12 cities where you dont have to be a millionaire to live like one

12 cities where you dont have to be a millionaire to live like one12 cities where you dont have to be a millionaire to live like oneThink you need to make high six-figures or more to live your best life? Think again.Thats according to a new survey by personal finance siteGoBankingRates that looked at 270 of the largest U.S. cities and ranked the most affordable cities where you can live large even if you happen to be making the national average wage of slightly more than $49,000 a year. The survey took into account the recommended ratio of income, housing costs, living expenses and savings to come to their conclusions.Here are the top 12 destinationsNo. 1 El Paso, TexasIncome required $40,024Median rent $555 per monthAmenities El Paso, which was spared the recent flooding that ravaged southeast Texas earlier this month, is a desert town on the border of Mexico with a population of 2.7 million people. It gets more than 300 days of sunshine per year and offers easy proximity to state a nd national parks including theFranklin Mountains State Park, where coyotes and golden eagles call home and an aerial tramway offers views of Mexico. It was ranked the second safest sozialschlauch city in the U.S. this year(after NYC) by home security company SafeWise.No. 2 Springfield, MissouriIncome required $40,834Median rent $495 per monthAmenities Located near the Ozark Mountain range, Springfield is home toMissouri State University and hosts an art museum, annual jazz festival and other activities.No. 3 Lubbock, TexasIncome required $43,201Median rent $600 per monthAmenities This northwest Texas town is home to Texas Tech University, is home to 252,000 people and has dozens of art galleries, museums and monuments - including the Buddy Holly Center, paying homage to the Lubbock-born musician.No. 4 Albuquerque, New MexicoIncome required$43,573Median rent $699 per monthAmenities This high desert city is influenced by its Native American and Spanish history and is home to parks, museums and other cultural facilities.No. 5 Detroit, MichiganIncome required $44,080Median rent $600 per monthAmenities Michigans largest city has been through some tough times since its former heyday as the motor city, and many of its residents are still struggling to make ends meet on less than half the income required to live comfortably. But there has been a sustained effort to rebuild Detroit, including a push to make it a hub for biomedical research.No. 6 Spokane, WashingtonIncome required $44,342Median rent $650 per monthAmenities Spokane, which is just under 300 miles east of Seattle and 200 miles south of the Canadian border, has a wealth of outdoor recreational facilities, including a riverfront park, botanical garden and arboretum - not to mention easy proximity to hiking and camping. Its motto is Near nature, near perfect.No. 7 Wichita, KansasIncome required $44,776Median rent $625 per monthAmenities Theres no place like home in Witchita, a former cattle town thats the largest city in Kansas. It boasts nearly three dozen museums, a botanic garden, the nations seventh-largest zoo, and other destinations.No. 8 Fresno, CaliforniaIncome required$44,838Median rent (not provided)Amenities Unlike its more expensive neighboring cities of San Fransisco and Los Angeles, Fresno is an affordable part of the golden state that offers access to the majestic Yosemite National Park, home to rock-climbing peak El Capitan, as well as an endless number of destinations including the Forestiere Underground Gardens - an underground park inspired by Roman catacombs - and the Shinzen Japanese garden.No. 9 Bloomington, IndianaIncome required $45,663Median rent (not provided)Amenities The seventh-largest city in Indiana is home to Indiana University, the kid-friendly science museum the WonderLab and ample access to the great outdoors.No. 10 Cincinnati, OhioIncome required $45,702Median rent (not provided)Amenities This midwestern riverfront town has a thriving cultural an d sports scene including playing host to the Bengals, the Reds, and the historic Findlay Market, an outdoor shopping and food hub in the Over-the-Rhine district.No. 11 Reno, NevadaIncome required$46,269Median rent (not provided)Amenities The so-calledBiggest Little City in the World is larger than its neighbor, Las Vegas, but much more affordable. While gaming and casinos were once a big part of its identity, Renos official tourism website focuses more on its outdoor recreational facilities, emphasizing that the Spectacular Lake Tahoe and the largest concentration of schi facilities in the world are all within a fifty-mile radius. Biking, camping, hunting, fishing and mountain climbing are all activities Reno residents and visitors enjoy.No. 12 Tucson, ArizonaIncome required $46, 310Median rent $628Amenities With hike-worthy mountain ranges on all sides, access to the University of Arizona and miles of mouthwatering Mexican restaurants, Tucson rounds out the list of most affordable big cities in the U.S.