15 cities where it’s more affordable to buy a home

If browsing home prices in Seattle or San Francisco feels like an exercise in unattainability, consider expanding your search outside the West Coast.

Using a combination of factors, including median house prices, annual household incomes, real-estate taxes, and cost of living, WalletHub created a list of the most affordable cities to buy a home.

Many of the cities are in the Rust Belt, which has struggled with economic recovery but has seen revitalization more recently. Others are in literal hotspots, like regions of Arizona that are experiencing booming population growth.

For each city in the top 15, BI identified the population using 2024 US Census estimates, median household income from 2023 Census data, and median house prices from Realtor.com’s April 2025 listings.

Here are 15 cities where the housing prices aren’t as sky-high as in other regions.

15. Montgomery, Alabama

Population: 195,818

Median home price: $195,000

Median household income: $55,687

A little about Montgomery: Known as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, Montgomery has a wealth of museums, monuments, and sites dedicated to this chapter in its history.

Maxwell Gunter Air Force Base is a major employer, as is the state government. Hyundai also has a manufacturing plant where the Tucson, Santa Fe, and other vehicles are assembled.

Parts of this capital city have views of the Alabama River. Riverfront Park is a popular destination, especially during the hot, humid summers.

14. Toledo, Ohio

Population: 265,638

Median home price: $135,000

Median household income: $47,532

A little about Toledo: The city has deep ties to the automotive industry and is sometimes called “The Glass City” thanks to its history of glass manufacturing, hence the name of its riverwalk. Both the Toledo Zoo and the Toledo Museum of Art are popular attractions.

The landscape isn’t all industrial, either. The Maumee River travels through Toledo before feeding into Lake Erie. Over 200 miles of trails are found in the city, including some that double as cross-country ski areas during the snowy winters.

13. Warren, Michigan

Population: 137,686

Median home price: $187,400

Median household income: $63,741

A little about Warren: About 15 miles north of Detroit, Warren is one of the state’s most populous cities. It’s the location of the Detroit Arsenal, the first facility in the country built to mass produce tanks. The Army’s Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command is still headquartered there. GM’s Global Technical Center is another major employer.

Warren lacks much of a downtown. It’s something the city’s leaders are hoping to change by bringing in restaurants and shops to the area around the city hall, CBS News reported in January. It’s slowly becoming more diverse as well, overcoming years of discriminatory housing practices, the Michigan Chronicle reported in 2019.

12. Cleveland, Ohio

Population: 365,379

Median home price: $144,900

Median household income: $39,187

A little about Cleveland: Notorious for catching fire several times, most notably in 1969, the Cuyahoga River twists through Cleveland before reaching Lake Erie. The waterway is now much cleaner than in the manufacturing city’s past. The Flats also sit on the river. The former industrial area now hosts bars and restaurants that provide lively nightlife, especially for the city’s younger demographic.

At the center of the city’s downtown is the Public Square, a 10-acre park with a splash pad in the summer and ice rink in the winter.

When residents aren’t hanging out, they might be working at the Cleveland Clinic, a medical center with over 50,000 employees. American Greetings, Great Lakes Brewing, and Sherwin-Williams are also based there.

11. North Las Vegas, Nevada

Population: 294,034

Median home price: $425,500

Median household income: $76,772

A little about North Las Vegas: Though not far from the frenetic energy of the Strip, North Las Vegas is a bit more sedate. It shares the same desert climate, though. It’s not unusual for temperatures to reach triple digits in the summer months.

Both Amazon and Sephora have distribution centers in the area. They’re located near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which holds racing events for NASCAR, IndyCar, and others. Events like an annual mariachi competition celebrate the city’s diverse population, while North 5th brews up local beer.

10. Indianapolis, Indiana

Population: 891,484

Median home price: $259,900

Median household income: $62,99

A little about Indianapolis: Indiana’s capital is perhaps best known for the Indy 500. The annual car race takes place in an enclave town, Speedway. The city’s sports fans also cheer on basketball teams the Pacers and the Fever.

Other leisurely ways to spend time include walking or biking the 10-mile Cultural Trail, which connects White River State Park, museums, and art pieces like the Talking Wall.

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly started in Indianapolis and remains headquartered there today.

9. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Population: 273,203

Median home price: $289,900

Median household income: $60,293

A little about Fort Wayne: Less than 20 miles from the Ohio border, Fort Wayne is a Midwestern city that experiences all four seasons. Healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics are some of its major industries.

Fort Wayne residents can enjoy dozens of parks throughout the city, including some with a water view. A trio of rivers flows through the city, and St. Marys’ riverfront has green spaces, museums, and boat rentals.

8. Augusta, Georgia

Population: 201,737

Median home price: $224,900

Median household income: $53,134

A little about Augusta: The Masters golf tournament calls Augusta home, so it’s perhaps not surprising that Textron has its E‑Z‑GO golf cart headquarters there. Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and American Concrete all have a presence in the city as well.

