Home prices have continued to climb over the last few years, with the median sales price surging from $313-thousand in 2019 to over $416-thousand in 2025. Interest rates keep going up, too, leading some folks to wonder whether they’ll ever be able to afford to buy a home. But owning real estate is a lot less expensive in some parts of the country and a new report reveals where those places are.
- WalletHub has just come out with a list of the most affordable cities for home buyers in 2025.
- They rated 300 cities across the country on 10 key metrics, including everything from the cost of homes and their maintenance to tax rates and vacancy rates.
- This year, the most affordable place to buy a home is Flint, Michigan.
- It has the lowest cost of living index in the U.S. and the lowest median home price per square foot, at just $61. To compare, the price in the most expensive cities is more than $1,000 per square foot.
- Another Michigan city, Detroit, is second on the list, with a median price per square foot of $87.
- On the flip side, the most expensive city for home buyers in 2025 is Santa Barbara, California.
- Cities in California make up all five of the most expensive cities in the list.
The Top 10 Most Affordable Cities for Home Buyers in 2025
(Check out the full list here)
- Flint, Michigan
- Detroit, Michigan
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Surprise, Arizona
- Akron, Ohio
- Yuma, Arizona
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Augusta, Georgia
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Indianapolis, Indiana
Source: WalletHub