You Can Still Buy a House for Less Than $200,000 in These U.S. Cities

Every news story you read is probably focusing on the same narrative: housing has become unaffordable for the average person. And they’re not wrong.

The average home price is up a whopping 47% since 2020, according to Redfin. That increase coincides with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Couple that with mortgage interest rates that are still above 7%, and it’s not a surprise that people are feeling stretched while house hunting.

But that doesn’t mean homes are unaffordable everywhere. There are some cities where you can still pay for your mortgage. You just have to know where to look. Here are the 10 cities to have on your radar if your goal is to find a home under $200,000.

Expand your housing search to the Motor City, and you’ll have no trouble finding a place that’s under $200,000. In fact, you might be able to go under $100,000. With 64% of their listings under $200,000, the median list price is just $90,000.

There are lots of homes that are incredibly affordable here, if you’re willing to put in the work.

If you’re dreaming of making your way to the Peach State, look at Albany for an affordable place to find a home. The median list price in this town in southwest Georgia is $104,000, and 64% of listings are under $200,000.

Despite its popularity as a tourist destination, Niagara Falls is a shockingly affordable place to live. The median list price is just $114,500, and 80% of listings are under $200,000.

But that deal comes with a different kind of price: Most homes in this area are in need of major work and major investment.

Pro football, Major League Baseball, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Cleveland is a great place to live if you love being out and about. And you can find an affordable home here, with a median list price of $135,475. Plus, 61% of listings are under $200,000.

Akron is a midsize Midwestern city known for its affordability. When you’re house-hunting in the Buckeye State, your Akron search will pull up plenty of listings under $200,000. Currently, 70% of their listings fall into that category. The median list price is only $138,600.

It might seem unrealistic to think you could find a house in a city that’s both the state capital and the home of a major university for under $200,000, but it’s possibly in Lansing.

The median list price is $143,950, and 68% of listings are under $200,000, making the Wolverine State look like an appealing place to move.

You can live in the suburbs of Fort Lauderdale with access to beautiful beaches and all of the culture of South Florida, and you don’t have to pay a premium.

In Lauderdale Lakes, the median listing price is only $149,350, and 85% of listings are under $200,000.

Get ready to bundle up because if you can stand the cold winters, you can find an affordable home in Rochester. The median list price here is $161,194, and 68% of listings are under $200,000.

Set on Lake Ontario, Rochester has both small-town appeal and big-city amenities, so this could be the next place to put on your house hunt.

You may have to put up with Midwestern winters, but you’ll find affordable homes and a vibrant cultural scene in Rockford. This Illinois city 90 miles west of Chicago has a median list price of $164,950, and 66% of listings are under $200,000. This means you could have money left over after your mortgage to enjoy all of the museums and performing arts venues in town.

Lauderhill is another Fort Lauderdale suburb with an affordable cost of living. The median list price is $175,000, and 70% of all listings are under $200,000. You’ll be just a short drive away from the beach and enjoy year-round sunshine.

Some economists are predicting that interest rates will come down to closer to 6.5% by the end of 2024, and that is near the average rate from 1990 through 2010.

For those who want to buy a home, lower rates could mean you’ll have to compromise on price. Cities like these, with prices well below the national median, may become more popular with first-time buyers, seniors planning to retire, and even those hoping to find a second home in a sunnier locale.