10/18/2024

Moving From a High Cost Housing Area to a Lower Cost Area

Metropolitan Areas


Price per
Sq FtSep 2024% Lower
441Seattle100%
324Port Angeles, WA73%
279North Port Sarasota Bradenton, FL63%
212Chicago, IL48%
204Sioux Falls, SD46%
149South Bend Mishawaka IN34%
125Bloomington Normal IL28%
102Peoria IL23%
86Decatur IL19%
76Danville IL17%
70Macomb IL16%


A strategy for a retiree is to move from a high housing cost metro area to a lower cost area.   In the example above, Seattle is many times more expensive than some lower cost areas. The Midwest is now very affordable.

Of course the strategy for someone who is still working is different - they need a job, and the lower cost areas often have high unemployment.

A metro area with low cost housing could make the problem a virtue, encouraging people to move to their community. 


Data Excerpted From






TownRankPopulationCost of LivingAve HomeProperty TaxSales TaxMedian IncomeUnemploymentFood & GroceriesAvg CommuteViolent CrimeProperty CrimeComfort IndexFamilyFriendsDemocratRepublicanColumn1
Bloomington, IL78,372.0082.1$ 208,600.00$ 23.608.8%$ 69,003.005.5%96.115.872930.27NoYes44.5%45.8%
Bradenton, FL54,918.00104.6$ 368,200.00$ 7.807.0%$ 50,084.004.7%103.824.5729.349.26.9NoYes7.3%56.4%
Cedar Rapids, IA136,512.0081.8$ 184,900.00$ 18.607.0%$ 63,170.005.9%95.017.6419.953.66.9NoNo50.3%41.3%
East Lansing, MI47,427.0083.6$ 264,100.00$ 23.906.0%$ 41,177.003.7%95.615.6311.924.76.7NoYes59.9%33.2%
Macomb, IL15,681.0068.6$ 94,100.00$ 21.509.0%$ 22,588.005.3%92.412.1115.825.87.1NoNo40.2%51.7%
Madison, WI265,447.00103.4$ 337,500.00$ 20.605.5%$ 70,466.003.3%97.919.4316.741.66.7NoNo70.4%23.0%
Mishawaka, IN50,823.0079.0$ 164,200.00$ 10.707.0%$ 48,695.004.6%91.520.8313.471.16.6YesNo46.7%46.5%
Port Angeles, WA19,888.00102$ 415,900.00$ 8.807.4%$ 53,690.007.4%99.817.3628.565.66.9YesNo43.6%46.4%
Seattle, WA726,054.00158.1$ 823,900.00$ 8.004.8%$ 105,391.004.8%108.727.4632.376.97.5YesYes69.8%21.0%
Sioux Falls, SD18,258.0090.7$ 308,600.00$ 13.106.5%$ 66,761.003.2%100.116.8925.544.46.8YesNo39.1%53.7%
Champaign, IL88,343.0081.1$ 190,400.00$ 24.009.0%$ 52,687.004.9%95.015.6837.942.37.1NoNo54.7%36.4%
Lafayette, IN70,928.0083.5$ 198,500.00$ 6.907.0%$ 47,690.004.9%93.516.6729.662.57YesNo43.1%48.6%
United Statesn/a100$ 338,100.00$ 11.006.2%$ 69,021.006.0%100.026.3822.735.47n/an/a48.0%45.9%
Higher=








No comments: