Most Affordable Metros in the West

The American West consists of 13 states that cover over half the land area of the country and almost a quarter of the population, from the mountain ranges of the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada to the Pacific Coast. Western states include some of the country’s fastest-growing cities and most dynamic economies, along with rural areas, plains, and farmland. In this study, we examine the metropolitan areas in the West that offer the most affordable costs of living for residents.

While some cities in the West, such as San Francisco, have some of the highest costs of living in the United States, there are many highly affordable options available to residents of the West. We examined 111 metropolitan areas in the West from California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii based upon AdvisorSmith’s Cost of Living Index. This index measures the cost of living using the cost of food, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and consumer discretionary spending.

Using this index, we found the top 10 most affordable metros in the West by population, dividing the metropolitan areas into small (less than 150,000 residents), midsize (between 150,000 and 500,000 residents), and large metros (greater than 500,000 residents). Read on to discover the most affordable metros in the West.

Most Affordable Metros in the West by Size

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Among large metropolitan areas with over 500,000 residents, Albuquerque was the most affordable large city in the West. With a cost of living index of 94.5, Albuquerque’s cost of living was 5.5% below the national average. As the most populous city in the state of New Mexico, Albuquerque has a diversified economy that includes national scientific laboratories, high technology companies, and movie production. The city also hosts the University of New Mexico and highly regarded hospitals and medical facilities.

Las Cruces, New Mexico

The second-largest city in the state of New Mexico is Las Cruces, and it was the most affordable midsize city in the West. With a cost of living index of 90.6, Las Cruces has a cost of living that is 9.4% lower than the national average. Located in the southern part of the state near the city of El Paso, Las Cruces is also home to New Mexico State University. Las Cruces also plays host to the corporate offices of two space companies: Spaceport America and Virgin Galactic.

Alamogordo, New Mexico

Located northeast of Las Cruces, Alamogordo is the most affordable small city in the West. With a cost of living index of just 86.5, Alamogordo offers an affordable cost of living that is 13.5% below the national average. The economy in Alamogordo is driven by tourism and the Holloman Air Force Base, which provides a major economic benefit to the city. Additionally, many military retirees choose to make the city home. Tourists to the city are interested in visiting the White Sands National Park, which is about 15 miles outside of the city.

Most Affordable Metropolitan Areas in the West

In the table below, we provide a ranking of the most affordable metropolitan areas in the Western United States. We include each city’s cost of living and city size in addition to the city and state. The most affordable cities in the West tended to be small cities, with nine of the top 10 being small cities. Additionally, New Mexico had the top four most affordable cities in the West and six of the top ten. Idaho also had three of the top 10 cities on the list.

