15. New Mexico
Annual median salary: $51,280
Cost of living index: 95.7
Employment: 720
New Mexico’s claim to this list is its ideally sustainable cost of living rates. Life becomes harder every day as we have to work harder to earn more, so states with affordable living expenses are always safer than those with more expensive ones. A wage that’s lower than the average can dampen our spirits, but with cheap rent and meals, do you still really mind? They have a decent employment rate as well.
