Deciding where to live can be difficult, especially when the United States has so many beautiful communities and quaint towns to choose from. Even after you figure out where you want to live–urban, suburban, or rural areas–there are so many additional elements to consider and it’s never easy figuring out which place will be the best. Once you factor in cost, it often narrows down where many affordable homes are.
However, if you’ve always dreamed of moving to a neighborhood with picture-perfect towns and villages, where the streets and yards are always well maintained, and never thought the price was within your budget, think again, and discover affordable homes for under $54k in these quaint towns.
To discover affordable homes for under $54k, Moms Who Think reviewed five-year data on median household value and median household income from theU.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey.Cities, towns, and Census-designated places were ranked based on the ratio of median home value to median household income.
Only places with at least 5,000 residents where at least 75% of workers 16 years and over commute outside the city for work that also lie within metropolitan statistical areas where the median home value is at least $300,000 were considered. If you can picture yourself in a quaint town, then these may just be ideal for you.
50. El Mirage, AZ
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©"Solar Panels on El Mirage, Ariz. Walmart" by Walmart Corporate is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $246,800 (3.4 times income)
- Median household income: $72,134
- Total population: 35,652
- Metropolitan area:Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
49. Wedgefield, FL
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©pixelworlds/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $367,000 (3.4 times income)
- Median household income: $107,446
- Total population: 8,277
- Metropolitan area: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
48. Myrtle Grove, NC
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©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $366,100 (3.4 times income)
- Median household income: $108,363
- Total population: 12,093
- Metropolitan area: Wilmington, NC
47. Lockhart, FL
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©Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $230,800 (3.4 times income)
- Median household income: $68,658
- Total population: 15,017
- Metropolitan area:Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
46. Whitmore Lake, MI
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©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $256,500 (3.3 times income)
- Median household income: $76,653
- Total population: 7,911
- Metropolitan area: Ann Arbor, MI
45. Hollymead, VA
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©BestStockFoto/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $398,300 (3.3 times income)
- Median household income: $119,079
- Total population: 8,740
- Metropolitan area: Charlottesville, VA
44. Murraysville, NC
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©Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $254,700 (3.3 times income)
- Median household income: $76,154
- Total population: 16,672
- Metropolitan area: Wilmington, NC
43. Town and Country, WA
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©Kirk Fisher/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $283,700 (3.3 times income)
- Median household income: $85,778
- Total population: 5,243
- Metropolitan area: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
42. Silver Lake, NC
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©Larry Gibson/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $247,400 (3.3 times income)
- Median household income: $75,123
- Total population: 5,858
- Metropolitan area: Wilmington, NC
41. West Point, UT
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©shanewazhere/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $376,100 (3.3 times income)
- Median household income: $114,801
- Total population: 11,226
- Metropolitan area: Ogden, UT
40. Burton, SC
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©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $189,200 (3.2 times income)
- Median household income: $58,390
- Total population: 7,603
- Metropolitan area:Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC
39. Finley, WA
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©Kenneth Keifer/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $265,400 (3.2 times income)
- Median household income: $83,523
- Total population: 5,848
- Metropolitan area: Kennewick-Richland, WA
38. Cottonwood, CA
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©Geartooth Productions/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $286,600 (3.2 times income)
- Median household income: $90,231
- Total population: 5,893
- Metropolitan area: Redding, CA
37. Stansbury Park, UT
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©kavram/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $394,500 (3.2 times income)
- Median household income: $124,551
- Total population: 10,512
- Metropolitan area:Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
36. West Richland, WA
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©Drita D'Alessandro/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $372,800 (3.2 times income)
- Median household income: $118,093
- Total population: 16,547
- Metropolitan area: Kennewick-Richland, WA
35. Silver Lakes, CA
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©Tristan Brynildsen/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $329,700 (3.1 times income)
- Median household income: $105,993
- Total population: 5,532
- Metropolitan area: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
34. Union Park, FL
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©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $247,700 (3.1 times income)
- Median household income: $79,970
- Total population: 10,821
- Metropolitan area: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
33. Sarasota Springs, FL
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©Jim Schwabel/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $274,400 (3.1 times income)
- Median household income: $88,630
- Total population: 12,500
- Metropolitan area: North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
32. Greenbrier, TN
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©iStock.com/PeterHermesFurian
- Median home value: $290,500 (3.1 times income)
- Median household income: $94,280
- Total population: 6,954
- Metropolitan area: Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN
31. Bayshore Gardens, FL
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©Suncoast Aerials/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $150,600 (3.1 times income)
- Median household income: $49,003
- Total population: 18,745
- Metropolitan area: North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
30. Homeland, CA
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©"Homeland, California" by Z3lvs is licensed under CC0 1.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $168,400 (3.0 times income)
- Median household income: $55,467
- Total population: 6,221
- Metropolitan area: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
29. North Windham, ME
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©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $273,300 (3.0 times income)
- Median household income: $90,604
- Total population: 5,525
- Metropolitan area: Portland-South Portland, ME
28. South Bradenton, FL
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©Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $130,300 (2.9 times income)
- Median household income: $44,347
- Total population: 25,471
- Metropolitan area: North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
27. Sandy Hook, CT
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©Rosemarie Mosteller/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $434,400 (2.9 times income)
