Just came across this interesting housing research from last year and thought I'd share since I've been looking at relocating. Turns out there are actually some solid safest affordable places to live scattered across the US if you know where to look.

What caught my attention was that Ohio dominates this list - like 7 out of the top 15 cities are there. New Philadelphia seems to be the winner with homes averaging around $186k and only $1,100 monthly mortgage. The violent crime rates in these Ohio towns are surprisingly low too.

Beyond Ohio, there are some other gems worth considering. San Elizario, Texas has the cheapest homes at $167k, though it's smaller. If you want a bigger city feel, Columbus, Indiana has over 50k people and still keeps costs reasonable around $40k annually. Trenton, Michigan and Edwardsville, Illinois both scored high on livability rankings too.

What's interesting is the property crime rates vary way more than violent crime - some towns have low violent crime but higher property crime, so it really depends on what matters to you. The analysis looked at FBI crime stats, census data, and housing values, so it's pretty solid research.

If you're serious about finding affordable living spots that don't compromise on safety, this data's worth digging into. Most of these towns are under 40k population though, so if you need more urban amenities, you might need to adjust expectations. But for anyone wanting that sweet spot of cheap rent and low crime, these safest affordable places to live seem legit.