From left, Fort Worth, Texas, and Ann Arbor, Mich. // © Jupiterimages/Getty Images,
Big-city glitz and glamour can wear thin when you're struggling to pay your bills each month. If you're ready to swap that condo for a house with acreage, or are just interested in a place that will upgrade your lifestyle without draining your wallet, we've got some suggestions for you.
MSN Real Estate and Bert Sperling of Sperling's Best Places evaluated the most affordable markets within the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas and identified 10 livable areas: places where unemployment is lower than the national average, where commute times are mercifully short and where there are enough cultural and recreational diversions to keep most residents content. The result is the MSN Real Estate Most Livable Bargain Markets list.
These aren't boom markets, just places with stable economies and lower stress, thanks to lower crime rates, relatively healthy neighbors, access to decent medical care and relatively low rates of suicide and divorce. These cities were not immune from the recession. But while they experienced job loss, they didn't lose as many jobs as other major metros. In fact, some of these small to midsize cities are faring better than their larger brethren.
There's something here for almost everyone, including small artsy Midwest towns such as Waterloo, Iowa, larger metros such as Pittsburgh and higher-education hamlets such as Ann Arbor, Mich.
MSN Real Estate and Bert Sperling of Sperling's Best Places evaluated the most affordable markets within the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas and identified 10 livable areas: places where unemployment is lower than the national average, where commute times are mercifully short and where there are enough cultural and recreational diversions to keep most residents content. The result is the MSN Real Estate Most Livable Bargain Markets list.
These aren't boom markets, just places with stable economies and lower stress, thanks to lower crime rates, relatively healthy neighbors, access to decent medical care and relatively low rates of suicide and divorce. These cities were not immune from the recession. But while they experienced job loss, they didn't lose as many jobs as other major metros. In fact, some of these small to midsize cities are faring better than their larger brethren.
There's something here for almost everyone, including small artsy Midwest towns such as Waterloo, Iowa, larger metros such as Pittsburgh and higher-education hamlets such as Ann Arbor, Mich.
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