Rank	Metro Area	State	City Size	Cost of Living Index
1	Alamogordo	NM	Small	86.5
2	Roswell	NM	Small	87.2
3	Hobbs	NM	Small	88.7
4	Gallup	NM	Small	89.5
5	Pocatello	ID	Small	90.2
6	Twin Falls	ID	Small	90.2
7	Las Cruces	NM	Midsize	90.6
8	Great Falls	MT	Small	92.2
9	Idaho Falls	ID	Small	92.6
10	Farmington	NM	Small	93
11	Pueblo	CO	Midsize	93.2
12	Lewiston	ID	Small	94.4
13	Albuquerque	NM	Large	94.5
14	Yuma	AZ	Midsize	94.6
15	Sierra Vista	AZ	Small	95.1
16	Moses Lake	WA	Small	95.5
17	Aberdeen	WA	Small	95.5
18	Klamath Falls	OR	Small	95.9
19	Logan	UT	Small	96.4
20	Casper	WY	Small	96.4
21	Billings	MT	Midsize	97.4
22	Yakima	WA	Midsize	97.7
23	Hermiston	OR	Small	98
24	Lake Havasu City	AZ	Midsize	98.8
25	Cheyenne	WY	Small	99.6
26	Boise City	ID	Large	99.7
27	Tucson	AZ	Large	99.7
28	Spokane	WA	Large	99.9
29	Roseburg	OR	Small	100
30	St. George	UT	Midsize	100.1
31	Walla Walla	WA	Small	100.1
32	Show Low	AZ	Small	100.6
33	Grand Junction	CO	Midsize	100.7
34	Ogden	UT	Large	100.9
35	Coos Bay	OR	Small	101.6
36	Kennewick	WA	Midsize	101.7
37	Centralia	WA	Small	101.8
38	Longview	WA	Small	102.3
39	Provo	UT	Large	102.3
40	Helena	MT	Small	102.4
41	Las Vegas	NV	Large	103.1
42	Missoula	MT	Small	103.2
43	Bakersfield	CA	Large	103.6
44	Coeur d'Alene	ID	Midsize	103.8
45	Colorado Springs	CO	Large	104.1
46	Visalia	CA	Midsize	104.3
47	Carson City	NV	Small	104.5
48	El Centro	CA	Midsize	104.9
49	Hanford	CA	Midsize	105.7
50	Phoenix	AZ	Large	105.8
51	Prescott	AZ	Midsize	105.8
52	Salem	OR	Midsize	105.8
53	Wenatchee	WA	Small	105.9
54	Fresno	CA	Large	106
55	Albany	OR	Small	106
56	Port Angeles	WA	Small	106.5
57	Santa Fe	NM	Midsize	106.7
58	Redding	CA	Midsize	107.1
59	Merced	CA	Midsize	107.4
60	Salt Lake City	UT	Large	107.7
61	Greeley	CO	Midsize	107.7
62	Grants Pass	OR	Small	107.9
63	Shelton	WA	Small	108.2
64	Reno	NV	Midsize	108.3
65	Clearlake	CA	Small	108.6
66	Medford	OR	Midsize	109.1
67	Madera	CA	Midsize	109.1
68	Flagstaff	AZ	Small	109.3
69	Eugene	OR	Midsize	109.8
70	Kalispell	MT	Small	109.8
71	Yuba City	CA	Midsize	109.9
72	Fort Collins	CO	Midsize	110.9
73	Fairbanks	AK	Small	110.9
74	Mount Vernon	WA	Small	111.1
75	Chico	CA	Midsize	111.2
76	Olympia	WA	Midsize	111.5
77	Modesto	CA	Large	111.7
78	Bellingham	WA	Midsize	112
79	Anchorage	AK	Midsize	113.6
80	Corvallis	OR	Small	113.7
81	Stockton	CA	Large	113.8
82	Denver	CO	Large	115
83	Bremerton	WA	Midsize	115.4
84	Eureka	CA	Small	115.9
85	Bend	OR	Midsize	116.3
86	Riverside	CA	Large	116.8
87	Portland	OR	Large	118.7
88	Sacramento	CA	Large	120.9
89	Oak Harbor	WA	Small	123.3
90	Bozeman	MT	Small	123.3
91	Boulder	CO	Midsize	123.5
92	Ukiah	CA	Small	124.3
93	Glenwood Springs	CO	Small	127
94	Vallejo	CA	Midsize	128
95	Truckee	CA	Small	129.1
96	Seattle	WA	Large	129.3
97	Ventura	CA	Large	135.5
98	San Diego	CA	Large	137.9
99	San Luis Obispo	CA	Midsize	138.7
100	Hilo	HI	Midsize	139.9
101	Salinas	CA	Midsize	140.1
102	Los Angeles	CA	Large	143.4
103	Santa Rosa	CA	Midsize	145.3
104	Santa Maria	CA	Midsize	146.6
105	Napa	CA	Small	150.3
106	Santa Cruz	CA	Midsize	163.1
107	Kahului	HI	Midsize	165.5
108	Honolulu	HI	Large	166.5
109	Kapaa	HI	Small	170.2
110	San Jose	CA	Large	181.1
111	San Francisco	CA	Large	183

Methodology

This study was based upon cost of living data from AdvisorSmith’s City Cost of Living Index. This index measures the cost of living in over 500 U.S. metropolitan areas based upon six major categories of household expenses. These expenses include food, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and consumer discretionary spending.

The cost of living in the various cities are indexed to 100, with a value of 100 indicating that the city’s cost of living is the same as the national average. For example, if a city has a cost of living of 150, that city’s cost of living will cost 150% of the national average.

To determine the most affordable cities in the West, we selected metropolitan areas in the following states, which we call “cities”: Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. We ranked the cities in these states based upon their cost of living index, with the cities having the lowest costs of living being ranked highest.

We then sorted cities from these states into three size categories. Large cities had metropolitan area populations above 500,000. Midsize cities had metropolitan area populations between 150,000 and 500,000 residents, and Small cities had metropolitan area populations below 150,000. We then ranked each of the cities within their size categories to determine the most affordable metros in the West.

Sources

1. AdvisorSmith City Cost of Living Index

2. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey