The Town Files

50 Small Towns in America With the Cheapest Rent

Ranked by median rent among 7,696 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in the U.S.. #1 is East Franklin, PA (median rent $327/mo).

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Numbers match the ranking.

  1. 50Wellston, Ohio

    Median rent $534/mo

    5,412 people · Jackson County · median home $124,000 · income $56,193 · Jan low 21°F · 20 in snow

  2. 49Seymour, Texas

    Median rent $530/mo

    2,575 people · Baylor County · median home $93,200 · income $40,212 · Jan low 28°F · 2 in snow

  3. 48Tomahawk, Wisconsin

    Median rent $529/mo

    3,441 people · Lincoln County · median home $173,300 · income $60,223 · Jan low 2°F · 64 in snow

  4. 47Union Springs, Alabama

    Median rent $526/mo

    3,358 people · Bullock County · median home $80,400 · income $26,250 · Jan low 35°F · 1 in snow

  5. 46Oliver Springs, Tennessee

    Median rent $523/mo

    3,297 people · Anderson County · median home $180,900 · income $51,183 · Jan low 29°F · 4 in snow

  6. 45Mamou, Louisiana

    Median rent $521/mo

    2,936 people · Evangeline Parish · median home $86,500 · income $24,808 · Jan low 40°F · 0 in snow

  7. 44Rainsville, Alabama

    Median rent $519/mo

    5,505 people · DeKalb County · median home $230,400 · income $74,046 · Jan low 32°F · 3 in snow

  8. 43Crystal City, Texas

    Median rent $518/mo

    6,354 people · Zavala County · median home $109,100 · income $36,328 · Jan low 44°F · 0 in snow

  9. 42Cuthbert, Georgia

    Median rent $516/mo

    3,143 people · Randolph County · median home $126,100 · income $22,447 · Jan low 35°F · 0 in snow

  10. 41Breckenridge, Minnesota

    Median rent $515/mo

    3,430 people · Wilkin County · median home $144,500 · income $58,963 · Jan low -1°F · 50 in snow

  11. 40Mount Morris, Illinois

    Median rent $512/mo

    2,861 people · Ogle County · median home $121,800 · income $45,726 · Jan low 13°F · 32 in snow

  12. 39Grafton, West Virginia

    Median rent $512/mo

    4,722 people · Taylor County · median home $74,600 · income $40,402 · Jan low 21°F · 26 in snow

  13. 38Tiptonville, Tennessee

    Median rent $510/mo

    3,976 people · Lake County · median home $106,500 · income $23,027 · Jan low 27°F · 6 in snow

  14. 37White, Minnesota

    Median rent $509/mo

    3,136 people · St. Louis County · median home $123,600 · income $55,293 · Jan low -7°F · 76 in snow

  15. 36Putney, Vermont

    Median rent $508/mo

    2,617 people · Windham County · median home $300,000 · income $79,706 · Jan low 13°F · 60 in snow

  16. 35Folkston, Georgia

    Median rent $495/mo

    4,464 people · Charlton County · median home $78,100 · income $50,116 · Jan low 44°F · 0 in snow

  17. 34Eagar, Arizona

    Median rent $494/mo

    4,395 people · Apache County · median home $247,800 · income $82,839 · Jan low 16°F · 45 in snow

  18. 33Berwick, Louisiana

    Median rent $493/mo

    4,771 people · St. Mary Parish · median home $212,400 · income $51,580 · Jan low 45°F · 0 in snow

  19. 32Williamson, West Virginia

    Median rent $489/mo

    3,083 people · Mingo County · median home $89,600 · income $21,875 · Jan low 26°F · 13 in snow

  20. 31Louisa, Kentucky

    Median rent $488/mo

    2,679 people · Lawrence County · median home $120,500 · income $40,000 · Jan low 23°F · 15 in snow

  21. 30Iron River, Michigan

    Median rent $486/mo

    3,007 people · Iron County · median home $85,000 · income $54,183 · Jan low 0°F · 67 in snow

  22. 29Greenwood, Louisiana

    Median rent $485/mo

    3,166 people · Caddo Parish · median home $241,600 · income $64,063 · Jan low 37°F · 0 in snow

  23. 28North Browning, Montana

    Median rent $475/mo

    2,653 people · Glacier County · median home $187,500 · income $37,155 · Jan low 13°F

  24. 27Versailles, Missouri

    Median rent $474/mo

    2,539 people · Morgan County · median home $117,500 · income $33,586 · Jan low 22°F · 10 in snow

  25. 26Drumright, Oklahoma

    Median rent $472/mo

    2,560 people · Creek County · median home $85,600 · income $45,580 · Jan low 26°F · 6 in snow

