Ohio City Named Top-3 Most Affordable in America

Affordable seems to be more of a relative term these days. Inflation has hit us all pretty hard, making recovering from the pandemic even more difficult than it was set to be in the first place. Still, it's not a bad idea to take advantage of some fairly advantageous opportunities if they are available to you. If that means moving to a more affordable city, so be it.

Naturally, moving isn't a reasonable possibility for everyone - and again, affordability is relative. A city can be affordable if for no other reason than the cost of goods and homes is low because people in that city simply don't make a lot of money. Giving up pay to live where things are technically cheaper doesn't exactly fit with many people's view of affordable.

Nonetheless, one city in Ohio is trying to make a comeback after watching much of its industry jobs pack up over the years and has in turn been named one of America's most affordable cities. According to USNews.com data, Youngstown, Ohio, is the second most affordable place to live in America.

Now, that comeback is a process. The last time I was writing about Youngstown, it wasn't in the most positive light. But, for the average American, Youngstown might fit the framework of affordability.

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With over 500,000 people living in the Youngstown metro area averaging a salary of $45,090, the area is far from the lap of luxury. However, drives to Cleveland, Columbus or Pittsburgh for entertainment and bigger city living are reasonable enough to maybe enjoy comfortable living in Northeast Ohio. With just 20.29% of income going toward living expenses for Youngstown, residents can stretch their dollars further, under the right circumstances.

Two other Ohio cities joined Youngstown on the top 25 most affordable cities in the US. Dayton landed at No. 22 with income spent on living expenses at 21.34% off a $54,950 average salary. Toledo was one spot higher, averaging 21.71% of income spent on living expenses on an average salary of $50,710.