17 Cheapest States to Live in the US for Families

We present you the list of the cheapest states to live in the US for families. This type of list can be very helpful for choosing the location of your new home. Family life can be expensive, and by purchasing a home in a more affordable state, you will be able to provide more for your family and save enough money for your kids’ college fund.

You can find several similar lists on Insider Monkey. For example, the list of the Cheapest States to Live in the US for Seniors, which takes into consideration the unique needs of senior citizens and can be very helpful for people who are planning to retire.

Calculating the affordability of states through the family life perspective proved to be quite hard. Families are consisted of at least two people, with unique and sometimes even conflicting needs. We decided to start our research with the most credible expenses survey in the United States.

The latest Cost of Living Data Series research conducted by the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center encompasses expenses data from all American states. The latest research has been done in the first quarter of 2017, and it has taken into consideration the six most important costs. These include Utilities, Groceries, Housing, Transportation, Health and Miscellaneous Expenses. The final calculation provided a unique cost of living index for each state.

The results of Cost of Living Data Series research, for the first quarter of 2017, are not much different from the ones from previous years. They prove the Midwestern and Southern states are the most affordable places to live in the United States, while Hawaii, Alaska, California and Northwestern states are traditionally the most expensive ones. We have taken this research as a basis for creating our list. Still, we also needed to calculate some other costs that are important to families.

We have also taken into consideration the price of child care and college education in each state. To calculate this, we used the data issued by two popular US magazines. The Time has ranked American states to determine the best and the worst places to live for a low-cost college education, while the Boston Globe has created a similar list that ranks US states according to the average costs of child care.

The methodology is very important for creating this type of surveys. If we had given the same credibility to all three surveys, our list would give an advantage to the college and child care over all other expenses an average family is paying on a regular basis.

On our list of cheapest states to live in the US for families, each state ranked among the first 17 in the Cost of Living Data Series Research has received the number of points that is reversely proportional to their ranking. This number was then multiplied by ten because these expenses are much more important for family’s everyday life than the child care and college costs. Many parents look after their kids by themselves or don’t send them to colleges after they grow up. In the end, we have summed up these points with the ones that are reversely proportional to the ranking on Time’s and Boston Globe’s lists. This way we have created a unique ranking that gives us the insight in the cheapest states to live in the US for families.

17. Utah

Score: 35;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #17;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $55,593;

Average annual cost of child care: $7,860;

The population of Utah is constantly increasing. This state is a very good place for raising children. It has the lowest child poverty and divorce rates in the country. Utah is well known for its incredible scenery and offers great places for child amusement, and various outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, boating, and snowboarding. As you can see from our list college, child care and other living expenses in Utah are slightly below the national average.

 

16. Nebraska

Score: 40;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #16;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $66,838;

Average annual cost of child care: $7,797;

Nebraska that ended up on the 16th spot on our list of cheapest states to live in the US for families is a sparsely populated state. It features a very wide variations between winter and summer temperatures, with possible tornados and other wild storms. Still, it is a great place for peaceful family living, especially if you like the prairie scenery. Nebraska has a very affordable housing, which is one of the reasons why it has received such a high ranking on the Cost of Living Data Series list. The transportation is also very cheap, but since a large portion of the state is almost uninhabited, most outdoor areas are only reachable by a car.

 

15. Ohio

Score: 48;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #14;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $90,898;

Average annual cost of child care: $8,482;

‘The Buckeye state’ is far up north, which makes it colder than most other states on our list. It also features amazing natural sites, especially around the Lake Eire, Ohio River, and Cuyahoga Valley. Cities like Cleveland and Cincinnati are great places for raising a family. They are not as big as the cities on the East and West Coast, but they have well-developed cultural institutions, education centers, and affordable health care.

 

14. Louisiana

Score: 58;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #15;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $65,824;

Average annual cost of child care: $5,574;

Next up on the list of cheapest states to live in the US for families is Louisiana that is one of the most vibrant US states, with a unique culture, warm climate and the tastiest and the most diverse local cuisines. The state is also good for family life. Cities like New Orleans, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge offer good schools and healthcare systems. Still, in Louisiana, more than 20% of children live in high-poverty neighborhoods, and the state features very high school drop rate according to the data that Annie E. Casey Foundation has provided to the CNN.

 

13. Iowa

Score: 63;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #13;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $70,714;

Average annual cost of child care: $9,053;

The biggest part of Iowa is rural land, covered with corn and soybean fields. Although Iowa doesn’t offer great universities or the highest level of cultural enrichment, it is inhabited by friendly people, who enjoy good-quality local food and pleasant climate. When it comes to education, Ames is the home of Iowa State University, which is one of the highest ranked school institutions in the Midwest.

 

12. Kansas

Score: 70;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #12;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $72,770;

Average annual cost of child care: $10,518;

Although Kansas, next on the list of cheapest states to live in the US for families has a very high average cost of childcare, it is still one of the most affordable US states. Kansas offers incredible career opportunities for engineers since some the biggest American aerospace firms are located in this state. Peaceful Kansas City’s suburbs like Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa and Johnson County are known as the counties with the highest income (per capita) in the United States. Since families in Kansas can enjoy both high salaries and affordable living, this state is one of the most desired places for family living.

