Moving right now isn’t easy. With a weak economy, you have to make sure that you can make each dollar count both during and after your move so that you don’t find yourself with an empty wallet just a few months after moving to your new place. By making sure that the place you move has a good job market and low cost of living, you can be sure that you’re going to stay comfortable even with all the money that you’re going to have to spend. So what’s the secret? Midwest and Austin real estate.

To really get the most out of each dollar you’re spending, you should look to the Midwest, which, according to Professor Robert Helsley of UC Berkeley, has such a low cost of living because it’s entirely landlocked. You probably weren’t expecting to get a fancy beachside condo in this economy anyways, so you might as well push that advantage and get the best deal you can in the situation. If you can already feel the dollar signs in your eyes at this point, you’ll want to check out St. Louis, which is the cheapest city to live in in the entire country.

However, the cost of living isn’t the only thing you should pay attention to. Perhaps even more important is the ability to get a job wherever you move. The best place to find a job right now is Texas, since it has 57 Fortune 500 companies. Why does that matter? Well, aside from the fact that you have more places to apply to, a large number of major corporations is a great indicator of a strong economy. These companies can single-handedly keep an economy going through the sheer amount of money they’re moving around. Consider that Houston has 38 of those companies while Dallas has 15, and you start to realize just how much corporate presence Texas is packing (and the job openings to go with it).

So, overall, your best bet is really Texas. Texas has a low cost of living across the state, and, although it can’t compete with the Midwest, its abundance of career opportunities makes it an ideal place to move. Everyone is different, though, so maybe the Midwest is perfect for you if you’re already comfortable or have your choice of move with an existing job. So take heart! Moving is still possible, even if the economy doesn’t make it look that way!

By James Kim

James Kim writes for Austin Real Estate service Homecity.com. HomeCity combines powerful online Austin MLS search technology and other online tools with personalized real estate services to provide clients with the knowledge they need to make the right buying and selling decisions.