Here are the 10 most – and least – affordable cities to live and work in the U.S.

Big cities are always attractive places for 20-somethings to live and work, but soaring housing costs and record high inflation might make you think twice about where you want to move next.

The most populated cities in the U.S. tend to be the most expensive places to live – New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, for instance, have higher costs of living compared to smaller cities with cheaper rent prices and lower costs for some goods and services.

While New York is an expensive place to live, it is actually not the least affordable city in the U.S., according to a 2022 study from GoodHire, a background screening software company in Redwood City, California.

The study, released>Most Affordable Cities

1. Sioux, SD

Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.Annie Otzen | Moment | Getty Images

2. Reno, NV

3. Provo, UT

4. Madison, WI

5. Huntsville, AL

6. Charleston, SC

7. Fayetteville, AR

8. Ogden, UT

9. Salt Lake City, UT

10. Spartanburg, SC

Sunset over barn in Spartanburg, South CarolinaTeresa Kopec | Moment | Getty Images

Least Affordable Cities

1. Los Angeles, CA

2. Hartford, CT

3. Corpus Christi, TX

4. Bakersfield, CA

5. Shreveport, CA

6. Modesto, CA

Modesto, CaliforniaDenistangneyjr | Istock | Getty Images

7. El Paso, TX

8. New York, NY

9. Rockford, IL

10. McAllen, TX