(NEXSTAR) — Any time you’re looking for a home or new place to live, several factors play a role in your decision. How are the schools? What’s the downtown life like? Is there a Walmart nearby? But we can probably agree that two of the biggest factors in your decision are likely safety and cost.
Thanks to some research from personal finance site MoneyGeek, we may have some guidance for you.
To find out which cities are both “safe” and “affordable,” MoneyGeek analyzed the safest small and mid-to-large cities in the U.S. Then they factored in the following stats: recent changes in median household income, the monthly mortgage cost as a percentage of household income, and the monthly food costs as a percentage of household income.
For mid-sized and large cities, Illinois makes the list thanks to the city of Joliet. Located just an hour outside of Chicago, Joliet finished with a score of 90 and has seen income rise significantly over the past five years, by about 32%, according to MoneyGeek.
Another mid-to-large city near Illinois that made the list was Fishers, Indiana, which finished ranked 14.
As for smaller cities, no Illinois cities made the top 15 list, but two cities in neighboring states did. The first was Farmington Hills, Michigan, which ranked 12, and the other was St. Charles, Missouri, which was ranked 15.
As for other states that stood out, California had multiple cities – both big and small – score highly. But the Golden State isn’t exactly known for being “affordable.” The reason the safe Bay Area cities like San Mateo, Milpitas, and Fremont ranked so highly in MoneyGeek’s analysis is because the pricey locales have such high median incomes, that the cost of a mortgage still qualifies as “affordable” to those who already own homes there. Food prices also make up a small piece of residents’ median incomes.
Here’s how the data breaks down in MoneyGeek’s analysis:
15 Best Small Cities for Safety and Affordability
| City | Final Score | 5-Year Income % Change | Monthly Mortgage as a % of Income | Monthly Food Costs as a % of Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Roswell, GA | 100 | 57.2% | 22.2% | 8.9% |
| 2. Johns Creek, GA | 99 | 35.0% | 20.5% | 7.8% |
| 3. Edmond, OK | 89 | 47.9% | 22.7% | 11.2% |
| 4. Mansfield, TX | 88 | 34.7% | 24.2% | 9.7% |
| 5. San Mateo, CA | 87 | 47.4% | 28.9% | 8.7% |
| 6. Milpitas, CA | 85 | 32.7% | 26.1% | 8.1% |
| 7. North Port, FL | 80 | 46.4% | 21.2% | 14.7% |
| 8. O’Fallon, MO | 77 | 22.6% | 19.1% | 11.2% |
| 9. Alpharetta, GA | 77 | 20.1% | 22.8% | 8.9% |
| 10. Missouri City, TX | 77 | 32.9% | 24.3% | 11.4% |
| 11. Rogers, AR | 76 | 35.1% | 21.9% | 14.1% |
| 12. Farmington Hills, MI | 75 | 26.6% | 22.1% | 11.3% |
| 13. Hoover, AL | 74 | 22.8% | 22.2% | 11.2% |
| 14. Layton, UT | 74 | 31.2% | 21.3% | 13.8% |
| 15. St. Charles, MO | 74 | 35.0% | 23.1% | 13.8% |
15 Best Mid-to-Large Cities for Safety and Affordability
| City | Final Score | 5-Year Income % Change | Monthly Mortgage as a % of Income | Monthly Food Costs as a % of Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Westminster, CO | 100 | 58.1% | 24.6% | 13.6% |
| 2. Surprise, AZ | 98 | 47.1% | 21.0% | 14.2% |
| 3. Thornton, CO | 96 | 36.4% | 24.7% | 13.1% |
| 4. Arvada, CO | 96 | 34.6% | 25.8% | 12.5% |
| 5. Joliet, IL | 90 | 32.3% | 25.1% | 13.6% |
| 6. Carmel, IN | 89 | 18.6% | 20.2% | 9.1% |
| 7. Bellevue, WA | 88 | 26.9% | 27.6% | 9.0% |
| 8. Rio Rancho, NM | 87 | 48.9% | 21.0% | 16.2% |
| 9. Centennial, CO | 87 | 19.1% | 22.7% | 10.9% |
| 10. Fremont, CA | 86 | 27.6% | 28.7% | 8.5% |
| 11. Chandler, AZ | 85 | 28.4% | 22.5% | 14.0% |
| 12. Santa Clara, CA | 82 | 37.5% | 34.0% | 8.7% |
| 13. Overland Park, KS | 81 | 22.3% | 25.0% | 12.2% |
| 14. Fishers, IN | 81 | 10.2% | 18.1% | 9.4% |
| 15. West Jordan, UT | 81 | 28.3% | 22.6% | 14.5% |
Some things to factor in when looking at small and mid-to-large cities include that the violent crime rate in large cities can be nearly double that of small cities, according to MoneyGeek. But in the U.S. as a whole, violent crime is going down, according to the FBI, which reported that violent crime was 1.7% lower in 2022 than in 2021.
As for the cost of living in the U.S., the government reported that prices rose 0.3% from December to January, up from 0.1% in the previous month. Year over year, prices were up 2.4%, which is lower inflation than years prior. Prices are still rising, but not at the pace it has been in the last couple of years.
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