For a few Texas towns, being cheap doesn't mean being undesirable. According to Kiplinger, Denton, Round Rock, Temple and Corpus Christi are among the 10 cheapest cities you will want to live in.
To determine its list, Kiplinger looked at the 100 cheapest cities in the United States and whittled it down based on economic health and affordability. The requirements: below-average living costs, high household incomes (relative to cost of living) and an unemployment rate below the national average. Places that offer fun, low-cost activities were championed too.
About Denton, Kiplinger writes:
If you like music, then you'll love Denton. The Texas city, located just north of Dallas, hosts the annual 35 Denton music festival and the free Denton Arts & Jazz Festival. The College of Music at the University of North Texas, which claims singer Norah Jones among its many successful alums, offers numerous performances, including some at no charge. Meatloaf, Don Henley and Roy Orbison all took classes at the university when it was known as North Texas State. Live music can also be heard at multiple downtown venues.
Also noteworthy, according to Kiplinger: Living costs are lower than Dallas — and 17 percent below the national average — yet household incomes (median $47,598) are higher. The only downside: Denton has an inordinate number of residents living below the poverty level, at 19.5 percent. The average in Texas is 17.4 percent.
Moving down to Central Texas, Round Rock is desirable because of its "big-city salaries and small-town prices." It also boasts the highest median household income of all the cities on the list: $69,998 (nearly $17,000 above the U.S. median). Plus, its proximity to Austin means entertainment options are plentiful.
Temple is noted for having the second-lowest overall cost of living on the list, as well as the second-lowest median home value. And, Kiplinger quips, "It's home to the only Macy's between Austin and Dallas."
Finally, Kiplinger calls Corpus Christi "a bargain by the beach." Affordable housing and military jobs add to its appeal.
Other cities on the list include Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Lincoln, Nebraska; Norman, Oklahoma; Durham, North Carolina; St. George, Utah; and Omaha, Nebraska.
Denton is among four Texas cities to make a new list of cheap cities you want to live in.
