If the appeal of city living piques your attention and the idea of living among the bustling streets and skyscrapers of an urban population calls your name, you’re in luck. Here, we have a list of the 50 most affordable downtown settings in the nation.
Methodology
To determine the most affordable downtowns to live in, 24/7 Tempo reviewed five-year data on household value and household income from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey. Cities were ranked based on the ratio of average home value to average household income in their downtown census tracts. Downtown areas were defined as the census tracts that fall at least 50% within the 1.8-mile radius around a city hall. Boundary definitions are from the U.S. Census Bureau and are for 2022. Only downtowns in principal cities with at least 200,000 residents in metropolitan statistical areas were considered. City hall coordinates are also from the Census Bureau.
50. Downtown Austin, TX
- Average home value: $965,533 (6.0 times income)
- Average household income: $161,057
- Est. downtown population: 48,600
49. Downtown Oxnard, CA
- Average home value: $551,454 (5.7 times income)
- Average household income: $96,694
- Est. downtown population: 59,000
48. Downtown Phoenix, AZ
- Average home value: $382,987 (5.6 times income)
- Average household income: $68,007
- Est. downtown population: 26,300
47. Downtown Lexington, KY
- Average home value: $387,728 (5.6 times income)
- Average household income: $68,982
- Est. downtown population: 35,000
46. Downtown Stockton, CA
- Average home value: $351,885 (5.6 times income)
- Average household income: $63,106
- Est. downtown population: 33,200
45. Downtown Seattle, WA
- Average home value: $726,271 (5.5 times income)
- Average household income: $131,432
- Est. downtown population: 93,800
44. Downtown Denver, CO
- Average home value: $594,638 (5.3 times income)
- Average household income: $112,437
- Est. downtown population: 81,100
43. Downtown El Paso, TX
- Average home value: $262,583 (5.2 times income)
- Average household income: $50,041
- Est. downtown population: 19,400
42. Downtown Spokane, WA
- Average home value: $339,559 (5.2 times income)
- Average household income: $65,388
- Est. downtown population: 26,100
41. Downtown Las Vegas, NV
- Average home value: $270,479 (5.1 times income)
- Average household income: $53,311
- Est. downtown population: 36,700
40. Downtown Washington, DC
- Average home value: $801,106 (5.0 times income)
- Average household income: $160,123
- Est. downtown population: 89,600
39. Downtown Tampa, FL
- Average home value: $668,656 (5.0 times income)
- Average household income: $134,265
- Est. downtown population: 34,800
38. Downtown Colorado Springs, CO
- Average home value: $438,948 (5.0 times income)
- Average household income: $88,600
- Est. downtown population: 21,300
37. Downtown Nashville, TN
- Average home value: $471,089 (4.9 times income)
- Average household income: $96,616
- Est. downtown population: 27,000
36. Downtown San Antonio, TX
- Average home value: $340,202 (4.8 times income)
- Average household income: $70,724
- Est. downtown population: 24,700
35. Downtown Durham, NC
- Average home value: $459,288 (4.8 times income)
- Average household income: $95,623
- Est. downtown population: 29,600
34. Downtown Milwaukee, WI
- Average home value: $418,396 (4.8 times income)
- Average household income: $87,211
- Est. downtown population: 41,300
33. Downtown Worcester, MA
- Average home value: $285,084 (4.8 times income)
- Average household income: $59,541
- Est. downtown population: 61,800
32. Downtown Richmond, VA
- Average home value: $340,799 (4.8 times income)
- Average household income: $71,399
- Est. downtown population: 39,000
31. Downtown Tucson, AZ
- Average home value: $277,105 (4.7 times income)
- Average household income: $59,290
- Est. downtown population: 21,900
30. Downtown Greensboro, NC
- Average home value: $300,212 (4.6 times income)
- Average household income: $65,134
- Est. downtown population: 26,200
29. Downtown Winston-Salem, NC
- Average home value: $272,951 (4.5 times income)
- Average household income: $60,191
- Est. downtown population: 20,800
