The top 10 most affordable housing markets in America are almost all in red states, and only one of them is in the Northeast, according to a shocking recent report.
Pittsburgh, Pa., is the cheapest large housing market in the US — with its resident Yinzers living in the only big American city where buying a home costs less than renting, according to a report by AmeriSave.
Typical housing values in “The Steel City” were around $240,000 as of April 2026, more than $180,000 less than the national median of around $426,000.
Pittsburgh is the only major US city where a mortgage is cheaper than renting. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
At one time seen as a gritty and polluted steel city, Pittsburgh is now thriving thanks to its transition from dying heavy industry to the more viable modern sectors of technology and healthcare, with Google, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Carnegie Mellon University among its biggest employers.
It is one of nine of the US’s cheapest 10 cities to be found in red, or Republican-leaning, states, where property taxes are relatively low and wages are decent.
The second cheapest city, Decatur, Ill., is the only one of the top 10 to be located in a blue, or Democratic-leaning, state.
Median home values in the manufacturing and agricultural hub are just $89,855, less than twice the city’s median income of $49,714.
Home prices in “The Steel City” are around $240,000, more than $180,000 below the national average. Andy Dean – stock.adobe.com
Decatur, Ill., boasts a cheap cost of living, too. JHVEPhoto – stock.adobe.com
Many of the remaining cities are located in the Midwest, which has seen historical population losses in recent decades.
But what they may lack in glamour compared to New York City and Los Angeles, they make up for with far less punishing costs of living and more stable employers.
Wichita, Kan., known as the “Air Capital of the World” because of its high-paying aerospace industry, has a cost of living 11% below the national average.
Enid, Okla., has many jobs in aerospace and defense. Roberto – stock.adobe.com
The cost of living in Fort Wayne, Ind., is 39% below the national average., Nicholas J. Klein – stock.adobe.com
Oklahoma City has the facilities of a large metro area but some of the lowest costs of living of any major metropolitan region in the US, with more than half of its homes selling for less than asking price in 2025.
Omaha, Neb., has also become a major center for healthcare, insurance and logistics, with its largest employers including Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and Union Pacific.
Here are the 10 cheapest housing markets in the US:
1. Pittsburgh, PA
Population: 2.42 million metro
Median home price: $240,000
Median income: $77,214
Cost of living: 2% below national average
Major industries: Finance, healthcare, higher education, technology
2. Decatur, IL
Population: 92,000
Median home price: $89,855
Median income: $49,714
Cost of living: 20% below national average
Major industries: Agriculture, advanced manufacturing, logistics
3. Enid, OK
Population: 50,763
Median home price: $164,000
Median income: $62,125
Cost of living: 11% below national average
Major industries: Agriculture, aerospace, defense, energy
4. Fort Wayne, IN
Population: 275,000
Median home price: $245,993
Median income: $61,422
Cost of living: 39% below national average
Major industries: Manufacturing, healthcare
5. Des Moines, IA
Population: 296,200 metro
Median home price: $240,000
Median income: $85,731
Cost of living: 23% below national average
Major industries: Data services, finance, insurance
6. Oklahoma City, OK
Population: 694,800
Median home price: $225,167
Median income: $68,656
Cost of living: 21% below national average
Major industries: Aerospace, healthcare, technology
7. Wichita, KS
Population: 389,000
Median home price: $190,000
Median income: $64,620
Cost of living: 11% below national average
Major industries: Aerospace, manufacturing
8. Green Bay, WI
Population: 192,900
Median home price: $282,595
Median income: $79,876
Cost of living: 13% below national average
Major industries: Food processing, paper
9. Omaha, NE
Population: 486,000
Median home price: $230,000
Median income: $73,200
Cost of living: 10%
Major industries: Healthcare, insurance, logistics
10. Cedar Rapids, IA
Population: 173,000
Median home price: $210,000
Median income:$64,435
Cost of living: 30% below national average
Major industries: Aerospace, food