The 15 cheapest cities to live in the US, where locals spend under 25% of their incomes on housing and can also enjoy parks and great schools

• US News & World Report released its 2023 ranking of the most affordable places to live in the US.
• The cost of housing in these 15 cities is less than a quarter what the typical resident makes.

Believe it or not — you don't have to sacrifice quality for affordability if you're looking to move in 2023.

In fact, there are several affordable cities throughout the US with great schools and urban amenities — mostly in the South and Midwest, according to a US News & World Report ranking of the cheapest places to live, released last week.

In order to determine the rankings, US News & World Report assessed typical incomes, typical housing costs (including taxes and utilities), and the percentage of income that goes to the cost of housing. It also took into account the cost of goods and services across the cities.

Rent or mortgage payments are considered affordable when a person limits them to 30% or less of what they make each month, according to Insider's personal finance desk. In each of the cities on the US News list — from Brownsville, Texas, to Youngstown, Ohio — the costs were even less: typical residents spend under 25% of their monthly incomes on housing.

No big cities made the cut. In fact, most of these places have a small-town flair and access to parks and hiking trails — outdoorsy lures that have been popular with American movers since the pandemic.

Several of these spots, like Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, also topped US News & World Report's overall list of best places to live. That ranking, also released last week, considered not only affordability but also how many people are moving there, how happy residents are, crime rates, and other quality-of-life indicators.

Here are the typical incomes and cost of housing in the top 15 cheapest places to live, according to US News & World Report.

15. Brownsville, Texas

Brownsville, Texas.      Danita Delimont/Shutterstock

Population of the metro area: 420,554

Average salary: $39,240

Percent of income spent on living costs: 23.34%

14. South Bend, Indiana

South Bend, Indiana.      Denis Tangney Jr/Getty Images

Population of the metro area: 323,681

Average salary: $49,240

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.94%

13. Fayetteville, Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas.      Blazen Images/Getty Images

Population of the metro area: 538,063

Average salary: $51,590

Percent of income spent on living costs:: 20.44%

12. Greenville, South Carolina

Greenville, South Carolina.      Kevin Ruck/Shutterstock

Population of the metro area: 918,166

Average salary: $48,350

Percent of income spent on living costs: 21.31%

11. Spartanburg, South Carolina

Lake Edwin Johnson in Spartanburg, South Carolina.      Teresa Kopec/Getty Images

Population of the metro area: 322,864

Average salary: $47,400

Percent of income spent on living costs: 21.67%

10. Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee.      Getty Images.

Population of the metro area: 873,816

Average salary: $49,290

Percent of income spent on living costs: 21.13%

9. Quad Cities – Davenport-Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline-Rock Island, Illinois metro area

Rock Island, Illinois.      Ryan Brohm / Shutterstock.com

Population of the metro area: 384,055

Average salary: $51,240

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.14%

8. Green Bay, Wisconsin

Lake Michigan in Green Bay, Wisconsin.      Ali Majdfar

Population of the metro area: 326,590

Average salary: $51,510

Percent of income spent on living costs: 19.92%

7. Peoria, Illinois

Peoria, Illinois.      Henryk Sadura/Getty Images

Population of the metro area: 404,226

Average salary: $54,370

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.62%

6. Beaumont, Texas

DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Population of the metro area: 397,924

Average salary: $50,750

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.31%

5. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne, Indiana.      \Posnov/Getty Images

Population of the metro area: 415,887

Average salary: $50,330

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.07%

4.Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville, Alabama.      Denis Tangney/Getty Images

Population of the metro area: 483,366

Average salary: $61,140

Percent of income spent on living costs: 19.62%

3. Huntington, West Virginia-Ashland, Kentucky metro area

Huntington, West Virginia.      DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Population of the metro area: 361,177

Average salary: $45,520

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.69%

2. Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown, Ohio.      Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

Population of the metro area: 542,459

Average salary: $45,090

Percent of income spent on living costs: 20.29%

1. Hickory, North Carolina

Hickory, North Carolina, at dusk.      Jeff Yount/Getty Images

Population of the metro area: 364,877

Average salary: $44,470 per year

Percent of income spent on living costs: 18.95%