28. Downtown Buffalo, NY
- Average home value: $306,524 (4.5 times income)
- Average household income: $68,583
- Est. downtown population: 31,200
27. Downtown Fresno, CA
- Average home value: $224,137 (4.4 times income)
- Average household income: $51,255
- Est. downtown population: 38,200
26. Downtown Raleigh, NC
- Average home value: $499,105 (4.3 times income)
- Average household income: $115,591
- Est. downtown population: 27,800
25. Downtown Philadelphia, PA
- Average home value: $611,816 (4.3 times income)
- Average household income: $142,778
- Est. downtown population: 161,400
24. Downtown Columbus, OH
- Average home value: $508,521 (4.3 times income)
- Average household income: $118,737
- Est. downtown population: 27,300
23. Downtown Memphis, TN
- Average home value: $306,840 (4.3 times income)
- Average household income: $71,698
- Est. downtown population: 17,100
22. Downtown Oklahoma City, OK
- Average home value: $431,059 (4.3 times income)
- Average household income: $101,227
- Est. downtown population: 15,200
21. Downtown Charlotte, NC
- Average home value: $615,597 (4.2 times income)
- Average household income: $145,211
- Est. downtown population: 35,100
20. Downtown Atlanta, GA
- Average home value: $318,236 (4.2 times income)
- Average household income: $75,199
- Est. downtown population: 51,000
19. Downtown Cincinnati, OH
- Average home value: $372,534 (4.2 times income)
- Average household income: $88,935
- Est. downtown population: 33,500
18. Downtown Orlando, FL
- Average home value: $515,764 (4.0 times income)
- Average household income: $127,508
- Est. downtown population: 24,800
17. Downtown Minneapolis, MN
- Average home value: $385,257 (4.0 times income)
- Average household income: $97,032
- Est. downtown population: 74,200
16. Downtown Baltimore, MD
- Average home value: $357,586 (3.9 times income)
- Average household income: $92,864
- Est. downtown population: 75,900
15. Downtown Chicago, IL
- Average home value: $683,367 (3.8 times income)
- Average household income: $177,577
- Est. downtown population: 145,400
14. Downtown Dallas, TX
- Average home value: $519,097 (3.8 times income)
- Average household income: $136,222
- Est. downtown population: 39,700
13. Downtown Indianapolis, IN
- Average home value: $409,347 (3.8 times income)
- Average household income: $108,372
- Est. downtown population: 29,100
12. Downtown Lincoln, NE
- Average home value: $193,467 (3.7 times income)
- Average household income: $52,543
- Est. downtown population: 31,800
11. Downtown Detroit, MI
- Average home value: $274,295 (3.5 times income)
- Average household income: $77,888
- Est. downtown population: 17,900
10. Downtown Houston, TX
- Average home value: $462,845 (3.4 times income)
- Average household income: $135,632
- Est. downtown population: 52,900
9. Downtown Pittsburgh, PA
- Average home value: $283,137 (3.1 times income)
- Average household income: $91,356
- Est. downtown population: 36,300
8. Downtown Kansas City, MO
- Average home value: $250,384 (3.0 times income)
- Average household income: $82,224
- Est. downtown population: 21,400
7. Downtown Omaha, NE
- Average home value: $187,090 (2.9 times income)
- Average household income: $63,856
- Est. downtown population: 30,700
6. Downtown Laredo, TX
- Average home value: $117,737 (2.5 times income)
- Average household income: $47,119
- Est. downtown population: 27,000
5. Downtown Lubbock, TX
- Average home value: $109,282 (2.5 times income)
- Average household income: $44,325
- Est. downtown population: 21,700
4. Downtown Rochester, NY
- Average home value: $138,501 (2.4 times income)
- Average household income: $57,303
- Est. downtown population: 41,000
3. Downtown Fort Wayne, IN
- Average home value: $137,650 (2.0 times income)
- Average household income: $68,442
- Est. downtown population: 21,700
2. Downtown Toledo, OH
- Average home value: $75,199 (2.0 times income)
- Average household income: $37,496
- Est. downtown population: 21,000
1. Downtown Wichita, KS
- Average home value: $110,929 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $61,674
- Est. downtown population: 18,800
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