AAPL

TSLA

AMZN

News & Insights

Personal Finance

Here Are the 50 Most Affordable Places To Buy a Home in 2025

January 27, 2025 — 07:00 am EST

Written by Nicole Spector for GOBankingRates ->

Thanks to a nationwide housing shortage, the prices of homes in the U.S. just keep going up. The median sales price of new houses sold in November 2024 was $402,600, and the average sales price was $484,800. Tack on top of that fees associated with closing along with the cost of a mortgage loan, which most homeowners take on, and you’re looking at an amount of money that leaves many with no choice but to keep on renting, even if they aspire to own.

Check Out: 25 Places To Buy a Home If You Want It To Gain Value

Fortunately, hopeful homeowners who feel excluded by cost aren’t left without options. Though north of $400K is the “median” and “average” sales price, you can find a lot of cities where the average single-family home goes for considerably less. In a new study, GOBankingRates analyzed the largest 200 cities to find the most affordable cities for homebuyers. The cities were sorted to show the 50 cities with the largest difference from the national average home value.

Three key findings:

Texas comes in strong with eight cities on the list.
Only one city in Florida made the cut.
Two of the three most affordable places to buy a home are in Ohio.

50. York, Pennsylvania

Household median income: $47,115
Single-family home average value: $257,812
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $99,692
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 27.89%

Coastal Living: 5 Affordable Small Cities To Live In on the West Coast

49. Columbus, Ohio

Household median income: $65,327
Single-family home average value: $256,450
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $101,054
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 28.27%

48. Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Household median income: $57,673
Single-family home average value: $256,448
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $101,056
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 28.27%

47. San Antonio, Texas

Household median income: $62,917
Single-family home average value: $252,301
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $105,204
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 29.43%

46. Pensacola, Florida

Household median income: $72,699
Single-family home average value: $250,928
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $106,577
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 29.81%

45. Reading, Pennsylvania

Household median income: $45,599
Single-family home average value: $246,152
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $111,353
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 31.15%

See More: 21 Affordable Small Cities To Retire on the East Coast

44. Louisville, Kentucky

Household median income: $64,731
Single-family home average value: $246,093
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $111,411
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 31.16%

43. Cincinnati, Ohio

Household median income: $51,707
Single-family home average value: $239,005
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $118,500
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 33.15%

42. Kansas City, Missouri

Household median income: $67,449
Single-family home average value: $234,766
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $122,738
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 34.33%

41. Columbia, South Carolina

Household median income: $55,653
Single-family home average value: $232,966
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $124,538
Difference in home value from national average (percentage):34.84%

40. Springfield, Missouri

Household median income: $45,984
Single-family home average value: $229,175
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $128,329
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 35.90%

39. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Household median income: $60,293
Single-family home average value: $227,302
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $130,202
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 36.42%

38. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Household median income: $49,944
Single-family home average value: $227,162
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $130,342
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 36.46%

37. Indianapolis, Indiana

Household median income: $62,995
Single-family home average value: $226,215
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $131,290
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 36.72%

36. New Orleans, Louisiana

Household median income: $55,339
Single-family home average value: $225,291
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $132,213
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 36.98%

35. Buffalo, New York

Household median income: $48,050
Single-family home average value: $224,175
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $133,330
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 37.29%

34. El Paso, Texas

Household median income: $58,734
Single-family home average value: $224,073
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $133,431
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 37.32%

33. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Household median income: $64,137
Single-family home average value: $223,070
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $134,435
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 37.60%

32. Killeen, Texas

Household median income: $58,339
Single-family home average value: $217,984
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $139,520
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 39.03%

31. Corpus Christi, Texas

Household median income: $66,325
Single-family home average value: $215,901
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $141,604
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 39.61%

30. Fayetteville, North Carolina

Household median income: $56,395
Single-family home average value: $215,653
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $141,852
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 39.68%

29. Rochester, New York

Household median income: $46,628
Single-family home average value: $215,484
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $142,020
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 39.73%

28. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Household median income: $60,698
Single-family home average value: $213,608
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $143,896
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 40.25%

