AT A GLANCE

• Trulia teamed up with the jobs site Indeed to find out where salaries are highest once you adjust for cost of living.
• In each city, we looked at how the economy is doing and where the biggest job opportunities are.
• To help you figure out the best places to live in these cities, we used Trulia’s search data to point the way to the neighborhoods locals love.

When you’re looking for a new job, your potential salary is only part of the story of what life will be like. That great new paycheck may not be so great after all if it barely pays for a roof over your head.

Trulia teamed up with the jobs site Indeed to take a closer look at the U.S. cities with the highest salaries, once you adjust for cost of living. It turns out that the cities at the top of the list are not the big metropolises you may expect. These mid-sized cities with a low cost of living are places where you can have a good job, a good life, and a good home even if you make a heck of a lot less than a Wall Street or Silicon Valley paycheck.

As a headstart for people looking to relocate for a job, we looked into what the big opportunities are in four of these cities and dug into Trulia’s data to find out which neighborhood or suburb in each gets the most searches by locals—in other words, by the people who know the area best. If you’re up for relocating, consider it a sweet spot for starting your home search.

Birmingham has an average salary that, adjusted for cost of living, is higher than in San Francisco or New York City.

Birmingham, Alabama

Average salary: $76,886  •  Adjusted for cost of living: $86,196

Where to work

Long known as “The Pittsburgh of the South” because of its iron and steel industry, Birmingham has diversified to become a leader in banking, insurance, healthcare, education, manufacturing, and the arts. And, once you adjust for cost of living, the average salary here is $10,000 more than in San Francisco and a good $17,000 more than in New York City.

Birmingham’s growth doesn’t match the pace of Southern economic powerhouses like Atlanta, Raleigh, and Nashville, but it is Alabama’s largest city and a bright spot in the state’s economy, accounting for about 30 percent of its domestic product.

The three largest employers in town are the University of Alabama at Birmingham (23,000 employees), Regions Financial Corp. (7,100), and Honda (4,800). Mercedes-Benz U.S., U.S. Steel, and Wells Fargo are also major employers.

The city is home to the Southern Research Institute, a nonprofit where more than 400 scientists and engineers work on drug discovery and development, engineering, energy, and the environment. This gives the institute the distinction of simultaneously working to cure cancer, put people on Mars, and clean the planet’s air and water.

Where to live: Irondale

Birmingham locals search Trulia for homes in the 35210 zip code, which includes the suburb of Irondale, more than any other local zip code. Affordability may be one reason: Median home prices here are $147,000, well below the metro area’s $195,000 median and not even half of Atlanta’s median of $300,000. The average rent in Irondale is $1,249 a month.

Local agent Gusty Gulas says Irondale is popular for its new construction and for homes with larger lots, which can be hard to find. “First-time home buyers come for the affordability and location,” says Gulas. “Others relocate here from nearby districts with a higher tax rate.” Convenience is another draw: Irondale is just 15 minutes from downtown and the airport.

Gulas says that his clients are especially enthusiastic about Grants Mill Crossing and Grants Mill Valley, two neighboring new-home developments, as well as Crestline Gardens and Crestline Holiday Gardens, two older, closer-in Irondale developments.

Employment is strong in St. Louis, and the city’s average salary, adjusted for cost of living, is higher than in Chicago and Detroit.

St. Louis, Missouri

Average salary: $76,567  •  Adjusted for cost of living: $84,511

Where to work

Home to ten Fortune 500 companies and 2.8 million people, St. Louis has a strong regional economy and an average salary that, adjusted for cost of living, is $8,000 higher than Chicago’s and $3,000 higher than in the affordable city of Detroit. The employment rate in St. Louis grew in 2017 and is stronger than the national average. The greatest growth has been in St. Louis’s construction, manufacturing, and leisure and hospitality industries.

Among the big companies headquartered here are healthcare players Express Scripts Holding and Centene, manufacturers such as Emerson Electric and Graybar Electric, financial powerhouses Reinsurance Group of America and Jones Financial, as well as Monsanto. Budweiser is still a big name in town and employs more than 4,000 people, and McDonnell Douglas has a workforce of 14,000.

Where to live: Bethalto, Illinois

St. Louis locals search for homes in the 62010 zip code, centered on the village of Bethalto, Illinois, more than any other local area. This town of 10,000 people lies across the Mississippi and over the state line, but is just 35 minutes from downtown.

