That's a hard question to answer since many different areas within the same state have different economics. If you are thinking of moving to another state then your best bet is to visit the US Census Bureau at: http://www.census.gov/ and look for information on the states you are interested in.

The state of poverty...hahahaha Actually it appears to be Arkansas which is like 87.9 % of the national average. Check out the info at this site for further information: http://www.ded.mo.gov/researchandplanning/indicators/cost_of_living/index.stm

Nevada is very popular due to zero taxes (property or state income), the great climate, good school systems state wide and the amazing surroundings (mountians, etc.). Lots of retired folks are choosing Nevada over Florida. Who would know better, or be more concerned about cost of living then folks on a fixed income?

Regarding the Nevada comment, there are no state income taxes. There are however property taxes which are based on 1% of the home value per year.... Colorado had income tax and property tax, but you can buy a 1/2 million dollar log home on 36 acres and only pay $900/year on property tax... this is a huge savings! My brother wants me to move to Nevada as it would be cheaper for me, but I would be paying HUGE property taxes to save on state sales tax... I wish someone could run the numbers on this for a mid income family..... Mama Bear

http://www.bobbrinker.com/taxes.asp This link gives the state income tax rate, state by state for the US. It does not cover property tax or sales taxes....

Arkansas,Oklahoma,Texas then Mississippi gas in OK is the cheapest and you can rent an apartment for 250-365 for one bedroom. Texas no state tax a tag in Ok is about 22 to 61 for tag on car. Ms is prorated new vechicle 700 for tag food in restaurants are cheaper in Ok,TX too. you can have a mexican dinner for two 16 bucks. better roads in TX Ok not so good. MS worst drivers in country. Arkansas very cheap to buy a house. 30 75 for wood floor and two bedroom house even near Little Rock area. also, Ok has the new stand your ground law like Florida you can kill a person outside your home now...about time. no tag on trailer in state OK. Florida you have to tag everything. not sure on TX,MS drivers license about 24.50 without motorcycle or CDL is about 70 bucks in OK...Florida 75 for CDL license but Arizona has the best DL until 65 it's good. also you can carry a gun on you in AZ wild west thing. but land is expensive near Phoenix and Kingmen AZ Maryanne72856

For retirees, Alabama is the hands down favorite. Property taxes are the lowest in the nation. Retirement income, if on a defined pension plan, is excluded from state income taxes. Social security income is also excluded. Property taxes for residents over 65 may be non-existent. Electric utility rates in the northern tier of counties is provided by TVA and are as low as anywhere in the nation. And it has a mild climate. Sakulin

I think Iowa and Utah

iowa

Oklahoma the cheapest nice apartment is $380 But you have to dig to find it. Most apartments you have to pay electric atleast. Gas Prices A couple days ago was 3.19 now 3.09. I am pretty sure we have the best not to mention easiest goverment help system to cheat. you can get a two bedroom apt for 20 dollars a month. then 300 dollars in foodstamps a month and much more. I have never done it but i know people who have. Oh and minimum wage is 5.50 but it is easy to find a 10.00 dollar job here and all that required is a GED

Youngstown, OH is the cheapest affordable housing city in USA according to the 3 Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey for 2007. See here: http://www.demographia.com/dhi-ix2005q3.pdf Other super cheap housing markets (from my research of decent sized suburb cities) include: Greenville, SC Villa Ricca, GA (& western suburbs of atlanta, ga) Gastonia, NC (suburbs of charlotte, nc) Winston-Salem or Greensboro, NC. Fort Worth/Dallas TX. My top picks would be to choose a suburb near a major city like charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA or Fort Worth, TX - these cities have everything you could need of a big city while having some really super cheap house prices in the suburbs around them.

NOT MARYLAND!!!!

Sure as heck ain't here in Florida anymore!! Property taxes are ridiculas!! Got a 3 BR house and pay 556$ per month in insurance as well!! I'm moving to Tennessee in the Spring...200K and you have yourself a decent nice house with very little taxes/insurance

I would have to say south mississippi.

Not Virginia! especially Charlottesville

I would like to know that myself. Somebody tell me where a widow, with dogs so have to have a house not apartment can live on $700 a month. I have to be able to pay rent, elec., gas, phone, cable, I know don't need cable but on oxygen and don't get to do anything so need something. ins. on car, gas for car, fix car because it brakes down all the time, car payment, tag, and eat can't leave that out and pay for my part of my medicine that medicare doesn't pay. Why don't my kids help me? My only child was killed in a car wreck in 1994 and I don't have any grand kids.My dogs are my kids.Yes they have to go to the Vet.

I live in Ohio and it's not bad here... my house cost $47,000. 2 bedroom, one bath, 1 and 1/2 acres.

The poverty state, possibly in the deep south somewhere.

Definetly not Washington!

CALIFORNIA OF COURSE

I dont know?????? Its sure not miami,florida trying to get out of here before we loose our home.

MissisAlabama?

I can tell you right now it is not California.

ARIZONA!!!! super cheap... awesome pay even at mediocre jobs.

Who said Arizona? I just got my new property tax bill today. Ha Ha These people are idiots cause they voted in bonds, permission to borrow, permission to exceed spending limits, etc etc. Yes, it USED to be cheap to live here but its getting to be just like all the other states: no bargains to be found.

LAKELAND,FLORIDA. DIRECTLY BETWEEN TAMPA AND ORLANDO - BUT, WITHOUT THE HIGH PRICES. THE PRETTIEST CITY YOU COULD EVER FIND. LOADED WITH LAKES (THEREFORE THE NAME) - YUPPIE YET ALL AGES FIND IT ENTERTAINING, BEAUTIFUL - OUTSIDE CAFES - TREELINED DOWNTOWN STREETS - BEAUTIFUL PARKS - DAILY EVENTS GOING ON - AND THE CLEANEST CITY YOU CAN FIND. FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE - SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY - UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA. - LAKELAND CENTER WHICH BRINGS ALL THE TOP BROADWAY SHOWS - WONDERFUL MEDICAL FACILITIES, WATSON CLINIC, ETC...YET, RENT AND HOUSING IS STILL REASONABLE. RESEARCH IT.!!!!!!!

north dakota.. Probably one of the coldest states in the USA during the winter months. My first winter here was last yr and we had negative 60 degrees below 0. Gas is 3.19 a gallon, cost of living here for rentals is very cheap.. 3 bed 1 bath apartment 550.00 includes trash and electric. not bad.. Jobs out here are good. Killer paying jobs. If you want to buy a house here some 3 bedrooms under 150k.Depending on where you are. But, honestly before you move up here ask yourself is it worth it to live here when it is so cold here?? That is the big question..

Pammie is right: IT DAMNNNN SURE ISN'T MARYLAND!! TAKE IT FROM A RESIDENT... 100,000$ a year here is nothing, especially with children in college. FAFSFA is No help!

I say Ohio. I keep finding all kinds of 2-story "fixer-uppers" for only $5,000. However, whoever said California isn't, I second that!

I am guessing West Virginia...

I guess like every where else you have to make do. I'm from Hawaii, where it is one of the most expensive places to live. You can't even find a "ghetto" apartment for less then 1300.00 a month (rent). To buy you will NOT find anything under $320,000.00, even a dang Studio type apartment. It's hard here but it's home. Most of my family has moved to the mainland to better themselves. Like everywhere else we have our share of criminal activity. The Drug scene here is really bad, amazing isn't it? Can't afford to provide a roof over their head but yet these people have money to buy drugs. A gallon of milk cost no less then $5.00 and a loaf of bread no less then $3.00... Oh! wait we have Wal*Mart's here now, so bread is about $2.00. Gas cost $3.95 a gallon. Now that's all depending on which island you choose to live on. Now with all of that being said don't let me discourage you. This place is very much alive and rich with Culture & "ALOHA" and that you get for free. Meet the real people of Hawaii and you will see for yourself why it's hard to leave purely on "finance" issues. Hawaii, is truly NOT one of the cheapest states to live but come and visit anyway! Aloha!!!!