27. Laredo, Texas

Household median income: $63,264
Single-family home average value: $212,000
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $145,504
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 40.70%

26. Little Rock, Arkansas

Household median income: $60,583
Single-family home average value: $208,647
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $148,858
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 41.64%

25. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Household median income: $58,407
Single-family home average value: $203,852
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $153,652
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 42.98%

24. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Household median income: $51,888
Single-family home average value: $201,788
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $155,716
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 43.56%

23. Lubbock, Texas

Household median income: $60,487
Single-family home average value: $200,258
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $157,246
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 43.98%

22. Des Moines, Iowa

Household median income: $63,966
Single-family home average value: $200,147
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $157,357
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 44.02%

21. Oklahoma City

Household median income: $66,702
Single-family home average value: $199,072
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $158,433
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 44.32%

20. Amarillo, Texas

Household median income: $62,469
Single-family home average value: $194,475
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $163,030
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 45.60%

19. Wichita, Kansas

Household median income: $63,072
Single-family home average value: $193,747
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $163,757
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 45.81%

18. Syracuse, New York

Household median income: $45,845
Single-family home average value: $190,802
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $166,703
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 46.63%

17. Mobile, Alabama

Household median income: $51,090
Single-family home average value: $190,019
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $167,485
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 46.85%

16. Brownsville, Texas

Household median income: $48,675
Single-family home average value: $189,879
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $167,625
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 46.89%

15. Evansville, Indiana

Household median income: $52,251
Single-family home average value: $183,638
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $173,866
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 48.63%

For You: 20 Best Cities Where You Can Buy a House for Under $100K

14. Baltimore, Maryland

Household median income: $59,623
Single-family home average value: $180,996
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $176,509
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 49.37%

13. Erie, Pennsylvania

Household median income: $43,397
Single-family home average value: $179,678
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $177,827
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 49.74%

12. Saint Louis, Missouri

Household median income: $55,279
Single-family home average value: $171,995
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $185,510
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 51.89%

11. Columbus, Georgia

Household median income: $56,622
Single-family home average value: $156,479
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $201,025
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 56.23%

10. Rockford, Illinois

Household median income: $53,328
Single-family home average value: $154,513
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $202,992
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 56.78%

9. Memphis, Tennessee

Household median income: $51,211
Single-family home average value: $141,330
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $216,175
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 60.47%

8. Dayton, Ohio

Household median income: $43,454
Single-family home average value: $141,054
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $216,450
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 60.54%

7. Montgomery, Alabama

Household median income: $55,687
Single-family home average value: $140,078
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $217,427
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 60.82%

6. Shreveport, Louisiana

Household median income: $48,465
Single-family home average value: $130,942
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $226,562
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 63.37%

5. Akron, Ohio

Household median income: $48,544
Single-family home average value: $126,492
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $231,013
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 64.62%

4. Birmingham, Alabama

Household median income: $44,376
Single-family home average value: $118,967
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $238,537
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 66.72%

3. Toledo, Ohio

Household median income: $47,532
Single-family home average value: $118,013
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $239,491
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 66.99%

2. Cleveland, Ohio

Household median income: $39,187
Single-family home average value: $106,037
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $251,468
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 70.34%

1. Detroit, Michigan

Household median income: $39,575
Single-family home average value: $72,216
Difference in home value from national average (dollars): $285,288
Difference in home value from national average (percentage): 79.80%

Methodology. For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the largest 200 cities to find the most affordable cities for homebuyers. First GOBankingRates found the largest 200 cities using the Zillow Home Value Index from December 2024 along with the average single family home value from December 2024. For each city a number of factors were found for supplemental information including: total population, population ages 65 and over, total households and household median income all sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Using this data the percentage of the population ages 65 and over can be calculated. Using the average single-family home value, assuming a 10% down payment, and using the most recent national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage can be calculated. The percent difference from each cities average home value to the national average home values were calculated. The cities were sorted to show the 50 cities with the largest difference from the national average home value. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Jan. 14, 2025.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Here Are the 50 Most Affordable Places To Buy a Home in 2025

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Tags