This City Was Just Named the Most Affordable for Home Buyers—and It Has the Lowest Cost of Living Index in the U.S.

This City Was Just Named the Most Affordable for Home Buyers—and It Has the Lowest Cost of Living Index in the U.S.

It's cheaper to buy than rent in this Michigan city.searagen/Getty Images A block of houses located on Eason Street in the Highland Park community in Detroit.WalletHub named Flint, Michigan, the most affordable city to own a home, boasting the lowest cost of living and the most affordable home prices in relation to its residents’ income. Flint has the lowest median home price per square foot at just $61, while its rent-to-price ratio remains qui…

Most Affordable Cities to Buy a Home

Home prices surged over the past few years, with the median sales price skyrocketing from $313,000 in Q1 2019 to $416,900 in Q1 2025. While prices may be starting to lower in some parts of the country this year, interest rates have rapidly climbed. For example, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate shot up from a historic low of 2.65% in January 2021 to 6.87% in January 2025. With the combination of inflated prices and high interest rates in p…