Job seekers often overlook the small and medium cities located near or in-between the big hubs. These smaller "satellite" cities benefit from expanding regional business growth, while offering lower housing and commuter costs, putting less of a squeeze on employee salaries than more expensive, congested places a few hours away.

That can mean both abundant job opportunities and budget-friendly home prices for folks looking to relocate. Check out these 15 up-and-coming satellite cities where the job markets are hot but the cost of living won't eat all of your paycheck. All of these cities' job markets have been growing faster than the national average, most have lower jobless rates than the national average, and all are expected to continue to outperform economically this year.

Karla Rivera also contributed to this report.

Reno/Sparks, Nev.

Eelkefolmer via Wikimedia

Close by: Sacramento, Calif. (130 miles SW), San Francisco (220 miles SW)

Population: 343,600

Employment growth in 2017 (national avg. = 1.6%): 5.0%

Unemployment rate (national avg. = 4.1%): 3.7%

Median home price (national median = $247,000): $365,000 Reno / $330,000 Sparks / $290,000 Carson City

Near the California border and 20 miles from Lake Tahoe, Reno and Sparks benefit from tourism, hospitality and gambling. Business services, health care, construction and transportation are also major employers. The University of Nevada at Reno is the second-largest university in the state.

The area was jump-started economically when Tesla opened