San Antonio is one of the several cities within the Lone Star State that offer unique attractions, and affordability for tourists. If you are thinking about moving to Texas you ought to know which towns provide not only affordable living standards but also good living conditions as well. Reading this article you will find the information about the top ten cheapest cities for living in Texas.
1. Amarillo
Amarillo is a city in the northern region of Texas, characterized by the easy access of today’s comfort but still maintaining the feel of a rural town. The cost of living index is 84.4, and this means that living in this country can be considered as cheap. Some destinations for the people to go and visit in and around this city include the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum, and the Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Amarillo also has lots of fairs and festivals which are annually held such as the Texas Mountain Trail and the Amarillo Renaissance Arts & Music Festival.
2. Irving
Irving is one of the cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area with a cost of living index of 91.4. Irving is within the vicinity of the metropolitan area, but gets to present the population with affordable homes and a close-knit neighborhood. Some of the best known are the Mustangs of Competition Ranch, the equestrian sports that the city hosts and the Irving Arts Center that maintains galleries, theaters, and classes for the city’s population.
3. Laredo
Laredo is in South Texas and is at the border and the cost of living here is 89.9. This is still an inexpensive area, and the economy there is largely based on overseas commerce, and the inhabitants are quite varied. The people can go for Nature walks at the Lake Casa Blanca International State Park or visit the historical San Agustin Cathedral. There are also several fairs celebrated in Laredo, for example the Laredo International Sara Gourmet Festival and the Laredo Mariachi Festival.
4. Denton
It is a university town situated in the north of Dallas, with the cost of living index of 93.2. North Texas is home to the University of North Texas and is active in arts and music. Denton is also an independent city with good music and arts, a large number of boutiques, and various restaurants that are locally owned. Still, residents can go for walks in the parks or take a stroll through the picturesque nature trails located within the city or take a trip to Lake Ray Roberts a little outside the city.
5. Mesquite
Mesquite is a city situated in the Dallas-Fort Worth urban area of Texas and its cost of living index is 90.2. However, Mesquite as a city within the metropolitan area provides low-cost housing and its residents embrace each other. Some of the facilities include the Mesquite Championship Rodeo that has been in existence since the 1970s, there are several parks and recreation centers in the city to enable the people to have physical activities.
6. Midland
Midland is a city in the middle of the Permian Basin and boasts a cost of living index of 84.3. This aspect makes the city’s economy to be informed by job opportunities derived from the oil and gas industries hence making it affordable and experiencing steady job creation. People can go for outdoor activities at the Centennial Museum and the I-20 Wildlife Preserve and Jenna Welch Nature Study Center. Midland also has few attractions and festivals; the renowned one is PradaMarfa and the yearly Chili Cook-off event.
Why Choose a Cheap City to Live in?
One important factor to consider once when searching for a house to Lease is the cost of living. The oil-rich state of Texas is lush in culture and economy, and manifold lifestyle conditions embrace several cheap cities for living in. In this article, I will explain why one should select the cheapest city within Texas within which to reside.
Cost of Living
The cost of living is commonly defined as the sum of wages necessary to finance a particular type of existence in certain territory. This includes housing, transportation, food, transport costs, utilities, cost of healthcare, and so on. Perhaps, cost of living is somewhat lower in some of these components and this, coupled with the limited funding, makes living easier for many people, particularly those with a fixed income or staying in financial difficulties.
Several things that one needs to keep in mind upon deciding on which city to choose.
Affordability is one of the key criteria to consider when choosing the city, and there are few important aspects to consider. These include:
1. Housing Costs: This element is often the largest portion of its price. The costs related to housing very much depend on the city, varying from the simple rental or a mortgage.
2. Taxes: Taxes in states and localities may contribute to the general cost of living. However, some cities have low taxes thus they are cheap for the same.
3. Groceries and Food: Groceries or even food are expensive or cheaper depending on the city one is living or travelling to. Decreased price levels affecting food h Basket of foods that cost less may lead to a low cost of living.
4. Transportation: Other factors such as transportation costs, especially fuel cost, cost of using public means, and the general maintenance costs of the car may also differ from one city to another. This is because lower cost of transport from place a to place b can make the general cost of living low.
5. Utilities: Other expenses, which are Classified under utility expenditure, such as the cost of electricity, water, and Gas also can influence the cost of living. One of the works may require lower utility consumption in cities than the others.
6. Healthcare: To some extent this is true because in some cities, the costs of healthcare and health insurance can be expensive to even cheaper in comparison with other cities. Availability of quality and affordable health care forms part of the cost of living.
Currently, the list of the cheapest way for living in Texas is as follows;
Mission in Hidalgo County is one of the most affordable places to live in the state of Texas. Convenient to save that cost of living in Mission is one of the lowest within the country.
A. Housing Costs
For Mission, the average home value is $123500; the median value for the Texas state is $189000. Furthermore, the Median rent in Mission is about $850 30 both of which are considerably lower than the state Median rent of $1,195 30. These are some of the lower costs of housing, which make it possible for Mission to be relatively cheaper.
B. Taxes
Mission incorporated assesses property taxation at 2.24% below the state mean 1.81%. However, the sales tax in Mission which is at 8.25% is slightly higher than the average, 6.25% being the state’s sales tax plus 2% being the local sales tax. The total taxes imposed remains manageable compared to other cities found in this state of Texas.
C. Groceries and Food
Another Pointer to Mission’s affordability is that the cost of groceries in this city is equally low than the state average. Currently, it costs a family of four a total of $3,748 a year on groceries, which is cheaper than the average rate in the state, which is $4,278 per year.
D. Transportation
The transportation costs are also considered to be fairly low in Mission mainly because of the proximity to major highways and adequate systems of public transport. This makes it cheap for the residents to move around, visit or transact business in the city or in other regions.
E. Utilities
Other overhead expenses in Mission are also less than in the rest of Texas. Ohio tenants pay an average of $179 for electricity, water and gas expenses and Kenyon’s Mission tenants pay about $146 per month.
F. Healthcare
There are several healthcare facilities in Mission such as a hospital and several clinics that offer inexpensive care to the people of Mission.
Conclusion
Here is, therefore, a list of best and rather cheap cities to live in within Texas; If you want to buy a house on the shore, live in a university city, or have quick access to major city services and conveniences, you will easily find a cheap house in Texas. Perhaps, it is high time to consider one of these 10 cities the best place for you to live in Texas.