The state of POVERTY... we're all moving there under this Administration !!.. Sorry, couldn't resist this tongue in cheek response.

Actually it's Detroit, has the cheapest Real estate in the country. No joke, you could by a house for under a hundred bucks. Seriously!

Definately NOT michigan either.

Illinois is definately the most expensive. Gas at 4.25/gl. Property taxes run about $22.50 per $1000 of property value. Sales tax is 10%. Income tax is about 17%. And minimum wage is 7.50. What a rip-off.

Definitely NOT Maine.

I don't know about the entire state of Pennsylvania, but I live in Johnstown and it is crazy cheap here, it's a relatively small town, great place to raise kids.

NEVER MOVE TO NJ it is the most expensive state in the US and is over populated too. Property taxes are very very high. Car insurance is really out of control too. We have 3 vehicles and pay 3,600 a years. Oh our property taxes are 12,400. a year. STAY AWAY from NEW JERSEY although easy to get to NYC and is a beautiful state but we will leave very soon due to the high cost of everything. Thanks for the info on this board as I was searchimg where we will move to in the future.

Alaska I'm pretty sure. I heard residents actually receive money from the government from taxes the state imposes on oil drillers.

Puerto Rico...

buffalo,new york

All states have certain areas that are cheap to live. I lived in Illinois for 25 years and is expensive but the wages are good. I moved to a small town in Wisconsin last year, you can rent a 1bd apartment for around 250 a month. I bought a duplex house and made it a single family home with 6 bd, 2 baths, 2 living rooms a kitchen and dining room for only 60,000. The downfall is the pay rate is lower here than Illinois.

The state with the lowest cost of living is Tennessee.

NOT Rhode Island...nothing is cheap here.

I would say Arizona.

The State of Poverty we're about to enter.

It's gotta be a Red State. Most of those take in a lot more in government handouts than they pay in federal taxes. The deadbeats leech off the productivity of others and complain the loudest about the pittance they pay in.

West Virginia is the cheapest overall of the 5 states I have lived in(Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Deleware and Georgia). West Virginia by far. Then I would say Deleware. Deleware didn't charge sales tax on anything, but all the prices are hiked up to compensate. Georgia had cheaper prices then up north, but rather high state taxes compared to WV. Virginia was high on just about everything across the board, and as for Maryland? Forget it. High everything. Property tax, sales tax...you name it, they charge an arm and a leg for it! In fact, I now live in West Virgina just across the Maryland state line and save $2,000 a year in state taxes and my house was affordable. If you put my house on the other side of the potomac river in Maryland the price would double, easily. So stay away from MD if you are looking for cheaper. But West Virginia is the cheapest I have seen. With Deleware and Georgia not being all that bad either.

West Virginia is the cheapest overall of the 5 states I have lived in(Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Deleware and Georgia). West Virginia by far. Then I would say Deleware. Deleware didn't charge sales tax on anything, but all the prices are hiked up to compensate. Georgia had cheaper prices then up north, but rather high state taxes compared to WV. Virginia was high on just about everything across the board, and as for Maryland? Forget it. High everything. Property tax, sales tax...you name it, they charge an arm and a leg for it! In fact, I now live in West Virgina just across the Maryland state line and save $2,000 a year in state taxes and my house was affordable. If you put my house on the other side of the potomac river in Maryland the price would double, easily. So stay away from MD if you are looking for cheaper. But West Virginia is the cheapest I have seen. With Deleware and Georgia not being all that bad either.

oklahoma of course it like this houses are like 20,000 or maybe cheaper rent it,s like 40.00 no kidding the highest might be 225.00 so visit oklahoma small town

Which state is cheaper to live in South Carolina or West Virgina?

well i live in florida and it seems that the goverment is tripleing the prices on everything from vehicle registration to charging you for parking in public areas.... its so sad everyones out of work and there hicking up the prices... more crime is the overall end result.

I think Bloomington Indiana has cheap rent. You can rent a condo on the lake or pay lot rent and buy a trailer in a mobile home community. Lot rent runs from 180- 255. Condo about 700 with all the goodies.