Many people in the United States dream of owning their own home, but the median home price in the United States is currently $190,000, which is a bit much if you’re a single person or a small family buying their first home (and let’s not discuss the prices of Real Estate in New York or California). However, if you have the opportunity or desire to move, there are many options open to you. Here are 25 of the most affordable places to buy real estate in the US.
25
Cumberland, MD
Source:http://www.realtor.com/
Cumberland, MD was once the second largest city in the state and sits at the border with West Virginia in the Allegheny Mountains, an equal distance from Pittsburgh and Washington DC. This town does have a small but active downtown arts scene, 4 seasons a year, and the median home price is $89k.
24
Topeka, KS
Source: http://www.realtor.com
Topeka is the capital of Kansas, located in the north-eastern part of the State. The median listing price for homes is $92k.
23
Lansing, MI
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansing,_Michigan Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansing,_Michigan
We all know Detroit has some cheap homes, but perhaps it is not the most..uh…family-friendly city to live in, right now. However Lansing, MI, the state capitol, is about 90 miles away. It’s also home to the Grand River Plant, which started making Chevy Camaros in 2015. The median listing price for a home is $75k
22
Rockford, IL
Source:https://www.consumeraffairs.com
Rockford, IL is the third most populous state in Illinois and lies about an hour and a half northwest of Chicago. The median listing price currently sits at $75K
21
Buffalo, NY
Source: https://www.thestreet.com
Buffalo NY sits on Lake Erie and is about 400 miles northwest of Manhattan. The second most populous city after New York City, the median listing price for a home is, surprisingly, only $110k.
20
Decatur, IL
Source: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/ Image Source: en.wikipedia.org (public domain)
Decatur, Ill is home to a large amount of agricultural processing and industrial manufacturing. Only two hours outside of Chicago, the median listing price for a home in Decatur is only $88k.
19
Macon, GA
Source: http://www.realtor.com/
85 Miles south of Atlanta, lies the city nicknamed “The Heart of Georgia,” Macon. For musicians, this city was the birthplace of Otis Redding, The Allman Brothers Band, and Jason Aldean. If you’ve always wanted to live in the south, it’s a city worth considering as the median listing price for a home runs at $80k.
18
Neenatch, CA
Source: Realtor.com
California and New York have a competition going on to have the most expensive real estate in the continental US. Still, if you have your heart set on living in California, particularly Los Angeles County, consider Neenatch, CA. Sure, it’s an agricultural settlement with a tiny population, but LA is only two hours away, and the median home listing is (ridiculously cheap for California) $146K.
17
Berkeley Springs, WV
Source: http://www.realtor.com/ Image Source: en.wikipedia.org (public Domain)
West Virginia, unfortunately, often finds itself the subject of many jokes about some of it’s more country residents. It should, however, be known for it’s breathtaking beauty and low cost of living. Berkeley Springs is known for it’s mineral springs, as well as the Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage, often known as the Berkeley Castle. The Median Listing price for a home is $77k.
16
Bullhead City, AZ
Source: www.realtor.com
Bullhead City sits along the Colorado River in Arizona, close to California. Temperatures regularly get into the 110s (F) in the summer, but at least you can say “Oh, it’s a dry heat!” Median home listings start at $75k.
15
Cape Coral, FL
Source: www.realtor.com, Image: pixabay (public domain)
Cape Coral, FL sits along the Gulf of Mexico and has more canals than any other city in the world (take THAT Venice). Also, it never snows there. If you’re looking to move to the Sunshine State, the median listing price is $75K.
Is cleanliness more important to you than cost? Take a look at 25 Cleanest Cities In The World.
14
Hot Springs, SD
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Springs,_South_Dakota & target.com
If you’ve ever had a desire to move to a small town in the middle of nowhere, Hot Springs, South Dakota may be your answer to that desire. There are a few houses for sale and quite a bit of land to build your dream home or whatever else you might want to build. Median listing price is a mere $55K, and it doesn’t break 90 degrees (F) in the summer. The closest Target is over an hour away (we checked).
13
Scranton, PA
Source & Image: en.wikipedia.org (pubic domain)
Scranton may no longer be the home of Dunder Mifflin paper company, but it has a median listing price of just $85k. The city had a downturn after coal lost favor over oil and natural gas for heating, but since the mid-80’s the city has been devoted to restoration, restoring many of the historic buildings and creating a downtown full of coffee shops. It could turn out to be a new hipster’s paradise.
