The first two years of the coronavirus pandemic had a profound impact on the U.S. housing market as Americans fled expensive, high-population areas to mid-sized cities or adjoining suburbs in lower-cost parts of the country. (See how the cost of housing has skyrocketed in these major U.S. cities.)
Low-mortgage rates and high demand for homes in many markets — coupled with a slowdown in new home construction due to pandemic-related disruptions in the labor force and supply chains — often led to intense bidding wars over available homes among prospective buyers.
How the times have changed.
The once piping hot U.S. residential real estate market has slowed considerably in 2023.
Rising interest rates and an unwillingness by potential sellers to give up their low-rate mortgages have chilled the home-buying frenzy of the previous two years.
Even in hot, high-cost markets like Austin, Texas, and San Francisco home prices have dropped by 10% over the past year, according to a Washington Post analysis of home value data.
But if you still cannot afford an Austin-area suburban McMansion or a townhouse in San Francisco’s Mission District – and you do not mind the life and pace of a smaller, less popular place – buying a home is within reach for people with even modest incomes in some cities.
To identify the cheapest city to buy a home in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on median list price of homes on the market in April 2023 with data from realtor.com, a real estate market website. With median list price data for over 900 U.S. metro areas, we identified the city in each state with the lowest median list price.
Median list price among the 50 cities and towns – each the cheapest in its state to buy a home – ranges from $55,000 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, to $645,000 in Hilo, Hawaii. All but two of the cities on the list have median list prices cheaper than the national median of $430,000 in April 2023.
In 18 of the cities, the list price declined compared to April last year, and in all but one city the median list price is lower than the state media. In Providence-Warwick, Rhode Island, which is listed here by default only as it is the only city with data in the state, the median list price is $529,900, more than the median in Rhode Island of $525,500.
In 26 cities, the median list price is less than half the median price statewide, with the median in Olean, New York, not even 20% of the median across New York state, at $125,000 and $639,945, respectively. Though these cities have the cheapest list price in their state, in the vast majority, these median prices fetch smaller homes than the median prices statewide would. Here is how much home you can buy for $200k in each state.
Here is the city in every state with the lowest home ownership costs.
Click here to see our detailed methodology.
Source: Jacqueline Nix / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Alabama: Selma
> Median list price, April 2023: $75,500 (Alabama: $330,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -5.6% (Alabama: +10.0%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,682 sq. ft. (Alabama: 1,994 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 67
> Cities considered in state: 25
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Source: lippyjr / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Alaska: Fairbanks
> Median list price, April 2023: $349,900 (Alaska: $415,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +6.0% (Alaska: +3.8%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,796 sq. ft. (Alaska: 1,850 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 133
> Cities considered in state: 4
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
Arizona: Safford
> Median list price, April 2023: $302,500 (Arizona: $495,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +8.1% (Arizona: -0.8%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,900 sq. ft. (Arizona: 1,956 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 39
> Cities considered in state: 11
Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Arkansas: Hope
> Median list price, April 2023: $119,000 (Arkansas: $289,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -14.3% (Arkansas: +16.2%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,611 sq. ft. (Arkansas: 1,908 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 69
> Cities considered in state: 21
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Source: Meghan Bennett / iStock via Getty Images
California: Susanville
> Median list price, April 2023: $308,950 (California: $750,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -0.3% (California: -1.3%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,623 sq. ft. (California: 1,805 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 76
> Cities considered in state: 34
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Colorado: Sterling
> Median list price, April 2023: $245,000 (Colorado: $639,925)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +24.2% (Colorado: +1.6%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,506 sq. ft. (Colorado: 2,214 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 56
> Cities considered in state: 17
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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Connecticut: Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown
> Median list price, April 2023: $399,900 (Connecticut: $559,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +14.3% (Connecticut: +20.4%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,984 sq. ft. (Connecticut: 2,184 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 839
> Cities considered in state: 5
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Source: traveler1116 / iStock via Getty Images
Delaware: Dover
> Median list price, April 2023: $409,500 (Delaware: $494,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +1.9% (Delaware: +8.7%)
> Median size of home on market: 2,016 sq. ft. (Delaware: 2,180 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 281
> Cities considered in state: 1
Florida: Sebring-Avon Park
> Median list price, April 2023: $295,000 (Florida: $467,990)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +5.4% (Florida: -0.2%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,550 sq. ft. (Florida: 1,704 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 492
> Cities considered in state: 29
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Source: LCBallard / iStock via Getty Images
Georgia: Thomaston
> Median list price, April 2023: $183,700 (Georgia: $395,400)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -14.6% (Georgia: +4.3%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,535 sq. ft. (Georgia: 2,184 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 69
> Cities considered in state: 37
Source: steinphoto / iStock via Getty Images
Hawaii: Hilo
> Median list price, April 2023: $645,000 (Hawaii: $852,500)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +25.2% (Hawaii: +3.3%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,479 sq. ft. (Hawaii: 1,251 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 661
> Cities considered in state: 4
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Source: 39955793@N07 / Flickr
Idaho: Mountain Home
> Median list price, April 2023: $375,000 (Idaho: $574,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -11.7% (Idaho: -4.0%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,744 sq. ft. (Idaho: 2,208 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 56
> Cities considered in state: 13
Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
Illinois: Macomb
> Median list price, April 2023: $69,900 (Illinois: $310,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +24.8% (Illinois: +7.8%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,320 sq. ft. (Illinois: 1,708 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 64
> Cities considered in state: 26
Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Indiana: Marion
> Median list price, April 2023: $92,500 (Indiana: $299,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +22.5% (Indiana: +15.4%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,500 sq. ft. (Indiana: 1,963 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 58
> Cities considered in state: 38
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Iowa: Fort Madison-Keokuk
> Median list price, April 2023: $125,000 (Iowa: $315,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +8.5% (Iowa: +15.9%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,472 sq. ft. (Iowa: 1,624 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 96
> Cities considered in state: 23
Kansas: Atchison
> Median list price, April 2023: $120,000 (Kansas: $314,825)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -11.1% (Kansas: +26.0%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,756 sq. ft. (Kansas: 2,098 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 16
> Cities considered in state: 19
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Kentucky: Maysville
> Median list price, April 2023: $92,500 (Kentucky: $299,950)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -38.8% (Kentucky: +15.4%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,374 sq. ft. (Kentucky: 1,910 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 15
> Cities considered in state: 21
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Louisiana: Minden
> Median list price, April 2023: $140,000 (Louisiana: $289,250)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -10.8% (Louisiana: +0.8%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,625 sq. ft. (Louisiana: 1,890 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 64
> Cities considered in state: 18
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Maine: Bangor
> Median list price, April 2023: $265,000 (Maine: $425,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +10.7% (Maine: +11.6%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,680 sq. ft. (Maine: 1,700 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 167
> Cities considered in state: 4
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Maryland: Cumberland
> Median list price, April 2023: $139,900 (Maryland: $420,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +11.9% (Maryland: +10.5%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,592 sq. ft. (Maryland: 1,906 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 142
> Cities considered in state: 7
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Massachusetts: Springfield
> Median list price, April 2023: $369,000 (Massachusetts: $759,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +3.8% (Massachusetts: +11.6%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,708 sq. ft. (Massachusetts: 1,852 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 437
> Cities considered in state: 6
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Michigan: Saginaw
> Median list price, April 2023: $149,000 (Michigan: $280,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +1.8% (Michigan: +8.1%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,552 sq. ft. (Michigan: 1,603 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 185
> Cities considered in state: 31
24/7 Wall St.Source: Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images
Minnesota: Marshall
> Median list price, April 2023: $186,185 (Minnesota: $400,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +20.1% (Minnesota: +5.8%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,739 sq. ft. (Minnesota: 2,005 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 24
> Cities considered in state: 22
Mississippi: Clarksdale
> Median list price, April 2023: $55,000 (Mississippi: $279,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -38.9% (Mississippi: +9.8%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,557 sq. ft. (Mississippi: 2,023 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 26
> Cities considered in state: 22
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
Missouri: Kennett
> Median list price, April 2023: $102,200 (Missouri: $300,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +27.8% (Missouri: +11.2%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,562 sq. ft. (Missouri: 1,805 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 62
> Cities considered in state: 25
Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Montana: Butte-Silver Bow
> Median list price, April 2023: $373,000 (Montana: $660,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +13.4% (Montana: +7.8%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,875 sq. ft. (Montana: 2,162 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 68
> Cities considered in state: 7
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Source: marekuliasz / iStock via Getty Images
Nebraska: Scottsbluff
> Median list price, April 2023: $254,950 (Nebraska: $371,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +4.1% (Nebraska: +24.0%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,447 sq. ft. (Nebraska: 2,213 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 64
> Cities considered in state: 12
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
Nevada: Fallon
> Median list price, April 2023: $386,780 (Nevada: $475,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +1.8% (Nevada: -5.0%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,660 sq. ft. (Nevada: 1,910 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 33
> Cities considered in state: 9
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
New Hampshire: Berlin
> Median list price, April 2023: $249,991 (New Hampshire: $549,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +12.1% (New Hampshire: +15.6%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,606 sq. ft. (New Hampshire: 1,922 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 72
> Cities considered in state: 6
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Source: AUDREY SCRIPP / iStock via Getty Images
New Jersey: Vineland-Bridgeton
> Median list price, April 2023: $269,900 (New Jersey: $518,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +35.0% (New Jersey: +12.9%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,497 sq. ft. (New Jersey: 1,724 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 180
> Cities considered in state: 4
Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
New Mexico: Deming
> Median list price, April 2023: $189,000 (New Mexico: $375,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +22.0% (New Mexico: +8.7%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,800 sq. ft. (New Mexico: 1,993 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 34
> Cities considered in state: 19
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Source: J. Michael Jones / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
New York: Olean
> Median list price, April 2023: $125,000 (New York: $639,945)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +0.1% (New York: +6.7%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,438 sq. ft. (New York: 1,560 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 96
