House prices are in record territory, but affordability varies widely by market
For many people, buying a house is simply out of reach today. Housing costs have reached record highs, pricing buyers out and leaving more homes on the market than there have been in years.
The data backs this up: Nationwide, just 35% of homes are affordable to the average homebuyer — down from 60% in 2022. Affordability has dropped since the pandemic because house prices and mortgage rates rose in tandem. Both remain elevated due to chronic underbuilding and broad economic uncertainty.
But trends vary widely by market: In some cities, homes sell within a week for well above asking; in others, they typically sit for two months or longer. Regardless, with homeownership increasingly out of reach, more Americans are instead turning to renting – including six-figure earners in cities like San Francisco and Orlando.
So where can buyers and sellers find the best deals? Redfin ranked the 10 cheapest and 10 most expensive housing markets in the U.S., based on median home prices and local incomes.
The most affordable cities to buy a house in 2025
>> Read: The Most Affordable Cities in the U.S.
The most expensive cities to buy a house in 2025
>> Read: The Most Expensive Cities In the U.S.
Rust Belt cities have the most affordable housing
If you’re looking for an affordable house, start your search in the Rust Belt. Cities like Detroit, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh top the list of the cheapest places to buy a house in the U.S.
Around two-thirds of homes in these metros are affordable for households earning the median income – a stark contrast to cities like San Francisco, where the share of affordable homes is in the single digits. Home prices in the Rust Belt are roughly 50% lower than the national median, due in part to decades of population loss and disinvestment that kept prices low.
But that’s starting to change. Affordable prices and renewed investment are drawing buyers back, supercharging local housing markets and pushing prices up across the region. In Rochester, for instance, house prices have increased by $27,000 in the past year – nine times the national increase.
Today, seven of the 10 cheapest housing markets in the country are in the Rust Belt, but that affordability edge may shrink unless local incomes rise to match prices.
Meanwhile, pandemic boomtowns that saw prices soar between 2020 and 2022 are now seeing the sharpest declines.
California owns the nation’s most expensive housing markets
If you’re buying a house in California, expect to pay a premium. The state is home to the six most expensive U.S. markets – including San Francisco, San Jose, and Anaheim – where prices top $1 million. Los Angeles is the least affordable city in the nation to buy a house, where just 1% of homes are affordable to locals.
Statewide, the typical house in California sells for $860,000 – $100,000 more than second-place Hawaii. Even with some of the highest average wages in the nation, Golden State residents struggle to afford housing.
Still, some markets are seeing signs of demand. San Francisco and San Jose – the most expensive metros in the country – saw among the most homebuyer competition earlier this year. But overall, high prices and limited affordability will likely keep many consumers on the sidelines.
Not every expensive market tells the same story. Cities like Boise and Tacoma also rank among the least affordable, but not because house prices are sky-high. Instead, they’re unaffordable because local incomes are relatively low. True affordability happens when housing costs align with what people earn.
When will housing affordability improve?
High home prices have kept a growing number of people out of the housing market, but relief is coming. With so few active buyers, sellers are now sitting on nearly $700 billion of unsold homes, many of which take over a month to sell. This growing supply and demand imbalance is expected to push prices down by 1% by the end of the year, which could help some buyers reenter the market as wages rise.
Still, affordability could dip further in some metros in the coming years, especially those with the largest gaps between prices and wages. A recent study found that Montana and California are expected to have wider affordability gaps by 2030.
If you’re a buyer or seller trying to navigate today’s market, there are four things to keep in mind:
- Listings are rising
- Prices are easing
- Buyers are cautious
- Markets vary widely
Buyers should take their time and negotiate, and sellers should price strategically and be open to concessions. Connect with a great agent who can educate you about your local market, like whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market. No matter if you live in an affordable or expensive city, it’s still possible to buy or sell with confidence.
Methodology
Rankings are based on housing affordability among the 91 largest U.S. metropolitan areas (“cities”). Data comes from Redfin through May 2025.
We ranked cities on the share of home listings that were affordable to someone making the local median income. A home was considered “affordable” if its corresponding monthly payment was no more than 30% of median monthly earnings, assuming a 20% down payment, typical taxes and fees, and a 30-year mortgage.
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