The U.S. News article states that a large reason Elmira New York is #9 on the list is due to the cost of living!
"The national average home value is $370,489, while the median home value in Elmira is $92,066. Elmira offers a lower value of living compared to similarly sized cities."
More reasons on why Elmira was ranked #9 can be found here in the article written by U.S. News.