> Cities considered in state: 27
North Carolina: Laurinburg
> Median list price, April 2023: $209,450 (North Carolina: $419,720)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +43.8% (North Carolina: +6.3%)
> Median size of home on market: 2,039 sq. ft. (North Carolina: 2,075 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 30
> Cities considered in state: 37
North Dakota: Jamestown
> Median list price, April 2023: $179,900 (North Dakota: $332,060)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -15.1% (North Dakota: +10.7%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,834 sq. ft. (North Dakota: 2,118 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 23
> Cities considered in state: 8
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Source: 6381380 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Ohio: Portsmouth
> Median list price, April 2023: $129,500 (Ohio: $249,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -19.1% (Ohio: +19.0%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,440 sq. ft. (Ohio: 1,720 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 83
> Cities considered in state: 42
Oklahoma: Miami
> Median list price, April 2023: $147,000 (Oklahoma: $315,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +84.0% (Oklahoma: +26.0%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,447 sq. ft. (Oklahoma: 1,960 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 48
> Cities considered in state: 21
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Oregon: Hermiston-Pendleton
> Median list price, April 2023: $355,000 (Oregon: $569,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -3.4% (Oregon: +3.6%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,854 sq. ft. (Oregon: 1,892 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 169
> Cities considered in state: 20
Source: WilliamSherman / iStock via Getty Images
Pennsylvania: Johnstown
> Median list price, April 2023: $98,500 (Pennsylvania: $290,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +15.9% (Pennsylvania: +2.6%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,585 sq. ft. (Pennsylvania: 1,696 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 125
> Cities considered in state: 35
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Rhode Island: Providence-Warwick
> Median list price, April 2023: $529,900 (Rhode Island: $525,500)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +11.6% (Rhode Island: +14.5%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,664 sq. ft. (Rhode Island: 1,605 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 1,220
> Cities considered in state: 1
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
South Carolina: Bennettsville
> Median list price, April 2023: $127,170 (South Carolina: $359,925)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -12.3% (South Carolina: +3.4%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,736 sq. ft. (South Carolina: 1,987 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 22
> Cities considered in state: 16
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
South Dakota: Vermillion
> Median list price, April 2023: $199,900 (South Dakota: $369,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -38.8% (South Dakota: +13.8%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,947 sq. ft. (South Dakota: 1,829 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 11
> Cities considered in state: 11
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Tennessee: Union City
> Median list price, April 2023: $187,000 (Tennessee: $444,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +29.0% (Tennessee: +11.5%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,549 sq. ft. (Tennessee: 2,106 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 42
> Cities considered in state: 27
Source: TexasPixelPro / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Texas: Vernon
> Median list price, April 2023: $109,250 (Texas: $384,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -18.4% (Texas: +4.1%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,456 sq. ft. (Texas: 2,043 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 19
> Cities considered in state: 71
Utah: Price
> Median list price, April 2023: $414,000 (Utah: $619,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +56.2% (Utah: -3.1%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,753 sq. ft. (Utah: 2,582 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 62
> Cities considered in state: 9
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Vermont: Rutland
> Median list price, April 2023: $275,000 (Vermont: $447,250)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -17.9% (Vermont: +12.1%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,872 sq. ft. (Vermont: 1,898 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 99
> Cities considered in state: 4
Source: Joshua Moore / iStock via Getty Images
Virginia: Big Stone Gap
> Median list price, April 2023: $154,500 (Virginia: $449,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +10.4% (Virginia: +8.2%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,736 sq. ft. (Virginia: 2,061 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 66
> Cities considered in state: 12
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Washington: Moses Lake
> Median list price, April 2023: $383,700 (Washington: $649,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -0.9% (Washington: +1.6%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,617 sq. ft. (Washington: 2,048 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 171
> Cities considered in state: 20
West Virginia: Mount Gay-Shamrock
> Median list price, April 2023: $105,000 (West Virginia: $229,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: -17.3% (West Virginia: +15.5%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,800 sq. ft. (West Virginia: 1,775 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 27
> Cities considered in state: 13
Source: Michael-Tatman / iStock via Getty Images
Wisconsin: Marinette
> Median list price, April 2023: $222,400 (Wisconsin: $374,900)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +23.6% (Wisconsin: +15.4%)
> Median size of home on market: 1,568 sq. ft. (Wisconsin: 1,805 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 86
> Cities considered in state: 23
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Wyoming: Rock Springs
> Median list price, April 2023: $291,000 (Wyoming: $459,000)
> Year-over-year change in median list price: +22.3% (Wyoming: +22.4%)
> Median size of home on market: 2,224 sq. ft. (Wyoming: 2,376 sq. ft.)
> Num. of homes on the market in city: 56
> Cities considered in state: 9
Methodology
To identify the cheapest city to buy a home in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on median list price of homes on the market in April 2023 with data from realtor.com, a real estate market website. With median list price data for over 900 U.S. metro areas, we identified the city in each state with the lowest median list price.
Supplementary data on year-over-year change in median list price, median home size, the number of homes on the market, and all state-level data are also from realtor.com.
Both Delaware and Rhode Island only had one city with data on realtor.com. For both of those states, the city listed ranks as the cheapest place to buy a home by default only.
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