The 10 most affordable places to live

% of monthly income spent on housing: 22%
% of monthly income spent on commuting: 7.1%
% of monthly income spent on utilities: 3.9%

Middle class homeowners in Syracuse spend the highest percentage of their income on housing on the top 10 list, but they also dedicated the least amount on monthly utility bills.

First published September 16, 2015: 7:35 AM ET

Source: Trulia
To determine affordability, Trulia calculated how much a median income household would spend on housing, utilities and commuting in the 100 largest housing markets in the U.S. To determine housing affordability, Trulia assumed a 30-year fixed rate mortgage with a 4% interest rate on each metro area's median home price based on Trulia's August listings. Property taxes and insurance were also included in the calculations. Trulia used data from the 2013 American Community Survey to determine the median monthly household expenditure on utilities (water, electricity and gas) and commute time to work in each area.

9 of 10