A new report produced by financial media firm GOBankingRates names the Fox Valley’s very own, Elgin, as the Safest and Most Affordable City in the United States.
According to the report, GOBankingRates conducted a study based on the costs of living and crime rate averages. They were then ranked from lowest to highest based on these average crime rates and costs and the ratings were factored by crimes per 1,000 people, then compared to the national average.
Elgin’s key statistics – a median household income of $85,998, average mortgage cost of $1,840, monthly cost of living of $4,008, 851 property crimes and 215 violent crimes – just shaded out the more affluent #2-ranked city of Cary, North Carolina due, presumably, to the whopping 1,975 property crimes reported there.
Rounding out the top ten were, in order:
- Gilbert, Arizona
- League City, Texas
- Rochester, Minnesota
- Sugar Land, Texas
- Pearland, Texas
- Meridian, Idaho
- Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
- Olathe, Kansas
The only other Illinois city making the top 50 was Joliet, coming in at number 17.
The report also noted the following takeaways::
- Cities in Texas: Of the top 25 cities from GOBankingRate’s study, 11 are located in Texas.
- Cheapest cost of living: Of the top 50 cities listed, the cheapest cost of living is in Brownsville, Texas, with an estimated monthly cost of $2,940.
- Most violent crime: Even though still much safer than other big cities such as New York City or Los Angeles, the highest rate of violent crimes on this list is in Mesa, Arizona.