“I love the smaller hometown feel of Bethalto,” says local real-estate agent Angie Daniels. “Neighbors look out for each other, and people care about their properties. You get a sense of pride and community.” The town itself is mostly residential, but there’s plenty of shopping and dining in Edwardsville, a 15-minute drive away.

Giving the lay of the land of Bethalto’s real estate, Daniels notes, “There are a few newer subdivisions—Patriot’s Crossing, Schreiber Farms, and Woodcrest, as well as the more established Whispering Oaks. For buyers looking for larger yards or a more rural setting, Heartland Meadows and Bethalto Lakes have two-plus-acre lots.”

The border town of El Paso has a growing economy and an adjusted average salary that’s higher than in Dallas-Fort Worth.

El Paso, Texas

Average salary: $75,457  •  Adjusted for cost of living: $84,498

Where to work

Government is big business in El Paso, a border town of 850,000 residents, most of whom are Hispanic and many of whom are bilingual.

The sprawling Fort Bliss Army base, which employs 47,000, including 13,000 civilian workers, is by far the largest employer in the region. It also supports at least another 18,000 jobs in the area. Retail, recreation, food services, transportation, and logistics are also important in this region, which locals refer to as “The Borderplex.”

In 2018, El Paso’s economy is projected to grow 2 percent, as compared to the state’s overall projected growth rate of 3 percent. The city isn’t counted among Texas’s economic hotspots, but it’s more affordable. Its average salary, once adjusted for cost of living, is about $7,000 higher than the average in Dallas-Fort Worth.

After two private healthcare providers, the largest non-government employer in the area is Automatic Data Processing—and it’s expanding. Three years ago, the HR/payroll company moved into a new 150,000-square-foot building, and it has been adding almost 300 new employees a year.

Another big player is T&T Staff Management, which has more than 5,000 workers placed in positions around the area that range from minimum-wage service jobs to high-level professional roles.

Where to live: the Upper Valley

The Upper Valley is a long, narrow strip of land on El Paso’s west side that hugs the Rio Grande River and Texas’s border with New Mexico. It’s known for its green, country feel and views of the Franklin Mountains. “The other big selling point of the Upper Valley is community,” says local realtor Rene Botello. “You’re safe moving here. You’re going to know your neighbors.”

It’s also convenient. The Upper Valley parallels I-10, for an easy commute into downtown. Some of its neighborhoods, like Riverbend, are just 15 minutes from the center of town and hold a wide mix of homes, from this $1,675,000 eight-bedroom mansion to this $118,000 three-bedroom ranch. A bit further out, homes in established neighborhoods such as The Willows and Country Club generally command higher prices. Rentals in the Upper Valley tend to range from about $1,000 to $2,700.

The Central Valley city of Fresno has an average adjusted salary that’s higher than in both San Francisco and LA.

Fresno, California

Average salary: $82,236  •  Adjusted for cost of living: $84,604

Where to work

Fresno may lack the sizzle of Hollywood or San Francisco, but at $236,100, the median price for a house here is about one-fifth as much as in the Bay Area. Plus, Fresno locals can finish their commute before a Los Angeles driver has even inched onto the freeway. And, jobs-wise, this Central Valley city of one million people has more going for it than the agriculture it’s always been known for.

“Fresno is swiftly becoming a place for tech start-ups,” says Fresno native and local real estate agent Jason Farris. Some of the local software companies making waves are Aplos Software, OnFarm, and Bflow Solutions.

Farming, of course, remains big business, and Fresno also has plenty of healthcare and manufacturing jobs. Within an hour from three national parks—Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia—Fresno has seen its hotel business increase, and leisure and hospitality employment has grown along with it. Logistics is also big business in Fresno, and many companies, including the Gap, base their warehouse operations here to take advantage of Fresno’s midway point between the state’s big population centers. This year, Amazon is hiring to staff a soon-to-open fulfillment center that will eventually employ as many as 2,500 people.

Where to live: Woodward Park 

Fresno locals focus their Trulia searches on Woodward Park, an upscale neighborhood nine miles north of downtown, where the median house price is $342,250, more than $100,000 higher than the overall city’s median. Woodward Park has a large shopping district, plenty of restaurants, and a public park of the same name. Outdoorsy options are good, with hiking, horseback riding, and biking along the banks of the San Joaquin River, and the location is a draw.

“The Woodward Park area is convenient to Fresno, but homeowners here also get the benefit of sending their children to the award-winning schools in nearby Clovis,” says Farris.

