The 10 most affordable places to live in the U.S.—none are in Florida

Rent prices increased by an average of 5.5% in the U.S. last year, while housing prices hit a record high in May, according to the Black Knight Home Price Index. Living in the U.S., in other words, isn’t going to get cheaper anytime soon, but there are still some places in the country that can be affordable.

This month, U.S. News and World Report released its ranking of the cities with the lowest cost of living, based on the median gross rent and annual housing costs for mortgage-paying homeowners.

The ranking was done using data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Labor. The following factors were taken into account:

• Quality of life (measures how satisfied residents are with their daily lives)
• Value of index (measures how comfortably the average resident can afford to live within their means)
• Desirability (measures whether people want to live in a given metro area)
• Job market (measures the strength of each metro area’s job market)

Hickory, North Carolina, located in Catawba County, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, topped the list. The area is a home for retirees and families, according to U.S. News and the World Report. It is becoming a destination for young professionals, too, since it’s not too far from other cities in the state like Charlotte and Asheville.

The average Hickory home value is $276,748, up 5.3% over the past year, according to Zillow’s Home Value Index. The average salary in Hickory, according to ZipRecruiter, ranges between $33,028 to $63,063 annually.

The Hickory region is known as “The Furniture Capital of the World,” according to Southern Living. The area is known for its Hickory Furniture Mart, which has more than 25 showrooms and is considered one of the best places to buy furniture in North Carolina.

1. Hickory, NC
2. Youngstown, OH
3. Huntington, WV and Ashland, KY-OH
4. Huntsville, AL
5. Fort…