Brickfest is a 36-year-old festival with activities that include (watch out!) a brick toss, brick car derby, and a “brick-b-que” ribs cook-off. This is a place that’s proud of its history.

Acme Brick’s three plants are among Malvern’s top employers. Locals also find jobs at the Grapette soda plant, the timber company Weyerhaeuser, and the Pactiv food-packaging plant.

“There are a lot of small towns that entirely rely on manufacturing, but we are way more diverse,” says Lance Howell, executive director of the local Chamber of Commerce. “We have jobs in construction, manufacturing, service industry, health care.”

Just north of Malvern, the Ouachita River winds its way through the scenic mountains and forms a natural whitewater playground. The crystal-clear water draws experienced kayakers seeking epic adventures and novice paddlers looking for a leisurely float.

Fun fact: Malvern has 11 nationally registered historic places, including the Art Deco county courthouse and the Bank of Malvern, which has a masonry facade.

8. Ionia, MI

Median home price: $124,000

Unemployment rate: 3.5%

Ionia isn’t exactly the most popular destination for those who’ve gotten on the wrong side of the law. There are four state prisons in the southwest corner of the town—an industry that helps keep the town afloat. And safe!

To this rural community, prisons mean gigs, since they employ more than 1,000 people, according to Therese Thill, vice president of Right Place, an economic development organization in West Michigan.

For entertainment opportunities, it’s just a 40-minute drive from the state’s second-largest city, Grand Rapids.

Ionia is becoming a viable and highly desirable bedroom community. Realtor Lisa Coe from Five Star Real Estate moved there in 1985 after marrying her husband, who was born and raised in Ionia.

“It’s a good life in a small town,” she says. As for the prisons? “It’s not a big deal. It’s strange [to outsiders], but we just live our lives.”

Fun fact: The Ionia Free Fair has Michigan’s largest midway, with three performance stages, thrill rides, and activities like Ionia Idol. And hey, it’s free!

9. Wapakoneta, OH

Median home price: $127,500

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

The name “Wapakoneta” originated from the Shawnee Native American tribe. It loosely translates to “white cloth,” a term referring to its status as peaceful, neutral ground. That still rings true. Residents can spend hours roaming the brick facades downtown, lined with movie theaters, antique stores, and the Riverside Art Center, which hosts shows and classes.

Bonus: Both Wapakoneta Middle School and Elementary School received top ratings from GreatSchools.org, which ranks schools across the nation.

The area’s largest employer, truck manufacturer Crown Equipment Corporation, employs 2,400 workers.

Fun fact: Wapakoneta is the birthplace of the astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon. One small step! One giant leap!

10. Greensburg, IN

Median home price: $139,900

Unemployment rate: 3.2%

If you drive a Honda Civic, it was probably produced in Greensburg, located in southeast Indiana. In 2008, the first Civic rolled off the line in its new Greensburg facility, which now employs 2,900 people and produces 250,000 vehicles a year. GECOM, an auto parts manufacturer, has another 1,000 workers.

Greensburg is also a locavore’s dream. There are farms producing apples, peaches, pumpkins, and other vegetables. Ertel Cellars Winery makes wines from seven varieties of locally grown grapes. And Harper Valley Farms offers homegrown pork and beef cuts processed to local specifications. Who’s hungry?

High on our list of extracurricular activities: an antique tractor show, where huge farm machines made before 1959 show off their pulling power. Cool!  And if you ever miss the big city, a quick trip on the Interstate brings you to Cincinnati or Indianapolis.

Fun fact: The town got its nickname, “Tree City,” thanks to the trees growing on top of the tower on the county courthouse. They have been growing there since the 1870s.

* Data: realtor.com, Nielsen Demographics Pop-Facts™, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sperling’s Best Places

The post Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You’d Actually Want to Live, 2017 Edition appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

Source: Real Estate News and Advice – realtor.com » Real Estate News