There are plenty of rentals available in Woodward Park, as well as properties selling in the $200,000s and $300,000s, most with large lots. The neighborhood also holds some surprises, like this $1.2 million four-bedroom.

METHODOLOGY: Trulia identified the ZIP code in each of these metro areas that had the most home searches by locals of that metro area from December 2016 to December 2017.

Which of these cities would you move to for a great job? Tell us in the comments.

When you’re house hunting, style and square footage matter, but don’t get so caught up in those details that you forget about one of the most important considerations: neighborhood personality. Whether you’re looking for a cul-de-sac full of your kids’ future friends or a short walk to your favorite bar, picking the right neighborhood is essential to your homeowner happiness.

Who knows neighborhoods best? The locals. Here’s what residents around the nation love about their own stomping grounds.

Looking for a home in a neighborhood that fits your personality? Find your perfect spot on Trulia.

Finding a home requires trade-offs, whether in the house or neighborhood. And though it’s not easy to change your neighborhood, you can certainly change the way your home looks and feels. This is why we’re excited to showcase advice and insights from the Trulia Design Panel, an expert group of interior designers, home stagers, and organizers from across the nation, to help homeowners and renters make their house a home, wherever it is.

What architectural style do Americans love most, and where are they most likely to find those homes? To find out, a new Trulia survey conducted online by Harris Poll of more than 2,000 Americans age 18 and older asked and found that the top home styles Americans cite as their favorites are craftsman (43%), ranch (41%), and colonial (36%). However, this varies by age. Millennials, age 18–34, were more likely to favor craftsman-style homes (52% vs. 36% of those age 55+), while older adults, age 55+, were more likely favor ranch-style homes (52% vs. 28% of millennials).

Despite the overwhelming popularity of craftsman-style homes, ranch homes are much easier to find on the market. Among all the for-sale home listings on Trulia, the most common architectural styles are colonial, ranch, Cape Cod, Victorian, and mid-century. Though, state by state, it definitely varies.

There are local surprises as well. Although brownstones are practically synonymous with New York City, colonial houses are actually more common in the city. Similarly, although art deco is Miami‘s best-known architectural feature, mid-century homes are by far the most common throughout the city. And if you’re looking for a ranch-style home, Colorado Springs, CO, has the highest proportion of them in the country.

Given the five most common architectural styles in America, the ones that buyers are more likely to find, the Trulia Design Panel offered their tips on how to decorate for each type of home. Here’s what they suggested:

Colonial

Layne Brookshire of Ms. Placed suggests augmenting your home’s classic style with textured, woven baskets of natural materials like rattan, sisal, or water hyacinth. Houseplants, including dramatic palms and ferns, are also good options to create this effect.

Jay Britto and David Charette of Britto Charette recommend nodding to the colonial style’s spartan take on neoclassical grandeur. Collect handcrafted wooden bowls and ladles, and seek art that involves the crude human figures of the colonial period.

Hannah Crowell of Crowell & Co. suggests a more counterintuitive approach, pairing modern light fixtures and furniture with your home’s traditional architecture. “I find the juxtaposition between the two styles to be endlessly intriguing and interesting.”

The colonial style emphasizes wood tones and handcrafted elements. Becki Owens says you can keep those features feeling fresh with dramatic bright or dark paint choices on walls or furniture.

Ranch

Brookshire suggests embracing the rustic inspiration behind the ranch style with Western-flavored elements like cowhide and leather ottomans, rugs, and pillows. Wood elements like floating shelves, trays, and coat racks also help.

Britto and Charette say ranch style emphasizes social space and natural light. To capitalize on those elements, they recommend using neutrals with no heavy patterns and grabbing a bar cart and serve-ware for entertaining.

“I have a 1960s ranch-style home of my own, and I love it!” Crowell says. She enjoys making modern statements on the style with elements like cement floor tiles, light floor stains, and minimalist trim and molding.

“The ranch looks best when you embrace its modern simplicity,” Owens says. She recommends sticking to clean-lined furniture but adding personality through rattan accents and an eclectic mix of metals.

Cape Cod

Brookshire suggests nodding to the Cape Cod style’s East Coast origins with vignettes of nautical items or vintage hardcover books. Accent your home’s cozy simplicity with white or light bedding, sofa slipcovers, and pillows.

Britto and Charette also recommend emulating the simplicity and function of architectural style in your décor. They suggest painting walls in “tried-and-true” neutrals like Benjamin Moore® Decorator’s White.

