The ongoing battle between employers’ desire to have employees back in the office full-time and a significant portion of professional-level working adults relishing the hybrid life, has more professionals seeking to make their six-figure salaries go even further and maintain their remote status.

Well, a new study from financial services firm, appropriately named, Empower recently developed a criteria and list of most affordable best cities to live, work and play in the United States.

Perhaps not surprising, many of the top cities in the top 10 are located in the Midwest, which includes:  Sioux Falls, S.D.; Springfield, Ill.; Wichita, Kan.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Des Moines; Oklahoma City; Lincoln, Neb.; Anchorage; Omaha, Neb. (shown in photo); and McAllen, Texas.

Anchorage and Virginia Beach stand out in the top 10 as they are typically considered pricier because of their respective locations, but other quality of life factors and employment opportunities elevate their ranking into the top 10.

The factors and behavioral demographics most important to professionals as Empower developed the criteria for the “Most Affordable” list included cost of living, proximity to family, crime rates, employment opportunities, home prices, weather, rent prices, access to activities/recreation, cultural opportunities, traffic, and more.

Interestingly, there was little overlap between the cities most desired by workers and the actual best and most affordable cities, nearly 60 in all. The most coveted cities by working professionals included Denver; San Diego; New York; Charlotte, N.C.; Seattle; Raleigh, N.C.; Austin; Tampa; Los Angeles; among others.

To read the full report, including the complete list of best and most affordable places to live and work, the criteria included in the selection, plus the best cities to retire, visit the Empower report page.