Housing News

Trying to Save Money? The 20 Most Affordable Places to Buy a Home

High home prices can make navigating the housing market feel daunting. However, there are still deals to be found—if you know where to find them.

In fact, some regions of the country, such as parts of the Midwest, Rust Belt, and South, are still relatively affordable. This offers homebuyers some budget-friendly options.  

“The Midwest and South are two regions in the U.S. that are doing the best with building new homes,” said Adam Hamilton, CEO at REI Hub, a property management software company. “That is helping significantly with the supply [and] demand ratio. It’s a massive contributing factor when it comes to keeping prices down.”

With that in mind, we present a look at the most affordable places to buy a home right now.

The rankings are based on Zillow’s median home list prices as of January 31, 2025. Only the largest 100 metro areas, which include both the main city and surrounding suburbs, were included in the analysis.

The most affordable places to purchase a home

Ohio, with its affordable cost of living, low property taxes, and strong housing supply, stands out as an attractive market for potential homeowners looking for value.

Four of the top five cheapest places to purchase a home, Akron, Toledo, Dayton, and Cleveland, were in the Buckeye State.

For instance, homebuyers can still find homes for under $200,000 in Akron and Toledo, where the median home list prices were $193,249 and $197,800 respectively.

Rochester, in upstate New York along the U.S.-Canada border, also ranked among the top five most affordable metros, with a median list price of just $207,733.

Like Ohio, Rochester benefits from a more manageable cost of living, making it an appealing choice for homebuyers looking to stretch their dollars further.

What do the most affordable metros have in common?

These more affordable places have two big things in common. They often have fewer people looking for homes and more new home construction, boosting the number of properties on the market.  

A lower demand and higher supply of homes available help to keep a lid on prices.

"Some cities like Toledo, Pittsburgh, and Louisville stay affordable because they haven’t seen the same population growth that makes prices rise in other places," said Chris Heerlein, CEO at Reap Financial, a registered investment advisory firm.

On the other hand, the Western swath of the country has experienced strong housing demand over the past few decades, especially in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

This has resulted in significant price hikes—making it more difficult for potential homebuyers to find affordable options.

Top 20 most affordable metro areas

These are the most affordable metro areas:

1. Akron, Ohio – $193,249
2. Toledo, Ohio – $197,800
3. Rochester, N.Y. – $207,733
4. Dayton, Ohio – $218,267
5. Cleveland, Ohio – $221,283
6. St. Louis, Mo. – $221,300
7. Pittsburgh, Pa. – $223,667
8. Buffalo, N.Y. – $228,300
9. Detroit, Mich. – $229,133
10. Syracuse, N.Y. – $242,933
11. McAllen, Texas – $251,667
12. Wichita, Kan. – $253,300
13. Little Rock, Ark. – $258,000
14. Jackson, Miss. – $258,967
15. Harrisburg, Pa. – $272,567
16. Baton Rouge, La. – $276,667
17. Augusta, Ga. – $278,000
18. Birmingham, Ala. – $278,967
19. Cincinnati, Ohio – $279,633
20. Louisville, Ky. – $280,333