- Median household income: $148,750
- Total population: 9,604
- Metropolitan area: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT
26. Cottage Grove, WI
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©"Cottage Grove winter31" by Cottage Grove Dude is licensed under BY-SA 4.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $361,100 (2.9 times income)
- Median household income: $123,750
- Total population: 7,567
- Metropolitan area: Madison, WI
25. Marlboro Village, MD
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©Alexander Lukatskiy/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $342,200 (2.9 times income)
- Median household income: $117,700
- Total population: 9,124
- Metropolitan area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
24. Ladson, SC
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©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $213,900 (2.9 times income)
- Median household income: $74,020
- Total population: 15,298
- Metropolitan area: Charleston-North Charleston, SC
23. Cumberland Hill, RI
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©Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $342,900 (2.8 times income)
- Median household income: $120,365
- Total population: 8,866
- Metropolitan area: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
22. Brunswick, MD
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©Kosoff/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $295,900 (2.8 times income)
- Median household income: $104,700
- Total population: 7,781
- Metropolitan area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
21. White Meadow Lake, NJ
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©Dave Blinder/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $423,000 (2.8 times income)
- Median household income: $151,327
- Total population: 9,223
- Metropolitan area: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
20. Elgin, TX
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©Kimberlee Bray/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $237,600 (2.8 times income)
- Median household income: $85,014
- Total population: 10,043
- Metropolitan area: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
19. Jordan, MN
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©Sam Wagner/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $307,600 (2.8 times income)
- Median household income: $111,290
- Total population: 6,648
- Metropolitan area: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
18. Lake Mohawk, NJ
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©Skins77/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $417,300 (2.8 times income)
- Median household income: $151,167
- Total population: 9,703
- Metropolitan area: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
17. Lake Monticello, VA
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©Robbie Becklund/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $272,300 (2.8 times income)
- Median household income: $98,848
- Total population: 10,834
- Metropolitan area: Charlottesville, VA
16. St. Paul Park, MN
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©Randy Runtsch/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $249,100 (2.7 times income)
- Median household income: $92,760
- Total population: 5,497
- Metropolitan area: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
15. Ranson, WV
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©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $214,300 (2.7 times income)
- Median household income: $80,242
- Total population: 5,497
- Metropolitan area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
14. Big Lake, MN
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©John Brueske/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $266,600 (2.7 times income)
- Median household income: $100,188
- Total population: 11,857
- Metropolitan area: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
13. Sangaree, SC
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©photo.ua/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $196,900 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $74,343
- Total population: 8,680
- Metropolitan area: Charleston-North Charleston, SC
12. Hutto, TX
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©"Texas - Hutto, East Street" by MajiksBox - resting is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $279,800 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $105,743
- Total population: 29,498
- Metropolitan area: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
11. Hopatcong, NJ
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©Andrew F. Kazmierski/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $284,600 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $107,670
- Total population: 14,411
- Metropolitan area: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
10. Edgewood, MD
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©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $217,800 (2.5 times income)
- Median household income: $85,742
- Total population: 25,116
- Metropolitan area: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
9. Riverside, MD
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©"'Maryland Welcomes You' at the Maryland-Pennsylvania Border" by Jim, the Photographer is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $231,900 (2.5 times income)
- Median household income: $91,842
- Total population: 5,924
- Metropolitan area: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
8. Abingdon, MD
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©Derek Jeffries/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $350,200 (2.5 times income)
- Median household income: $141,384
- Total population: 5,111
- Metropolitan area: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
7. Pacheco, CA
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©"State Route 152 Near Pacheco Pass, California" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $240,600 (2.4 times income)
- Median household income: $100,904
- Total population: 5,041
- Metropolitan area: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
6. Camp Swift, TX
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©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $142,600 (2.3 times income)
- Median household income: $61,586
- Total population: 6,908
- Metropolitan area: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
5. Sharon Hill, PA
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©"20170515 021 SEPTA Light Rail @ Sharon Hill" by davidwilson1949 is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $138,000 (2.1 times income)
- Median household income: $66,378
- Total population: 5,976
- Metropolitan area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
4. Chester, PA
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©"Commodore John Berry Bridge Between Chester, Pennsylvania and Bridgeport, New Jersey 2" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $80,800 (2.1 times income)
- Median household income: $39,193
- Total population: 33,048
- Metropolitan area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
3. Salem, NJ

©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $65,100 (1.9 times income)
- Median household income: $35,143
- Total population: 5,285
- Metropolitan area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
2. Federal Heights, CO
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©Atchara Maharajh/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $95,300 (1.7 times income)
- Median household income: $56,316
- Total population: 14,173
- Metropolitan area: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
1. Pembroke Park, FL
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©julie deshaies/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $55,300 (1.3 times income)
- Median household income: $41,875
- Total population: 6,266
- Metropolitan area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
The image featured at the top of this post is ©John Brueske/Shutterstock.com.