10 cities where homes still cost less than $300K
FILE - A home is shown for sale in The Heights in Houston, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
The cost of owning a home continues to be too high for many Americans, following years of skyrocketing prices.
Both mortgage rates and home prices have seen dramatic increases post-pandemic.
By the numbers:
The national median sales price climbed 2.1% in September from a year earlier to $415,200, according to The Associated Press. That’s the 27th consecutive month that home prices have risen on an annual basis and the highest median sales price for any September on data going back to 1999.
As home affordability continues to decrease for many in America, Realtor.com put together a list of 10 metros with homes under $300,000 – well below the national average.
Here are the areas that Realtor.com says offer a satisfying quality of life and the conveniences of a bustling city without breaking the bank:
Metros with homes for under $300k
What they're saying:
"In these markets, home prices are more closely aligned with local incomes, allowing the typical household to afford the typical for-sale home," said Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com. "The existence of these affordable areas, even if limited, offers encouraging news for buyers committed to purchasing in one of these regions."
Muncie, Indiana
Median list price:
$178,250
2019 median list price:
$113,450
Median household income :
$56,828
Toledo, Ohio
Median list price:
$217,950
2019 median list price:
$158,000
Median household income :
$63,133
Battle Creek, Michigan
Median list price:
$229,999
2019 median list price:
$154,743
Median household income :
$59,424
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Median list price:
$250,000
2019 median list price:
$190,000
Median household income :
$72,935
Cleveland, Ohio
Median list price:
$259,900
2019 median list price:
$189,900
Median household income :
$68,695
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Median list price:
$262,350
2019 median list price:
$158,000
Median household income :
$63,615
Buffalo, New York
Median list price:
$267,450
2019 median list price:
$199,900
Median household income :
$71,055
Wichita, Kansas
Median list price:
$285,000
2019 median list price:
$209,890
Median household income :
$70,286
Frankfort, Kentucky
Median list price:
$292,050
2019 median list price:
$209,225
Median household income :
$71,983
St. Louis, Missouri
Median list price:
$295,900
2019 median list price:
$220,000
Median household income :
$79,869
The Source: Information in this article was cited from a Realtor.com analysis published in November 2025. Background information about the housing market was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.