Terre Haute, IN, United States

Living in Terre Haute means making peace with the looming presence of the U.S. Penitentiary, a high-security federal prison that houses over 1,100 inmates. The city's economy is propped up by the prison, which employs around 400 local residents, but it also casts a long shadow - the facility includes a Special Confinement Unit and federal execution chamber. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with inmates allotted a strict 300 minutes of monthly phone time in 15-minute increments. Beyond the prison walls, Terre Haute offers little excitement, situated 70 miles west of Indianapolis. This industrial Midwest town is best suited for those seeking a quiet, affordable cost of living, provided they can stomach the pervasive influence of the penitentiary.