What “Cheapest” Means — How These Cities Are Selected
When we say a city is “cheap” for homes, we rely on measures like:
- Median sale price of homes being well below the U.S. national median.
- Price-to-income ratio (i.e. homes priced at levels that typical local incomes can reasonably afford).
- Overall cost of living, including housing costs, property taxes, and local economic factors (often lower in the so-called “Rust Belt” and some Southern/Midwestern metros).
- A combination of affordability and livability — access to jobs, basic amenities, and community infrastructure.
Based on those criteria, here are 15 U.S. cities to consider if you want to buy a relatively inexpensive home (as of late 2025).
15 U.S. Cities Where Homes Are Among the Cheapest (As of 2025–26)
Here is a list of 15 cities that repeatedly appear in recent affordability/real-estate analyses. I list them roughly in no strict “top-15” order — rather, as a set of strong candidates depending on your budget, preferences, and goals.