  26. 25Woodward, Pennsylvania

    Median rent $469/mo

    4,137 people · Clearfield County · median home $119,000 · income $61,953 · Jan low 16°F · 50 in snow

  27. 24St. Charles, Michigan

    Median rent $460/mo

    3,183 people · Saginaw County · median home $136,300 · income $62,939 · Jan low 16°F · 42 in snow

  28. 23Masontown, Pennsylvania

    Median rent $451/mo

    3,276 people · Fayette County · median home $126,300 · income $53,676 · Jan low 21°F · 18 in snow

  29. 22Millinocket, Maine

    Median rent $451/mo

    4,104 people · Penobscot County · median home $99,800 · income $50,445 · Jan low 5°F · 86 in snow

  30. 21Millinocket, Maine

    Median rent $451/mo

    4,114 people · Penobscot County · median home $103,800 · income $51,007 · Jan low 6°F · 86 in snow

  31. 20Oswegatchie, New York

    Median rent $451/mo

    4,158 people · St. Lawrence County · median home $140,300 · income $85,263 · Jan low 8°F · 85 in snow

  32. 19Wilton, Maine

    Median rent $446/mo

    3,835 people · Franklin County · median home $202,000 · income $63,396 · Jan low 6°F · 94 in snow

  33. 18Eutaw, Alabama

    Median rent $442/mo

    2,937 people · Greene County · median home $99,100 · income $27,422 · Jan low 33°F · 0 in snow

  34. 17Welch, West Virginia

    Median rent $441/mo

    3,590 people · McDowell County · median home $57,300 · income $32,969 · Jan low 25°F · 24 in snow

  35. 16Olney, Texas

    Median rent $439/mo

    3,007 people · Young County · median home $95,100 · income $36,250 · Jan low 30°F · 1 in snow

  36. 15Elizabethtown, North Carolina

    Median rent $439/mo

    3,296 people · Bladen County · median home $159,200 · income $29,375 · Jan low 32°F · 1 in snow

  37. 14Presidio, Texas

    Median rent $433/mo

    3,264 people · Presidio County · median home $78,800 · income $40,800 · Jan low 34°F · 0 in snow

  38. 13Mountain View, Missouri

    Median rent $424/mo

    2,533 people · Howell County · median home $123,500 · income $38,942 · Jan low 25°F · 6 in snow

  39. 12Newton, Mississippi

    Median rent $423/mo

    3,195 people · Newton County · median home $88,800 · income $32,157 · Jan low 33°F · 0 in snow

  40. 11Pinckneyville, Illinois

    Median rent $416/mo

    5,066 people · Perry County · median home $133,500 · income $69,583 · Jan low 24°F · 9 in snow

  41. 10Cresson, Pennsylvania

    Median rent $413/mo

    2,839 people · Cambria County · median home $167,100 · income $61,875 · Jan low 19°F · 38 in snow

  42. 9Bass Lake, Wisconsin

    Median rent $404/mo

    2,731 people · Sawyer County · median home $267,000 · income $56,071 · Jan low 3°F · 59 in snow

  43. 8Middlebury, Connecticut

    Median rent $398/mo

    7,574 people · median home $476,400 · income $133,487 · Jan low 18°F · 47 in snow

  44. 7Mountain View, Arkansas

    Median rent $396/mo

    2,877 people · Stone County · median home $203,900 · income $29,172 · Jan low 28°F · 5 in snow

  45. 6Summersville, West Virginia

    Median rent $395/mo

    3,431 people · Nicholas County · median home $230,000 · income $56,571 · Jan low 21°F · 68 in snow

  46. 5Zapata, Texas

    Median rent $395/mo

    5,383 people · Zapata County · median home $124,900 · income $45,488 · Jan low 47°F · 0 in snow

  47. 4Edenton, North Carolina

    Median rent $388/mo

    4,460 people · Chowan County · median home $274,100 · income $38,417 · Jan low 34°F · 2 in snow

  48. 3Lewes, Delaware

    Median rent $381/mo

    3,303 people · Sussex County · median home $826,100 · income $96,393 · Jan low 30°F · 11 in snow

  49. 2Waldoboro, Maine

    Median rent $348/mo

    5,154 people · Lincoln County · median home $274,900 · income $69,107 · Jan low 15°F · 69 in snow

  50. 1East Franklin, Pennsylvania

    Median rent $327/mo

    3,816 people · Armstrong County · median home $216,000 · income $98,025 · Jan low 17°F · 36 in snow

More U.S. rankings

Same ranking, other places

Methodology. We ranked 7,696 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in the U.S. (2020 Census population; towns with 2,500+ people have pages so far). Only towns better than 60% of their peers on this measure qualify, so lists can be shorter than 25. Sources: