In 2009, Oklahoma was ranked with the lowest cost of living by the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, and as the state with the fourth-lowest total tax burden in the US.
This southwestern state is considered cheap to live in because of its affordable housing whether you are renting or buying, low tax burden and reasonable salary levels.
Reasons why you should consider this place
Within Oklahoma, the city of Tulsa (the second largest in the state) is often highlighted as one of the cheapest cities to live in, with a reasonable cost of living. It is also considered an attractive place to stay, due to its low crime levels, low unemployment rates, thousands of acres of scenic parks and trails and good entertainment and sporting venues.
The average house price in Tulsa was $154,800 in 2009.
compare this to the average of $1,337,578 in Boston and $461,432 in San Diego and you can see that buying a home in Oklahoma is a good deal.
Other Cheap State
All surveys and research into the cost of living in the US conclude that the cheapest places to live are in the Midwest or Southern part of the country. After Oklahoma, Texas is the second cheapest state to live in, and Tennessee is the third cheapest state to live in.
If you are interested in living in other parts of the country, Washington is considered to be one of the cheapest places or a cheap state to live on the West coast, as it has no personal or business income taxes.
New Hampshire in the Northeast is another state that offers a reasonably low cost of living; there is no income or sales tax and housing is affordable.
Naturally the low cost of living in these areas must be taken into account as part of the bigger picture. While it is great to find cheap housing, you might not want to sacrifice access to social services or health-care, or live somewhere with a high rate of crime or unemployment.
Quality of life has to be high on your list of requirements as well as a low cost of living. The key is to do plenty of research and perhaps compile a list of pros and cons for each state.
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