2026 city rankings
Safest Affordable Cities to Move to in 2026
Last updated: October 10, 2026
Mission, TX ranks #1 overall with median rent of $950/month (32.8% below U.S. median). McAllen, TX leads mid-size cities at $1,049/month (25.8% below U.S. median).
Every city on these lists has violent crime and overall crime at or below the national average, and median rent at or below the U.S. median of $1,413.
Only 1 of the 65 U.S. cities over 300,000 people we analyzed meet all three thresholds.
Overall top 25
Cities with population 75,000 or more, violent crime and overall crime at or below the national average, and median rent at or below the U.S. median
| Rank | City | Median rent | Rent vs U.S. | Safety score | Crime index | Crime data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mission, TX | $950 | 32.8% below U.S. median | 77 | 58 | 2024-2025 |
| 2 | Auburn, ALCollege town | $1,098 | 22.3% below U.S. median | 86 | 43 | 2024-2025 |
| 3 | Pharr, TX | $1,037 | 26.6% below U.S. median | 73 | 66 | 2024-2025 |
| 4 | McAllen, TX | $1,049 | 25.8% below U.S. median | 71 | 69 | 2024-2025 |
| 5 | College Station, TXCollege town | $1,194 | 15.5% below U.S. median | 79 | 53 | 2024-2025 |
| 6 | Edinburg, TX | $996 | 29.5% below U.S. median | 65 | 84 | 2024-2025 |
| 7 | Warwick, RI | $1,363 | 3.5% below U.S. median | 86 | 43 | 2024-2025 |
| 8 | Provo, UTCollege town | $1,193 | 15.6% below U.S. median | 74 | 64 | 2024-2025 |
| 9 | Cranston, RI | $1,375 | 2.7% below U.S. median | 86 | 43 | 2024-2025 |
| 10 | Scranton, PA | $1,048 | 25.8% below U.S. median | 65 | 85 | 2024-2025 |
| 11 | Bloomington, IL | $1,050 | 25.7% below U.S. median | 65 | 85 | 2025 |
| 12 | Kenosha, WI | $1,186 | 16.1% below U.S. median | 71 | 69 | 2025 |
| 13 | Reading, PA | $1,067 | 24.5% below U.S. median | 65 | 84 | 2024-2025 |
| 14 | Laredo, TX | $1,030 | 27.1% below U.S. median | 63 | 90 | 2024-2025 |
| 15 | El Paso, TX | $1,073 | 24.1% below U.S. median | 64 | 87 | 2024-2025 |
| 16 | Olathe, KS | $1,314 | 7% below U.S. median | 77 | 58 | 2024-2025 |
| 17 | Sterling Heights, MI | $1,292 | 8.6% below U.S. median | 73 | 66 | 2024-2025 |
| 18 | Edmond, OK | $1,344 | 4.9% below U.S. median | 76 | 60 | 2024-2025 |
| 19 | Iowa City, IACollege town | $1,094 | 22.6% below U.S. median | 63 | 92 | 2024-2025 |
| 20 | Cicero, IL | $1,154 | 18.3% below U.S. median | 65 | 85 | 2024-2025 |
| 21 | Broken Arrow, OK | $1,320 | 6.6% below U.S. median | 73 | 65 | 2024-2025 |
| 22 | Pawtucket, RI | $1,208 | 14.5% below U.S. median | 67 | 80 | 2024-2025 |
| 23 | Norman, OKCollege town | $1,090 | 22.9% below U.S. median | 60 | 99 | 2024-2025 |
| 24 | Livonia, MI | $1,322 | 6.4% below U.S. median | 70 | 71 | 2024-2025 |
| 25 | Elgin, IL | $1,361 | 3.7% below U.S. median | 72 | 67 | 2024-2025 |
Mid-size cities (100,000-300,000)
Top 16 in the mid-size population band
| Rank | City | Median rent | Rent vs U.S. | Safety score | Crime index | Crime data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen, TX | $1,049 | 25.8% below U.S. median | 71 | 69 | 2024-2025 |
| 2 | College Station, TXCollege town | $1,194 | 15.5% below U.S. median | 79 | 53 | 2024-2025 |
| 3 | Edinburg, TX | $996 | 29.5% below U.S. median | 65 | 84 | 2024-2025 |
| 4 | Provo, UTCollege town | $1,193 | 15.6% below U.S. median | 74 | 64 | 2024-2025 |
| 5 | Laredo, TX | $1,030 | 27.1% below U.S. median | 63 | 90 | 2024-2025 |
| 6 | Olathe, KS | $1,314 | 7% below U.S. median | 77 | 58 | 2024-2025 |
| 7 | Sterling Heights, MI | $1,292 | 8.6% below U.S. median | 73 | 66 | 2024-2025 |
