Most Affordable US Cities to Buy, by Income Ratio (2026)

Median home value alone doesn't say much about what a city actually costs a local buyer -- a $400,000 home is a stretch on a $60,000 income and a bargain on $150,000. This ranking sorts every city by its home-value-to-household-income ratio instead, from most affordable to least. Across the cities we track, that ratio runs from under 2x income up past 12x, with a median around 4x.

Source: US Census Bureau, FEMA National Risk Index, and FHFA House Price Index (where applicable).

#	City	Value
1	Detroit, MI Salary needed →	1.8× income	affordable
2	Dayton, OH Salary needed →	2.1× income	affordable
3	Akron, OH Salary needed →	2.1× income	affordable
4	Toledo, OH Salary needed →	2.2× income	affordable
5	Lansing, MI Salary needed →	2.2× income	affordable
6	Rockford, IL Salary needed →	2.2× income	affordable
7	Topeka, KS Salary needed →	2.3× income	affordable
8	Wichita Falls, TX Salary needed →	2.3× income	affordable
9	South Bend, IN Salary needed →	2.3× income	affordable
10	Cleveland, OH Salary needed →	2.3× income	affordable
11	Springfield, IL Salary needed →	2.4× income	affordable
12	Kansas City, KS Salary needed →	2.4× income	affordable
13	Brownsville, TX Salary needed →	2.4× income	affordable
14	Evansville, IN Salary needed →	2.4× income	affordable
15	Jackson, MS Salary needed →	2.5× income	affordable
16	Cedar Rapids, IA Salary needed →	2.5× income	affordable
17	Rochester, NY Salary needed →	2.5× income	affordable
18	Peoria, IL Salary needed →	2.5× income	affordable
19	Broken Arrow, OK Salary needed →	2.6× income	affordable
20	Davenport, IA Salary needed →	2.6× income	affordable
21	Fort Wayne, IN Salary needed →	2.6× income	affordable
22	Montgomery, AL Salary needed →	2.6× income	affordable
23	Independence, MO Salary needed →	2.6× income	affordable
24	Pasadena, TX Salary needed →	2.7× income	affordable
25	League City, TX Salary needed →	2.7× income	affordable
26	Laredo, TX Salary needed →	2.7× income	affordable
27	Syracuse, NY Salary needed →	2.7× income	affordable
28	Odessa, TX Salary needed →	2.7× income	affordable
29	Abilene, TX Salary needed →	2.7× income	affordable
30	Des Moines, IA Salary needed →	2.7× income	affordable
31	Wichita, KS Salary needed →	2.7× income	affordable
32	Warren, MI Salary needed →	2.7× income	affordable
33	Joliet, IL Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
34	Beaumont, TX Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
35	Pearland, TX Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
36	Corpus Christi, TX Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
37	Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GA Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
38	Aurora, IL Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
39	Lee's Summit, MO Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
40	McAllen, TX Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
41	Elgin, IL Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
42	Amarillo, TX Salary needed →	2.8× income	affordable
43	Pittsburgh, PA Salary needed →	2.9× income	affordable
44	El Paso, TX Salary needed →	2.9× income	affordable
45	Buffalo, NY Salary needed →	2.9× income	affordable
46	Birmingham, AL Salary needed →	2.9× income	affordable
47	Memphis, TN Salary needed →	2.9× income	affordable
48	Green Bay, WI Salary needed →	2.9× income	affordable
49	Dearborn, MI Salary needed →	2.9× income	affordable
50	Sugar Land, TX Salary needed →	2.9× income	affordable

Most Affordable US Cities to Buy, by Income Ratio (2026)

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