Metro-east city named among the ‘cheapest, safest’ places to live in US. Here’s why
A southwestern Illinois town was one of three Land of Lincoln localities recently named one of the “15 Cheapest, Safest Places To Live in the U.S.” by finance website Go Banking Rates.
Edwardsville made the list for its grocery prices, crime rate and cost of living. The metro-east city had the highest crime rate of any locality on the list, but was still “relatively low” at 5.5 per 1,000 residents. The average cost of groceries is $431 per month in Edwardsville, according to the analysis.
Lake in the Hills, Ill., also made the list and had the lowest crime rate of the 15 cities. Mundelein rounded out the three Illinois towns in the ranking with one of the lowest housing costs.
Here’s the full list of the 15 “cheapest, safest places to live,” according to Go Banking Rates:
South Kingstown, R.I.
Arlington, Mass.
Edwardsville, Ill.
Mundelein, Ill.
White Lake, Mich.
Mason, Ohio
Brandon, Miss.
Lake in the Hills, Ill.
Muskego, Wisc.
Independence, Ky.
Madison, Miss.
Windsor, Colo.
Zionsville, Ind.
Avon Lake, Ohio
Rexburg, Idaho
The ranking’s sources included Neighborhood Scout, Sperling’s Best Places, U.S. News & World Report and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cost of living, crime in Edwardsville
Although Edwardsville made Go Banking Rates’ list for its cost of living, the city is not affordable for people working for the state’s minimum wage.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator does not have a number specific to Edwardsville, but reports Madison County has a living wage of $20.58 for one adult without children. Minimum wage is $14 per hour in Illinois.
Edwardsville has an estimated population of 26,654 as of 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and about 14.5% of the city’s residents live in poverty. The median per capita income is $44,305, while the median household income is $87,094.
Home values in Edwardsville are up 5.7% from last year, popular housing site Zillow reports, and most homes in the city go pending after about 10 days on the market. Almost 66% of Edwardsville housing is owner-occupied, according to the Census Bureau.
Ranking website Niche gives Edwardsville a “B” grade for crime and safety and reports the city has a lower crime rate for assault, motor vehicle theft and other offenses compared to national averages. Neighborhood analytics website Neighborhood Scout reports Edwardsville is safer than about 58% of U.S. cities, with a lower violent crime rate than Illinois’ statewide average.
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