RANKING · 2025 CENSUS DATA

Most Affordable U.S. Metro Areas to Buy a Home (2025)

Ranked by median home value divided by median household income. Lower means a typical home is closer within reach. Among the 57 metro areas with at least 1 million people, Pittsburgh, PA ranks first at 3.1×. Across all 393 metros with data, the leader is Elmira, NY (2.1×). The U.S. figure is 4.4×.

LARGE METROS

Metro areas with 1 million+ residents

57 metro areas, ranked.

Rank	Metro area	Home value ÷ income	Median home value
1	Pittsburgh, PA	3.1×	$240,000
2	Rochester, NY	3.2×	$252,300
3	Cleveland, OH	3.4×	$250,500
4	St. Louis, MO	3.4×	$283,300
5	Buffalo, NY	3.5×	$266,700
6	Omaha, NE	3.6×	$311,100
7	Oklahoma City, OK	3.6×	$268,600
8	Detroit, MI	3.6×	$284,200
9	Tulsa, OK	3.6×	$260,700
10	Indianapolis, IN	3.6×	$304,600
11	Cincinnati, OH	3.6×	$312,400
12	Chicago, IL	3.7×	$347,700
13	Birmingham, AL	3.7×	$282,200
14	Louisville, KY	3.8×	$288,400
15	Houston, TX	3.8×	$329,000
16	Kansas City, MO	3.8×	$331,600
17	San Antonio, TX	3.8×	$309,800
18	Minneapolis, MN	3.9×	$396,700
19	Grand Rapids, MI	3.9×	$333,100
20	Memphis, TN	4.0×	$280,700
21	Hartford, CT	4.0×	$388,700
22	Baltimore, MD	4.1×	$419,800
23	Columbus, OH	4.1×	$347,600
24	Philadelphia, PA	4.1×	$395,900
25	Dallas, TX	4.1×	$392,000
26	Virginia Beach, VA	4.3×	$374,200
27	Richmond, VA	4.3×	$399,000
28	Atlanta, GA	4.3×	$407,900
29	Greenville, SC	4.4×	$316,800
30	Milwaukee, WI	4.4×	$355,600
31	Jacksonville, FL	4.4×	$369,100
32	Austin, TX	4.5×	$459,900
33	Raleigh, NC	4.6×	$465,500
34	Tampa, FL	4.6×	$382,900
35	Charlotte, NC	4.7×	$415,300
36	Washington, DC	4.7×	$612,500
37	Tucson, AZ	4.7×	$352,300
38	Orlando, FL	4.8×	$411,400
39	San Juan, PR	5.0×	$161,900
40	Nashville, TN	5.0×	$461,800
41	Phoenix, AZ	5.1×	$464,400
42	Providence, RI	5.3×	$492,800
43	Las Vegas, NV	5.5×	$453,500
44	Fresno, CA	5.6×	$416,600
45	Salt Lake City, UT	5.7×	$579,200
46	Portland, OR	5.8×	$575,500
47	Sacramento, CA	5.8×	$594,600
48	Denver, CO	5.8×	$626,500
49	Boston, MA	6.0×	$713,900
50	Riverside, CA	6.2×	$587,200
51	Miami, FL	6.3×	$525,700
52	Seattle, WA	6.4×	$771,100
53	New York, NY	6.8×	$691,700
54	San Diego, CA	8.4×	$927,700
55	San Francisco, CA	8.5×	$1,152,400
56	Los Angeles, CA	9.2×	$925,900
57	San Jose, CA	9.7×	$1,605,600

ALL METROS

Top 25 of all 393 metro areas

Including smaller metros, which can show more extreme values.

Rank	Metro area	Home value ÷ income	Median home value
1	Elmira, NY	2.1×	$143,600
2	Decatur, IL	2.2×	$132,500
3	Peoria, IL	2.3×	$178,400
4	Johnstown, PA	2.4×	$140,100
5	Enid, OK	2.5×	$157,200
6	Altoona, PA	2.5×	$178,100
7	Binghamton, NY	2.6×	$178,100
8	Utica, NY	2.6×	$197,200
9	Saginaw, MI	2.6×	$170,200
10	Parkersburg, WV	2.6×	$173,700
11	Wichita Falls, TX	2.7×	$184,600
12	Bay City, MI	2.7×	$176,300
13	Springfield, IL	2.7×	$211,600
14	Weirton, WV	2.7×	$162,900
15	Terre Haute, IN	2.7×	$162,400
16	Rockford, IL	2.7×	$203,000
17	Charleston, WV	2.7×	$153,200
18	Midland, MI	2.7×	$233,800
19	Lawton, OK	2.8×	$172,300
20	Beaumont, TX	2.8×	$193,700
21	Davenport, IA	2.8×	$196,200
22	Youngstown, OH	2.8×	$176,600
23	Kokomo, IN	2.8×	$185,200
24	Beckley, WV	2.8×	$147,300
25	Battle Creek, MI	2.8×	$184,800

ABOUT THIS RANKING

Notes

Which large U.S. metro ranks first?+

Pittsburgh, PA (3.1×), among metro areas with 1 million or more residents, based on 2025 Census data.

Where does this data come from?+

The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, the most recent annual data for metro areas.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates (released September 2026), with 2024 and 2021 for trends. Figures are survey estimates with margins of error; small differences between metros may not be meaningful. Metro areas use the official Metropolitan Statistical Area boundaries. Compiled and analyzed by Metro Research. Methodology.

Free to cite with a link to this page. Download the full data (CSV).