Screengrab: cbsnews.com
Fayetteville was one of two cities in Arkansas to be named in a list of the least expensive cities to live in around the U.S.
The Council for Community and Economic Research, a nonprofit group that provides information on local economic trends, recently compared the cost of living in 306 urban areas in the country.
Based on the price of housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services, CBS’ Moneywatch put together a list of the ten cheapest places to live.
Citing an overall cost of living as being 15.4 percent lower than the national average, Moneywatch named Fayetteville as the No. 4 least expensive city to live in. Besides modest average home prices and relatively inexpensive food costs, the list notes that a trip to the movies is over $3 cheaper per ticket in Fayetteville, compared to New York City.
Conway, Ark. was listed as No. 8 with a 13.8 percent lower cost of living than the national average.
10 cheapest places to live in the U.S.
1. Harlingen, Texas
2. Memphis, Tenn.
3. McAllen, Texas
4. Fayetteville, Ark.
5. Ardmore, Okla.
6. Temple, Texas
7. Ashland, Ohio
8. Conway, Ark.
9. Pueblo, Colo.
10. Pryor Creek, Okla.
Fayetteville is a bargain! Thanks to Eureka Pizza and their $3.99 large pizzas. In California even a crappy pizza was $10.
Unless you park on Dickson Street.
Holy Toll Booth Batman!
Can we get OFF the parking on Dickson Street thing!?! For crying out loud, doesn’t anyone remember that before the “beautification” project it was all paid parking on Dickson Street? They took out the meters when they rebuilt the sidewalks, etc. and it wasn’t that long ago! People keep talking like this was some kind of sinister, diabolical plan to put everyone on Dickson out of business, and that everything was sweetness and light before the paid parking on Dickson Street destroyed the world for all who believe everything in the world should be provided to them free of charge.
Granted, some of the lots before were still free, but you never got to park in them because they were always taken by commuters or others who camped their cars in them for days on end.
And you had to pay in the private lots as well, along with dealing with the predatory towing.
I really don’t understand why people don’t remember the bad old days of trying to find parking on or around Dickson Street. I will admit, the new system has had its issues, but overall it’s an improvement. It will provide the revenue necessary to REALLY improve the parking situation in the area in the future.
This is really a non-issue. Except for those who believe they should get a free ride on everything, and listen to anyone who will tell them only what they want to hear.
jmo
still cheaper to park than most places
Cheaper than most major cities perhaps, but Fayetteville is NOT a major city.
Yet in this region most young couples are forced to move to one of its neighboring towns because Fayetteville is no longer affordable. When I bought a house, I didn’t even bother looking in Fayetteville – it was impossible to find anything below $125,000 that wasn’t a dllapidated junkheap.
You either 1) didn’t look hard enough or 2) had a bad real estate agent
DG, he didnt even bother looking; probably because he heard that the housing police were “forcing” young couples to move elsewhere.
Derp. I did look and quit after two weeks. What else could explain why so many young couples movied to the outskirts? Because they love the horrible traffic?
Fayetteville is a wonderful town, but housing is WAY overpriced.
I don’t think anybody considers $125k to be expensive. Do they? Try finding something liveable for less than $200k in most cities. That’s why Fayetteville made the list.
In my opinion giving up after 2 weeks is the reason you didn’t find anything. I’ve been closely watching the market for the past 4 years and I’ve seen plenty of steals for less than $125k..heck even less than $100k. Got to love when people give up and then complain when they don’t get the results they want..you gotta put a little more time in your search if your going to find deals, they get scooped up too quickly.
Derke – not true I bought a house off Highway 16 and paid 87,500 and has a huge lot – way less than $125.000.
I think you’ll find that as you get closer to schools/entertainments/amenities/parks, the price goes up. When you get out to the outskirts of town and into Johnson/Farmington/Elkins, the price goes way down. While I also believe that 125K is dirt cheap for a house, you obviously have different parameters and that’s ok. On the other hand, I can walk to Dickson, the UA, Marvin’s, IGA, Wilson Park and around my neighborhood while you have to literally drive everywhere to go anywhere. It’s all about your priorities and what you’re comfortable with.
And Fayetteville is way better than the other cheap cities on that list.
I dunno…. Harlingen was listed as Americas funkiest city back in 2005…
glutenfree, were you being sarcastic or something when you said that no one considers $125K expensive? Because that price is out of reach for many people.
No, I was not being sarcastic.
The ranking was done nationwide, and in the U.S., the number of people who would consider a $125k home to be “expensive” is very low.
Fayetteville has a good school district, cultural events and activities, and its still what most people around the U.S. consider to be affordable. $125k in Atlanta or Kansas City gets you very little, generally in a very shady, crime-ridden area.
I guess it depends on your perspective and how many other cities you have visited or lived in.
I bought a house in Minneapolis for $157,000 a few years ago. I looked for something under $150, but everything I was seeing should have actually been condemned, not on the market. $125,000 is super cheap compared most of the country.
Nationally, very few people would think 125K was expensive for a house. Nationally, you’d find that 125K gets you very little and in a crap neighborhood, far away from points of interest. Unless you’re house hunting in Detroit, but then you have to live there.
I love my hometown!
Who knew that Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, was a city?
I’m from the Rio Grande Valley where Harlingen and McAllen are located. They are utter crap. Also, they have some of the lowest wages in the country all around poverty is high.
*and poverty is high.
I wish I could edit a comment, unless I don’t see how we can do that.
If you think this place is cheap, try living in my hometown of fabulous Pine Bluff. Now thats a steal, and I don’t mean that fact that your car might get stolen.
I sent this story to the flyer weeks ago!!!
@Cw I knew someone told us about this a while back, but I forgot until someone else mentioned it this week. Thanks!
Not a good list to be on, cheap places are usually places where nobody actually wants to live. Only other city on this list that can compete with Fayetteville is Memphis, which is of course radically different.
Also lists like this are generally crap, they’re put together in an hour by junior writers over lunch drinks.
I want to put together lists over lunch drinks!
Especially if they can be charged to an expense account.
Shoot– I’d settle for lunch with no drinks.
Far as i can see housing prices are the only thing lower in Fayetteville here than most other places. Utilities, services, medical, food, cars, durable goods are all same or even higher than in many really large cities.
and the only reason $125K isn’t considered cheap here is because the wage scale is so low. our spot on anyway this list is probably sponsored by the chamber.