As always, Crowell embraces the unexpected, suggesting Cape Cod owners keep original moldings and details while adding aesthetic surprises, such as modern tiling, windows, and furnishings.

Owens recommends taking advantage of a Cape Cod’s charming, symmetrical exterior by focusing on curb appeal with floral boxes or large planters.

Victorian

Brookshire recommends hearkening back to this architectural style’s namesake era by choosing lace, ribbon, or embroidered linens in neutral or white for tablecloths, curtains, and bedding. Mismatched antique furnishings are also a good look.

Britto and Charette recommend painting baseboards dark espresso or high-gloss black to mimic the dark wood elements that were popular in the era. To add personality, follow another Victorian tradition and fill a curio with collectibles.

Victorians enthusiastically embraced patterns, but Owens suggests modernizing by wallpapering one feature wall while keeping others neutral. An ornate furniture piece can also make a nice accent.

Mid-century

Brookshire suggests starting simply and inexpensively by swapping out the legs on your existing furniture for the tapered legs characteristic of the mid-century style. A low-profile sofa or arched floor lamp are other easy ways to achieve this style.

Britto and Charette also say the right furniture is crucial, but price can be an issue. “Don’t go for original,” they warn, suggesting instead to find modern designers and stores whose products mimic the style of the time period.

Crowell says her own style leans toward mid-century, but she likes to balance its modern aesthetic with antique pieces.

Owens recommends giving a mid-century home an update with a new paint job. “White always looks fresh, or consider a dramatic, dark tone paired with medium wood accents,” she says.

Methodology: Trulia analyzed all for-sale listing descriptions nationwide and at each state level in all 50 states since 2012 to identify the most common property types that were listed in each location. Property types included: art deco, brownstone, Cape Cod, Colonial, contemporary, craftsman, French Provincial, Georgian, Greek Revival, mid-century, ranch, Tudor, and Victorian.

Survey Methodology: This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Trulia February 6^th–8^th, 2018 among 2,079 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact pr@trulia.com.

Style or affordability? We say you can find both. Proof that you needn’t sacrifice your top-shelf taste for a budget-friendly apartment, these nine rental homes with trendy interior design are as eye-catching as they are affordable. Each has a monthly rate that’s less than the median rent for their popular locations. Better still, for many of these you don’t even have to rely on your own good taste, as they come chicly furnished.

1. New Orleans, Louisiana

Pretty, private cottage just blocks from Bourbon Street

$1,500/month

If you scooped up this furnished studio cottage in New Orleans, you’d be able to list Cafe Du Monde (renowned for its beignets and chicory coffee), the French Market (the oldest public market in the U.S.), Preservation Hall (a historic venue for live jazz), and countless other famous French Quarter attractions among your regular neighborhood stops. But this renovated cottage offers a stylish retreat from the hustle and bustle just blocks away. It’s slightly off the street and features a lushly landscaped courtyard enclosed by ivy-cloaked walls.

And it just gets better inside. French doors open into a recently renovated studio that features exposed wooden ceiling beams, hardwood floors, and even a rolling ladder leading to a sleeping loft. With the French Quarter’s median rent at $3,125, this charmer’s $1,500 rate is an affordability standout.

2. Charleston, South Carolina

Light-filled loft convenient to downtown Charleston

$1,240/month

The floor-to-ceiling windows alone are enough to put this loft-style one-bedroom in Charleston on your must-check-out list. That blast of sunshine is the perfect complement to the unit’s long, narrow layout that has a distinctly urban feel. While you can expect to fork over $2,200 (the median monthly rent) for other apartments in Charleston’s North Central neighborhood, just $1,240 gets you a lease at East Central Lofts. That’ll leave a little cash in your wallet to enjoy the craft brews and free Friday night concerts at Palmetto Brewing right across the street.

3. Chevy Chase, Maryland

Stylish subterranean space with a wood-burning fireplace

$1,950/month

Not only are utilities included in the rent of this one-bedroom apartment in Chevy Chase, Maryland, it’s listed for $1,950 per month, which is well below Chevy Chase’s median rent of $3,850. Also worth noting here is the fact that the rental is located on basement level—but you wouldn’t suspect it given the unit’s bright and cheery vibe. It’s also newly constructed, so the fresh look of those granite countertops, stainless appliances, and wood-burning fireplace is genuine.

