Kokomo Makes Forbes’ ‘Best Places to Live Cheaply’ List

Two Indiana communities have made the top 10 Forbeslist of Best Places to Live Cheaply in the United States. The rankings are based on factors including housing affordability, cost of living and public schools.

Forbes Magazine’s latest ranking of cities placed the City of Kokomo fourth on the list of Best Places to Live Cheaply in the United States.

No other Indiana city ranked higher. The list was based on data factoring housing affordability; cost of living; FBI’s very low crime rating; unemployment rate and the quality of the city’s public schools.

In the overall comparison, Kokomo stood out against cities across the country. The Forbes list noted Kokomo’s relatively high median household income of $61,400 coupled with the $88,000 median house price as a leading factor in Kokomo’s high overall ranking.

“This is further confirmation that Kokomo is a safe, affordable city focused on providing a high quality of life for its residents,” said Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight. “Recognition like this helps us show everyone the advantages of making Kokomo home.”

In the past year, Kokomo companies announced more than $1.4 billion in new investment.

The City of Kokomo has demonstrated its commitment to investing in public amenities by:

-Constructing an outdoor pavilion which hosted its second summer concert series this year

-Adding several miles of bikes lanes to city streets

-Converting abandoned railroad tracks into paved bike paths

-Initiating a free, public transportation system featuring iconic trolley buses

-Investing in a new splash pad at the city’s municipal pool while reducing the admission price.

“This is just the beginning,” Mayor Goodnight said. “We will continue to work with the business community and to improve our quality of life, while keeping Kokomo an affordable place to live, work and raise a family. We are a regional employment hub and this ranking confirms that Kokomo should be the regional residential place of choice.”

Source: City of Kokomo