Creative Commons
No. 25 Cheapest Place to Live: Americus, Ga., area
Monthly rent for 2-br apartment: $547*
Monthly house payment: $840*
Gallon gas: $2.764*
Hamburger: $1.99*
Half-gallon milk: $2.85*
The Americus micropolitan area is home to Habitat for Humanity, the Plains, Ga., hometown of President Jimmy Carter, and the site of Charles A. Lindbergh's first solo flight. The cost of living is about 11.8 percent below the U.S. average. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, median household income is $33,144 and 24.2 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, compared to respective national rates of $51,425 and 13.5 percent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates unemployment in the area at about 12 percent.
*Note: All price data refer to annual averages from Q1 2010 to Q1 2011. The average price listed for gasoline may appear low, compared to prices at the time of publication, because retail prices increased dramatically over the 12-month period. As of June 13, 2011, the week of publication, the average price for gas in the U.S. was about $3.713 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Source: Price data on all slides from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER)
Monthly house payment: $840*
Gallon gas: $2.764*
Hamburger: $1.99*
Half-gallon milk: $2.85*
The Americus micropolitan area is home to Habitat for Humanity, the Plains, Ga., hometown of President Jimmy Carter, and the site of Charles A. Lindbergh's first solo flight. The cost of living is about 11.8 percent below the U.S. average. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, median household income is $33,144 and 24.2 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, compared to respective national rates of $51,425 and 13.5 percent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates unemployment in the area at about 12 percent.
*Note: All price data refer to annual averages from Q1 2010 to Q1 2011. The average price listed for gasoline may appear low, compared to prices at the time of publication, because retail prices increased dramatically over the 12-month period. As of June 13, 2011, the week of publication, the average price for gas in the U.S. was about $3.713 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Source: Price data on all slides from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER)
