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There is a known positive relationship between city population and cost. While most small towns still have affordable real estate, the biggest cities in the US—think New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles—have house prices that are out of reach for most Americans. This page lists the exceptions to this rule, providing the most affordable cities at a few different population thresholds.
| Population cutoff | City | Median home price |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 (full list) | Flint, Michigan | $75,000 |
| 100,000-200,000 | Akron, Ohio | $118,000 |
| 200,000-300,000 | Toledo, Ohio | $115,000 |
| 300,000-500,000 | Cleveland, Ohio | $135,000 |
| 500,000+ | Detroit, Michigan | $78,000 |
The most affordable cities are clearly located in the Rust Belt. In fact, the most affordable city not in the Rust Belt, Camden, New Jersey, is about 50% more expensive than Flint.
A lot of these cities are considered run-down and/or have issues with crime. We redid the list only including cities that have at least "fair" rankings for violent crime and property crime:
| Population cutoff | City | Median home price |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 (full list) | Elyria, Ohio | $145,000 |
| 100,000-200,000 | Hampton, VA | $132,000 |
| 200,000-300,000 | Laredo, Texas | $249,000 |
| 300,000-500,000 | Henderson, Nevada | $457,000 |
| 500,000+ | El Paso, TX | $250,000 |
As a bonus, since our quiz is offered for both buyers and renters, it seemed fair to re-run the list for rental prices instead of home prices.
| Population cutoff | City | Median rental price |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 (full list) | Decatur, IL; Albany, GA; Enid, OK (tie) | All $725 |
| 100,000-200,000 | Evansville, Indiana | $800 |
| 200,000-300,000 | Toledo, Ohio | $840 |
| 300,000-500,000 | Wichita, Kansas | $900 |
| 500,000+ | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | $1,040 |
To get an unlimited list of recommendations for what city to live in based on home price as well as many other factors, take our quiz!