This Southern city has long, hot summers, with an average of 80 days over 90 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. When the weather is nice, residents who like to putt can enjoy numerous public golf courses in the area.

7. Memphis, Tennessee

Population: 610,919

Median home price: $219,900

Median household income: $51,211

A little about Memphis: It’s nearly impossible to separate Memphis from its musical past, due to the presence of Sun Studio. B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and many others recorded there. Elvis’ Graceland home remains a draw for his enthusiastic fans.

There are still countless venues in the city to catch live music. For those who don’t make their living performing, several Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Memphis, including FedEx, AutoZone, and International Paper. Elon Musk has also said his AI startup will build the world’s largest supercomputer in the city.

6. Yuma, Arizona

Population: 103,559

Median home price: $353,700

Median household income: $60,417

A little about Yuma: When you enjoy crisp broccoli or lettuce during the chilly months of the year, chances are the leafy greens came from the country’s “Winter Salad Bowl.” Yuma grows 90% of these vegetables between November and March, and agriculture accounts for 20% of jobs in the southwestern Arizona county, according to the University of Arizona.

That’s also the season for snowbirds who flock to the desert climate from the north, swelling the city’s population. Summer temperatures can reach an average high of 106 degrees, so residents grab paddleboards or kayaks in the Colorado River.

5. Akron, Ohio

Population: 189,664

Median home price: $145,000

Median household income: $48,544

A little about Akron: When Goodyear, B.F. Goodrich, Firestone, and General Tire all set up shop in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the industry would eventually lead to Akron’s “Rubber Capital of the World” nickname. Now, only Goodyear’s headquarters remain in the city, which is about 40 miles south of Cleveland.

The tire companies’ legacies remain in park names like Firestone and Goodyear Heights. Some of these scenic spots have ideal hills for sledding on snowy days.

Some residents have been less eager to embrace a newer industry, bitcoin mining, with some worrying how the energy-heavy operations will affect electricity rates and the environment.

4. Surprise, Arizona

Population: 167,564

Median home price: $459,900

Median household income: $93,371

A little about Surprise: About 45 minutes from Phoenix, you’ll find Surprise. The suburban city is proud of its sports facilities, which include a tennis and racquet complex; golf courses; and Surprise Stadium, which hosts MLB spring training each year.

The founder, Flora Mae Statler, reportedly gave Surprise its unusual name because she didn’t think it would amount to much. However, it’s had explosive growth over the past two decades, going from just under 31,000 people in 2000 to over 167,564 by 2024.

Arizona is one of the US’ fastest-growing states. Its lower home prices are likely one of the reasons over 630,000 Californians have moved there over the past decade, the Phoenix Business Journal reported last year.

Surprise is trying to expand while also preserving some of the desert ecosystem, The Arizona Republic reported in February.

3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Population: 307,668

Median home price: $269,000

Median household income: $64,137

A little about Pittsburgh: The Steel City once owed much of its livelihood to manufacturing and industry. Its location, where the Monongahela and Allegheny converge to form the Ohio, shaped its identity as the “Gateway to the West.”

The waterways provided a route to ship timber, coal, and other resources to other parts of the country. You can catch a great view of them from Mount Washington.

As the steel industry declined, healthcare grew, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is now a major employer. A number of tech companies, including Duolingo, are headquartered in the city.

2. Detroit, Michigan

Population: 645,705

Median home price: $109,000

Median household income: $39,575

A little about Detroit: Detroit’s history as both the Motor City and the home of Motown music continues to impact its reputation for being cool yet burdened with economic challenges, resulting from the loss of much of the automotive industry. Rocket Mortgage, General Motors, and Little Caesars are all headquartered in Detroit.

The Detroit River divides the city from Windsor, Canada, and the area provides a crucial link between the two countries. It’s the site of a picturesque island park, Belle Isle, which invites plenty of visitors in the warmer months.

As parts of the city rebound, it’s become known as a foodie destination, thanks to its diverse selection of cuisines.

1. Flint, Michigan

Population: 79,735

Median home price: $70,000

Median household income: $36,194

A little about Flint: Flint is synonyms with its water crisis. When the city began sourcing from the Flint River, the distribution pipes started corroding and leaching lead into the water supply. It’s been over a decade since the switch, and some pipes still need replacing and people remain sick from years of drinking contaminated water, The Guardian reported last year.

At the time, the City of Flint said in a statement that it had significantly upgraded its monitoring and infrastructure. Though its water meets federal standards for lead levels, they stated that “no amount of lead in water is safe.”

Like Detroit, which is less than 70 miles southeast, Flint relied heavily on the auto industry in the past. In the summer, residents and visitors celebrate this history with the “Back to the Bricks” classic car event. Today, fast-food chains YaYa’s Chicken and Big John Steak & Onion both have ties to the city.

Sources: Population and income data are from the US Census, and median home prices are from Realtor.com.

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