13. Minneapolis, Minnesota Is a Hi-Tech Oasis in the Midwest
Minneapolis is a great place to start out for techies looking to make a living while avoiding starving on California prices. The colder temperatures shouldn’t be too much of a problem, either, right, because snow just means you never have to leave your monitor. Tech companies have moved into cool warehouse spaces, such as the old trading floor of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange that is now CoCo, a co-working space used by freelance programmers, app designers and other entrepreneurs.
12. St. George, Utah Is a Thrifty Paradise for the Outdoorsy Type
St. George offers the great outdoors for less. Located in southwest Utah and bisected by the Virgin River, this city is perfect for outdoorsy types who enjoy hiking and mountain biking. Housing and utility costs are reasonable, and health care expenses are some of the lowest in the country. The median household income is $47,484 in St. George and the unemployment stands at 4.2%. Residents can easily find work in the education and health care fields or tourist-related businesses. Sin City is only a 2-hour drive away for those indoor adventurers.