Follow the private entry stairs up to street level, and you’ll find yourself in the middle of Chevy Chase West, a quiet residential area that’s popular among commuters due to a location central to both Bethesda and D.C. From this one-bedroom apartment, the trendy shops, restaurants, and attractions of Bethesda Row can be reached in just five minutes by foot.

4. Denver, Colorado

Artist-inspired lofts in a design-driven district

$1,396/month

Situated just north of downtown in the larger Five Points neighborhood, Denver’s River North Art District (“RiNo” for short) sports a high concentration of historic warehouses and factories. Nowadays, the buildings host art galleries, art studios, indie boutiques—and apartments that are fittingly artsy. Block 32 at RiNo features colorful, loft-style interiors with modern finishes and an industrial feel. Some even come equipped with dedicated studio space. One-bedroom, one-bathroom units start at $1,396, which is around half the median rent for Five Points.

5. Seattle, Washington

Glass-walled apartment with contemporary flair

$1,300/month

With stark white walls and trim alongside dark cupboards and appliances, the monochrome look of this 283-square-foot studio is as modern as they come. And thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, residents of 1404 Boylston in Seattle can take in a bird’s eye view of the surrounding Central Business District.

Down below, they might spy locals heading toward Elliot Bay Bookstore, Garage (a swanky billiards hall-meets-bowling alley), the 48-acre Volunteer Park, and the dozens of restaurants, breweries, and after-hours clubs that form the framework of this cool and eclectic neighborhood. Rent at the on-trend 1404 Boylston starts at $1,300 for a studio, which is a steal compared to the neighborhood’s median rent of $1,950.

6. Portland, Oregon

Bike-friendly micro studio with built-in furniture

$845/month

Sure, studios and “micro studios” at The Arthur in Downtown Portland are aesthetically delightful, but they feature another type of design genius as well: efficient use of space. The Murphy bed and built-in folding tables free up floor space and make the tiny units feel surprisingly roomy. The cleverly integrated furniture was added during the building’s transformation from a historic hotel into an apartment building.

Today, the rentals start at $845 per month—way less than the neighborhood’s median $3,495. Their petite size is a perfect fit with Portland’s walkable, bike-friendly culture, as residents can easily make pseudo-living rooms out of the many nearby coffee shops, bars, and other public spaces. The Arthur even features a bicycle parking garage, so you don’t have to figure out where to stash your bike in your efficient living space.

7. Austin, Texas

Soothing, artsy aesthetic on 55 acres

$1,225-$1,695/month

You’d be forgiven for thinking Austin’s West Oak Hill neighborhood was 10 miles from downtown, rather than 10 minutes. Set on 55 rural acres, this 853-square-foot one-bedroom at the Lantana Ridge community is as rustic outside as it is modern inside. The furnished apartment blends mid-century-chic furnishings with contemporary features and colors in a way you’d probably never pull off on your own. And who doesn’t get a small thrill from built-in shelving? West Oak Hill is the home for Austinites who want to stay in touch with nature. Populated by many families, the growing area is one where you can easily find everything you need in nearby strip malls, but also hear the coyotes at night.

8. Saint Pete Beach, Florida

Lovely renovated bungalow just blocks from the beach

$1,900/month

If you’ve got your sights set on year-round beach living, do it in style with this two-bedroom bungalow in Saint Pete Beach, Florida. Situated on a barrier island about seven miles west of St. Petersburg, the resort city is revered for its sugar-white sand and turquoise Gulf waters. You’ll feel like you’re at the beach the moment you open your eyes in this bedroom that looks out onto a tropical backyard through two wall-sized windows. That yard includes a sit-here-all-day patio and a covered, wooden bike port, making the outdoors just another room of the beachy home. Plus, plenty of restaurants and tiki bars are accessible from this sunny spot, even though it costs far less than Saint Pete Beach’s median rent of $3,000.

9. Manchester, Connecticut

Converted mill apartments with exposed brick and beams

$985/month

Historical meets modern at the unique Lofts at the Mills in the quaint New England town of Manchester, Connecticut. Exposed brick and wooden beams are the norm for units inside this former-mill-turned-apartment-community. With 15-foot windows and large, arched windows to match, a studio for $985 per month is a steal in an area where the median rent is $1,400. If you love the classic feel of the building’s original architecture, you’re also going to enjoy the nearby historic Main Street shopping district in Manchester.

Are you looking for a great looking place to live? Check out what’s available in your neighborhood on right here on Trulia.