12
Toledo, OH
Source: https://www.consumeraffairs.com
Toledo sits on the western end of Lake Erie in Northwest Ohio. The city has its fair share of historic districts and arts & cultural centers, and median listings for a home are $75k.
11
Thomaston, GA
Source: www.realtor.com
Thomaston, Georgia has been picked twice as one the top 100 small towns in America (1986 and 1995). It’s a quaint, charming southern town with the courthouse square in the town center. The median home listing price is $70k.
10
Augusta, Maine
Source: www.realtor.com
New England has a unique beauty and usually a price tag to match it. But Augusta, Maine, which sits along the Kennebec River, has a median listing price of only $109k, which is surprisingly low for this part of the US.
9
Crossville, TN
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Crossville, Tennessee, is the county seat for Cumberland county and has a population of just over 10k. The Palace Theater, which opened in 1938, is still in operation as an arts venue. If you’re looking for a small country town, Crossville has a median listing price of $49k.
8
Evansville, IN
Source:http://www.cbsnews.com/
Evansville, IN has 13 neighborhoods that have qualified to be on the National Register of Historic Places, including Downtown. It also has a zoo, a busy riverfront district along the Ohio river, two Targets, and nine non-target Starbucks, so this isn’t like a little nowhere Midwest town, guys. Median listing price is $90k.
7
Muskogee, OK
Source: www.realtor.com
About an hour outside of Tulsa sits the city of Muskogee, Oklahoma. The city boasts around 40,000 residents. The Mayor and elected city officials receive no compensation for their services; they just really love Muskogee. The median listing price is $80k.
6
Cookeville, TN
Source: www.realtor.com & https://en.wikipedia.org Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org (public domain)
Eighty miles outside of Nashville sits Cookeville, Tennessee. A city with a population of around 40,000, Cookeville is a “college town,” the home of Tennessee Technological University. Median listing price is currently $90k.
5
Erie, PA
Source: http://www.visiteriepa.com/
Erie, PA is the fourth largest city in PA, sitting alongside Lake Erie, and has quite a bit to offer – starting with many Craftsman style homes and a median listing price of $95K. There’s also their own zoo, the beautiful Presque Isle State Park (hiking and picnics, #1 freshwater beach in the country), and 17 coffee shops, chain and non-chain. Yes, please!
4
Neosho, MO
Source: http://neoshomo.org/ & www.realtor.com Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org (public domain)
Neosho, Missouri, called “The City of Springs,” and “The Flowerbox City,” is the county seat of Newton County, MO and has a population of just under 12,000. It’s a sweet little town that’s only about half an hour from Joplin. Median listing price is $60k.
3
Eureka Springs, AK
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org
Eureka Springs sits in the Ozark Mountains in northwest Arkansas. There are several reasons tourists may visit the area – natural beauty of the Ozarks, the Victorian style homes, historic downtown area – but far and away one of the most beautiful reasons to visit is Thorncrown Chapel, designed by architect E. Fay Jones in 1980. It’s also worth noting that they were the first city in Arkansas to offer same sex marriage licenses back in 2014. Rock on, guys. Median listing for a home is $90k.
2
Branson, MO
Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/
Branson, Missouri, sits in the Ozark mountains and is home to tourist attractions such as Silver Dollar City and Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede as well as dozens of live music and performance venues. Median listing price is $90k.
Looking for a place to raise a family? Check out 25 Best Places In The United States To Raise Kids.
1
Cleveland, OH
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio, is the most populous city in the state of Ohio and is also home to the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame. It has four lovely, distinct seasons and is home to the second largest performing arts center in the US – Playhouse Square Center. Median home listing as of October 2016 is $96k.
Photos: 25. Preservation Maryland via flickr, 24. Dylan Edwards (kswx29) via wikimedia commons, 23. subterranean via wikimedia commons, 22. Alex Baumgarner via wikimedia commons, 21. Pete716 via wikimedia commons, 19. Alexdi at English Wikipedia, 18. BeenAroundAWhile at English Wikipedia, 16. Stan Shebs via wikimedia commons, 14. Mark DeVries via flickr, 12. NorthernMagnolia via wikimedia commons, 11. Bill Golladay via wikimedia commons, 10. Terry Ross via flickr, 9. James F Keck via wikimedia commons, 8. John Blair via wikimedia commons, 7. Finlay MacKenzie via city-data.com (fair use), 5. Douglas Bold via wikimedia commons, 3. Bobak via wikimedia commons, 2. KTrimble via wikimedia commons, 1. Avogadro94 via wikimedia commons