The ranking in numbers
$170K
Typical home value in McAllen, the cheapest of the 100 largest metros
$289K
Typical home value across all US ZIP codes, August 2026
13 of 100
Largest metros where the typical home is under $250,000
$147K
Typical home value in West Virginia, the cheapest state
The cheapest of the 100 largest metros
Typical home value across each metro's ZIP codes, lowest first.
| # | Metro | Home value | 12 months | Monthly rent | Price to income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen, TX | $169,500 | −0.8% | $1,100 | 3.4× |
| 2 | Pittsburgh, PA | $181,500 | −1.5% | $1,400 | 2.8× |
| 3 | Augusta, GA | $193,900 | +5.9% | $1,500 | 3.3× |
| 4 | El Paso, TX | $222,000 | +3.3% | $1,300 | 4.1× |
| 5 | Oklahoma City, OK | $223,300 | +1.5% | $1,400 | 3.1× |
| 6 | Columbia, SC | $227,300 | +1.5% | $1,600 | 3.6× |
| 7 | Tulsa, OK | $228,000 | +4.4% | $1,400 | 3.3× |
| 8 | New Orleans, LA | $234,800 | −0.1% | $1,500 | 3.7× |
| 9 | Little Rock, AR | $238,400 | +4.6% | $1,300 | 3.3× |
| 10 | Birmingham, AL | $238,800 | +2.0% | $1,500 | 3.4× |
| 11 | Memphis, TN | $239,000 | +2.6% | $1,500 | 3.4× |
| 12 | Baton Rouge, LA | $243,600 | +0.3% | $1,500 | 3.2× |
| 13 | Dayton, OH | $248,500 | +4.3% | $1,400 | 3.1× |
| 14 | St. Louis, MO | $253,800 | +4.9% | $1,400 | 3.0× |
| 15 | Greensboro, NC | $261,300 | +4.4% | $1,400 | 3.9× |
| 16 | Akron, OH | $263,400 | +4.7% | $1,400 | 3.2× |
| 17 | Rochester, NY | $264,800 | +4.1% | $1,500 | 3.4× |
| 18 | Winston-Salem, NC | $267,400 | +5.5% | $1,600 | 4.1× |
| 19 | Cincinnati, OH | $277,800 | +3.0% | $1,500 | 3.7× |
| 20 | Houston, TX | $277,900 | −0.8% | $1,700 | 3.6× |
| 21 | Greenville, SC | $279,200 | +3.4% | $1,500 | 4.3× |
| 22 | San Antonio, TX | $280,700 | +0.2% | $1,500 | 3.8× |
| 23 | Louisville, KY | $281,000 | +4.6% | $1,400 | 3.7× |
| 24 | Cleveland, OH | $282,000 | +4.4% | $1,400 | 3.4× |
| 25 | Lakeland, FL | $285,300 | −1.8% | $1,800 | 4.4× |
The cheapest states
| # | State | Home value | 12 months | Monthly rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $147,200 | +2.6% | $1,300 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $159,400 | +2.8% | $1,400 |
| 3 | Kentucky | $169,700 | −5.5% | $1,400 |
| 4 | Kansas | $180,200 | +6.2% | $1,400 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | $185,900 | +5.1% | $1,300 |
| 6 | Louisiana | $189,200 | +1.8% | $1,500 |
| 7 | Arkansas | $192,100 | +5.2% | $1,300 |
| 8 | Illinois | $197,600 | +7.0% | $1,900 |
| 9 | Alabama | $204,800 | +2.7% | $1,400 |
| 10 | Iowa | $211,100 | +5.6% | $1,200 |
The cheapest ZIP codes
ZIP codes: the 5,000 most populous in the country, so that places with only a handful of sales a year do not crowd the list.
| # | ZIP code | Area | Metro | Home value | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 39209 | Jackson, MS | Jackson | $46,000 | +3.5% |
| 2 | 48205 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | $53,100 | −13.2% |
| 3 | 48234 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | $54,100 | −8.7% |
| 4 | 48238 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | $55,700 | −5.3% |
| 5 | 48601 | Saginaw, MI | Saginaw | $61,600 | +1.4% |
| 6 | 71202 | Monroe, LA | Monroe | $63,400 | +3.9% |
| 7 | 70805 | Baton Rouge, LA | Baton Rouge | $68,300 | −12.1% |
| 8 | 61832 | Danville, IL | Danville | $68,500 | −1.3% |
| 9 | 48228 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | $69,900 | +0.9% |
| 10 | 48227 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | $70,500 | −2.9% |
| 11 | 48210 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | $70,600 | +0.3% |
| 12 | 19132 | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia | $75,500 | −2.2% |
| 13 | 45417 | Dayton, OH | Dayton | $76,000 | +3.0% |
| 14 | 31206 | Macon, GA | Macon | $76,900 | −0.5% |
| 15 | 44105 | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland | $77,900 | −2.5% |
| 16 | 48224 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | $82,000 | −6.4% |
| 17 | 63136 | Jennings, MO | St. Louis | $83,600 | +3.0% |
| 18 | 48602 | Saginaw, MI | Saginaw | $86,400 | +3.3% |
| 19 | 48209 | Detroit, MI | Detroit | $89,300 | −3.6% |
| 20 | 38127 | Memphis, TN | Memphis | $90,500 | −6.5% |
Questions
What is the cheapest place to buy a house in the US?
Among the 100 largest metros, McAllen, TX, where the typical home is worth $169,500, followed by Pittsburgh, PA, Augusta, GA and El Paso, TX. Among the 5,000 most populous ZIP codes, 39209 in Jackson, MS is the cheapest, at $46,000.
What is the cheapest state to buy a house?
West Virginia, with a typical home value of $147,200, followed by Mississippi ($159,400), Kentucky ($169,700) and Kansas ($180,200).
Are home prices rising in the cheapest markets?
The typical change among the ten cheapest large metros is up 1.8% over twelve months, against up 3.0% for the typical US ZIP code.
More rankings
- Most affordable markets
- Best rental yields
- Hottest markets
- Where prices are falling
- Where people are moving
- All rankings
- All markets
Sources and method
- Source: CITIZEN, Lualdi Advisors' US housing market intelligence. Home values and rents through August 2026; household incomes 2020 to 2024; migration for tax years 2022 to 2023.
- The 100 largest metros are those holding the most of the country's 5,000 most populous ZIP codes. Metro and state figures are medians across their ZIP codes, not a separate index.
- Rebuilt every month with CITIZEN's latest data. Last updated 2026-10-14.