| 8 | Broken Arrow, OK | $1,320 | 6.6% below U.S. median | 73 | 65 | 2024-2025 |
| 9 | Norman, OKCollege town | $1,090 | 22.9% below U.S. median | 60 | 99 | 2024-2025 |
| 10 | Elgin, IL | $1,361 | 3.7% below U.S. median | 72 | 67 | 2024-2025 |
| 11 | Rochester, MN | $1,399 | 1% below U.S. median | 72 | 68 | 2024-2025 |
| 12 | Allentown, PA | $1,317 | 6.8% below U.S. median | 65 | 85 | 2024-2025 |
| 13 | Odessa, TX | $1,315 | 6.9% below U.S. median | 63 | 90 | 2024-2025 |
| 14 | Conroe, TX | $1,393 | 1.4% below U.S. median | 65 | 84 | 2024-2025 |
| 15 | Providence, RI | $1,408 | 0.4% below U.S. median | 63 | 90 | 2024-2025 |
| 16 | Madison, WICollege town | $1,413 | At U.S. median | 63 | 91 | 2024-2025 |
Large cities (300,000+)
Only 1 of the 65 U.S. cities over 300,000 people we analyzed meet all three thresholds
| Rank | City | Median rent | Rent vs U.S. | Safety score | Crime index | Crime data year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Paso, TX | $1,073 | 24.1% below U.S. median | 64 | 87 | 2024-2025 |
College town: Cities such as Auburn, AL; College Station, TX; Provo, UT; Iowa City, IA; Norman, OK; Madison, WI host a major university whose enrollment is a large share of local population, which can pull down median rents and shape crime rates relative to peer cities.
Methodology
Data sources. Crime indexes come from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (city police agencies and contract-policing sheriff series in our city catalog), using 2024-2025 FBI data. Population, median household income, and median gross rent come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-year estimates. The U.S. median gross rent used for comparison is $1,413. Safety scores on this page use the same crimeIndex-to-score mapping shown on each city's /move-to page.
Eligibility. All three gates are required: violent crime at or below the national average (violent index at or below 100), overall crime at or below the national average (crime index at or below 100), and ACS median gross rent at or below the U.S. median of $1,413. We also require population of 75,000 or more, ACS rent and income available, and crime data from a city agency or contract-policing series whose reporting years include 2024 or 2025. State-average crime fallbacks are excluded. Cities with only older crime data keep a city page and are left off this ranking. Cities analyzed are the roughly 500 U.S. cities covered by Before You Move There.
Rent figures. Rent figures are Census ACS 2024 5-year median gross rent, which reflects what current renters pay across 2020 to 2024. New leases in these cities typically cost more. We use ACS because it is the only source available for every city on a consistent basis.
Scoring. Each city receives a composite score of 50% safety (lower crime index is better) and 50% affordability (lower absolute ACS median gross rent is better). Both inputs are min-max normalized to 0-100 within the qualifying cities before weighting. The Safety score column shows the site safety score derived from crime index, not the normalized composite component.
Crime data year. Crime indexes use 2024-2025 FBI data. The reporting year (or year range) varies by city when agencies publish an incomplete series; the year used for each city is shown in the tables above.
How to cite this ranking
Before You Move There. “Safest Affordable Cities to Move to in 2026.” October 10, 2026. https://beforeyoumovethere.com/safest-affordable-cities-2026