11. Idaho

Score: 98;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #11;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $59,419;

Average annual cost of child care: $5,969;

The tuition costs for Idaho colleges are close to the national average, and the state offers top quality child care services at a very low cost. Idaho has incredible wilderness and lots of places for family camping. The biggest metropolitan area in the state is Boise, the city which offers great career opportunities for IT and other tech experts. Moscow is the home of Ohio State University and a great place for a peaceful family living since it can be viewed as a unique combination of rural community and a college town.

 

10. Alabama

Score: 101;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #10;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $85,229;

Average annual cost of child care: $5,467;

Alabama doesn’t have the most affordable colleges in the US, but it is the state with very affordable housing and reasonable child care prices. Alabama is known for its incredible scenery and has a lot of things to offer to parents, who like to take their kids outdoors.

 

9. Indiana

Score: 101;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #9;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $81,205;

Average annual cost of child care: $8,073;

Although Indiana doesn’t offer an affordable education or child care, it has many family friendly communities. Counties like Fisher, Westfield, and Granger have solid family income growth and affordable housing and utilities. Most of these communities are within a commuting distance from the biggest urban centers, like Indianapolis. In spite of being close to big cities, Indiana suburbs feature peaceful surroundings and incredibly low child poverty rate.

 

8. Texas

Score: 109;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #8;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $79,467;

Average annual cost of child care: $8,495;

Texas is maybe not the first state that comes to mind when you mention a family life. Still, it is a financially thriving state, with great outdoors, lots of high-paid jobs, modest prices and plenty of communities that are ideal for young families. The suburbs around the big metropolitan centers like Houston and Austin offer the best quality public schools and the highest median income. Most of these suburbs are rapidly growing and hosting young couples from all over the country.

7. Missouri

Score: 123;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #7;

Total estimated college tuition, plus taxes: $75,451;

Average annual cost of child care: $8,320;

Although St. Louis is known for its rough neighborhoods and police brutality, most suburbs located around the cities and bigger towns in Missouri are peaceful neighborhoods with clean streets and lush greenery. As you can see from our data, Missouri universities charge average tuition costs, while the cost of child care is somewhat higher than in surrounding states. Still, there are plenty of counties in Missouri where you will find high paid jobs, and good public school systems.

6. Georgia

Score: 139;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #6;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $72,847;

Average annual cost of child care: $7,228;

We are continuing the list of cheapest states to live in the US for families with Georgia that is a very diverse state. It has everything, big metropolitan areas, mountains, forests, beaches and tasty homegrown organic produce. Some of the best suburbs for family life can be found in Augusta. This city is a bustling financial center with excellent healthcare and education and many family-friendly outdoor festivals.

 

 

5. Michigan

Score: 143;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #4;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $107,180;

Average annual cost of child care: $10,114;

Michigan that ranks 5th on our list of cheapest states to live in the US for families is among the most expensive states when it comes to college tuition fees and childcare. Still, it has taken the very high position on the ‘Cheapest States to live in the US for Families’ list, due to incredibly affordable housing. This was the direct consequence of the 2008 Economic crash when both inner city and suburb neighborhoods got almost deserted.

4. Tennessee

Score: 150;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #5;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $76,865;

Average annual cost of child care: $5,857;

Affordable childcare and a good education system in some Tennessee communities attract couples with young children from all over the country. Towns like Collierville and Greenville feature beautiful architecture and plenty of small local businesses. Tennessee also has two highly rated universities, the Tennessee Tech and East Tennessee State University.

 

3. Oklahoma

Score: 174;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #3;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $62,052;

Average annual cost of child care: $7,480;

Oklahoma, the next state on the list of cheapest states to live in the US for families is the place where you will find some of the most affordable universities in the US and incredibly low housing expenses. Vast uninhabited plains offer great opportunities for outdoor excursions, and there are also Wichita Mountains, which host a unique wildlife refuge. Although Oklahoma is not one of the states known for great education, some of the suburbs surrounding Oklahoma City do have an exceptionally good public school system.

 

 

 2. Arkansas

Score: 184;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #2;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $68,102;

Average annual cost of child care: $5,894;

We are continuing our list of cheapest states to live in the US for families with Arkansas that stretches from the Ozarks to the Mississippi River and offers an incredible landscape diversity. Vast natural resources give residents easy access to various outdoor activities and recreation. Small towns like Bentonville (where the Walmart headquarters is located), Greenwood and Lowell, offer high paid jobs, good public school systems, golf courses and lots of parks for picnicking, recreation and relaxation.

 

1. Mississippi

Score: 202;

Ranking on Cost of Living Data Series list: #1;

Average college tuition, plus taxes: $61,749;

Average annual cost of child care: $4,863;

It is no wonder that Mississippi took the first place on our list of the cheapest states to live in the US for families list since it has the lowest average annual cost of child care in the whole country. Housing is also very affordable, and when it comes to the average utility costs, only the residents of New Mexico and Montana, pay less. Although it is often overlooked by families searching for a new home, the state offers the most affordable living, plenty of organic produce and rich hospitality. Towns like Madison, Hernando, and Petal, have incredibly good schools, which can easily compete with some of the best high and elementary schools in the United States.