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10 US Cities With Plenty of Jobs and Cheap Housing

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com

With many American families struggling with high rent, credit card debt and student loans, as well as a global pandemic, it might be difficult to find an affordable place to lay down roots. Finding a place to live with good-paying jobs and affordable housing is certainly a delicate balance. Many U.S. cities have one or the other, with American families assuming that a city with decent wages will come with high housing costs. But luckily, there are plenty of cities that offer the best of both worlds.

Find Out: 50 Cities Where It’s Cheaper To Buy a Home Than Rent

To identify cities in the U.S. that have plenty of jobs and cheap housing, GOBankingRates gathered information on the 200 biggest housing markets in the U.S., according to Zillow. We gathered data available regarding the typical home value and monthly rent as of March 2021, as well as the city's unemployment rate, according to the 2019 American Community Survey.

Discover: See the Full List of Money's Most Influential and More

The 10 cities in the final ranking have values lower than the U.S. national average in all of the above factors. Additional data on labor force participation and livability score was gathered from the American Community Survey and AreaVibes. All data was collected on and up to date as April 26, 2021.

Find out if your city has cheap housing and job opportunities.

Last updated: May 10, 2021

Amarillo, U.S.A. - May 21 2011: Texas, Route 66, the buildings of the city center
Amarillo, U.S.A. - May 21 2011: Texas, Route 66, the buildings of the city center

Amarillo, Texas

  • Typical home value: $152,694

  • Typical rent: $872

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 3.6%

  • Labor force participation rate: 67%

  • Median household income: $52,725

  • Livability score: 79

Ready To Invest? The Cost To Own a 3-Bedroom Home in Every State

Sioux Falls is the most populous city in the U.
Sioux Falls is the most populous city in the U.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

  • Typical home value: $245,835

  • Typical rent: $836

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 3%

  • Labor force participation rate: 74%

  • Median household income: $59,912

  • Livability score: 72

Buying a House? What Homes Will Be Worth in Your State by the End of 2021

Lubbock, Texas / USA - Circa September 2019 Various windmills in use on the Great Plains of America on display at the American Windmill Museum, in Lubbock , Texas.
Lubbock, Texas / USA - Circa September 2019 Various windmills in use on the Great Plains of America on display at the American Windmill Museum, in Lubbock , Texas.

Lubbock, Texas

  • Typical home value: $162,977

  • Typical rent: $924

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 3.7%

  • Labor force participation rate: 65%

  • Median household income: $50,453

  • Livability score: 74

Follow These: 28 House-Flipping Rules You Should Never Break

Little Rock, Arkansas, USA skyline on the river at twilight.
Little Rock, Arkansas, USA skyline on the river at twilight.

Little Rock, Arkansas

  • Typical home value: $161,633

  • Typical rent: $849

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 4.1%

  • Labor force participation rate: 66%

  • Median household income: $51,485

  • Livability score: 57

Learn More: The 50 Best Places To Buy a Home for Under $250,000

Lincoln, Nebraska skyline
Lincoln, Nebraska skyline

Lincoln, Nebraska

  • Typical home value: $224,609

  • Typical rent: $926

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 3.4%

  • Labor force participation rate: 72%

  • Median household income: $57,746

  • Livability score: 81

Avoid: 17 Dumb Home-Buying Mistakes That Hurt Your Wallet

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA cityscape in Bricktown at dusk.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA cityscape in Bricktown at dusk.

Oklahoma City

  • Typical home value: $158,473

  • Typical rent: $985

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 4.3%

  • Labor force participation rate: 67%

  • Median household income: $55,557

  • Livability score: 77

Find Out: 8 Insider Tips to Get Rich in Real Estate

skyline of down town Springfield Missouri
skyline of down town Springfield Missouri

Springfield, Missouri

  • Typical home value: $170,604

  • Typical rent: $817

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 4.9%

  • Labor force participation rate: 59%

  • Median household income: $36,856

  • Livability score: 63

Frozen pond in a park in downtown Omaha.
Frozen pond in a park in downtown Omaha.

Omaha, Nebraska

  • Typical home value: $227,180

  • Typical rent: $982

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 4.3%

  • Labor force participation rate: 70%

  • Median household income: $60,092

  • Livability score: 77

Kansas City, Missouri, USA – Aug.
Kansas City, Missouri, USA – Aug.

Kansas City, Missouri

  • Typical home value: $190,614

  • Typical rent: $1,078

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 4.8%

  • Labor force participation rate: 69%

  • Median household income: $54,194

  • Livability score: 59

Greenville, South Carolina at dusk
Greenville, South Carolina at dusk

Greenville, South Carolina

  • Typical home value: $228,536

  • Typical rent: $1,114

  • 2019 unemployment rate: 4.3%

  • Labor force participation rate: 69%

  • Median household income: $56,609

  • Livability score: 74

More From GOBankingRates

Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: To identify cities in the U.S. that have plenty of jobs and cheap housing, GOBankingRates gathered information on the 200 biggest housing markets in the United States, according to Zillow. To be considered for ranking, each city had to have data available on: (1) its March 2021 typical home value, according to Zillow (2) its March 2021 typical monthly rent, according to Apartment List and (3) its unemployment rate, according to the 2019 American Community Survey. The 10 cities in the final ranking have values lower than the U.S. national average in all three of the above factors. The highlighted cities then were scored on all three factors and ranked against each other, with factors (1) and (2) carrying half as much weight as factor (3). Supplemental information also was provided on each city's labor force participation rate (for the population 16 and older), median household income from the 2019 American Community Survey and livability score from AreaVibes. All data was collected on and up to date as of April 26, 2021.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 US Cities With Plenty of Jobs and Cheap Housing

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