Few things are as desirable as owning a home in a beautiful historic district. Walls that can tell a century’s worth of stories, wrap-around porches perfect for an afternoon glass of iced tea, and beautiful tree-lined sidewalks on which to stroll or take a leisurely bike ride. If this sounds like your kind of neighborhood, then you’re in luck. We have cultivated a list of 50 historic neighborhoods in the United States that have affordable homes, and 22 of these places have homes that cost less than $100,000.
To determine the most affordable historic neighborhoods to live in, Moms Who Think reviewed district listings from the National Register of Historic Places and five-year data on home value from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey. Historic districts registered in the NRHP were ranked based on the ratio of average home value to average household income of owner-occupied housing units within their boundaries. District-level average home values were aggregated from the census tract level using spatial boundary definitions from the NRHP and the U.S. Census Bureau. Data on median home age is also from the Census Bureau. Only historic districts with at least 100 housing units in the principal cities of metropolitan statistical areas were considered.
50. South Highlands Historic District (Shreveport, LA)
- Average home value: $274,725 (2.0 times income)
- Average household income: $139,399
- Median home age: 72 years
49. Park Hill Historic District (North Little Rock, AR)
- Average home value: $188,621 (2.0 times income)
- Average household income: $96,097
- Median home age: 66 years
48. Brooklyn Centre Historic District (Cleveland, OH)
- Average home value: $87,457 (2.0 times income)
- Average household income: $44,591
- Median home age: N/A
47. Decatur Historic District (Decatur, IL)
- Average home value: $89,009 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $46,099
- Median home age: 68 years
46. East Wheeling Historic District (Wheeling, WV)
- Average home value: $140,109 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $72,985
- Median home age: 66 years
45. South Camden Historic District (Camden, NJ)
- Average home value: $129,100 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $67,284
- Median home age: N/A
44. Cloverdale Historic District (Montgomery, AL)
- Average home value: $254,604 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $133,211
- Median home age: N/A
43. Moline Downtown Commercial Historic District (Moline, IL)
- Average home value: $94,478 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $49,495
- Median home age: N/A
42. Scarritt Point South Historic District (Kansas City, MO)
- Average home value: $142,243 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $75,263
- Median home age: N/A
41. Paseo Neighborhood Historic District (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Average home value: $109,655 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $58,069
- Median home age: 70 years
40. Elston Grove Historic District (Michigan City, IN)
- Average home value: $89,847 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $47,708
- Median home age: 70 years
39. Strathmore “By the Park” Subdivision (Syracuse, NY)
- Average home value: $160,687 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $85,596
- Median home age: 79 years
38. Gatewood East Historic District (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Average home value: $137,040 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $73,285
- Median home age: N/A
37. Bluff Street Historic District (Beloit, WI)
- Average home value: $115,610 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $62,177
- Median home age: 76 years
36. Old Silk Stocking Historic District (Kokomo, IN)
- Average home value: $111,997 (1.9 times income)
- Average household income: $60,408
- Median home age: 83 years
35. Evergreen Addition Historic District (Casa Grande, AZ)
- Average home value: $176,976 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $95,811
- Median home age: 50 years
34. Irvington Terrace Historic District (Indianapolis, IN)
- Average home value: $192,830 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $104,422
- Median home age: 82 years
33. Park Place-Fairview Historic District (Wichita, KS)
- Average home value: $104,118 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $56,532
- Median home age: N/A
32. Melrose-Rugby Historic District (Roanoke, VA)
- Average home value: $115,804 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $63,194
- Median home age: 75 years
31. Rosedale Park Historic District (Detroit, MI)
- Average home value: $134,411 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $73,800
- Median home age: 80 years
30. Barksdale Field Historic District (Bossier City, LA)
- Average home value: $134,426 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $73,871
- Median home age: 52 years
29. Racine Rubber Company Homes Historic District (Racine, WI)
- Average home value: $138,723 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $76,337
- Median home age: 76 years
28. Wheatley Place Historic District (Dallas, TX)
- Average home value: $114,849 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $63,701
- Median home age: 77 years
27. Dayton View Historic District (Dayton, OH)
- Average home value: $103,533 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $58,479
- Median home age: 81 years
26. Near Westside Historic District (Elmira, NY)
- Average home value: $96,402 (1.8 times income)
- Average household income: $55,002
- Median home age: 76 years
25. South End-Groesbeckville Historic District (Albany, NY)
- Average home value: $111,321 (1.7 times income)
- Average household income: $63,996
- Median home age: N/A
24. Magnolia-Wade Park Historic District (Cleveland, OH)
- Average home value: $76,009 (1.7 times income)
- Average household income: $43,730
- Median home age: N/A
23. West End Historic District (Decatur, IL)
- Average home value: $132,544 (1.7 times income)
- Average household income: $76,284
- Median home age: 68 years
22. Colonial Hill Historic District (Dallas, TX)
- Average home value: $91,957 (1.7 times income)
- Average household income: $53,213
- Median home age: 73 years
21. Bayard Park Historic District (Evansville, IN)
- Average home value: $89,205 (1.7 times income)
- Average household income: $52,128
- Median home age: 78 years
20. West Central Historic District (Anderson, IN)
- Average home value: $84,773 (1.7 times income)
- Average household income: $49,706
- Median home age: 73 years
19. Mount Pleasant Historic District (Harrisburg, PA)
- Average home value: $90,995 (1.7 times income)
- Average household income: $53,892
- Median home age: 84 years
18. Tenth Street Historic District (Dallas, TX)
- Average home value: $113,082 (1.7 times income)
- Average household income: $67,334
- Median home age: 70 years
17. Farrington’s Grove Historic District (Terre Haute, IN)
- Average home value: $95,963 (1.7 times income)
- Average household income: $57,693
- Median home age: 81 years
16. Brick Streets Neighborhood Historic District (Tyler, TX)
- Average home value: $80,577 (1.6 times income)
- Average household income: $49,017
- Median home age: 75 years
15. Second and Third Avenue Historic District (Cedar Rapids, IA)
- Average home value: $207,807 (1.6 times income)
- Average household income: $126,429
- Median home age: 65 years
14. East Grand Boulevard Historic District (Detroit, MI)
- Average home value: $77,888 (1.6 times income)
- Average household income: $47,778
- Median home age: N/A
13. Broad Avenue Historic District (Altoona, PA)
- Average home value: $93,532 (1.6 times income)
- Average household income: $57,881
- Median home age: N/A
12. Shepherd Historic District (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Average home value: $195,897 (1.6 times income)
- Average household income: $121,857
- Median home age: 80 years
11. Henderson Park-West Main Hill Historic District (Kalamazoo, MI)
- Average home value: $164,320 (1.6 times income)
- Average household income: $103,163
- Median home age: 68 years
10. Cambria Iron Company (Johnstown, PA)
- Average home value: $90,157 (1.5 times income)
- Average household income: $58,346
- Median home age: 69 years
9. Highland Historic District (Waterloo, IA)
- Average home value: $107,090 (1.5 times income)
- Average household income: $71,426
- Median home age: 76 years
8. Trenton Ferry Historic District (Trenton, NJ)
- Average home value: $84,385 (1.5 times income)
- Average household income: $56,867
- Median home age: 70 years
7. Lafayette Place Historic District (Fort Wayne, IN)
- Average home value: $94,477 (1.5 times income)
- Average household income: $64,633
- Median home age: 74 years
6. Newport Village Allotment Historic District (Youngstown, OH)
- Average home value: $82,874 (1.4 times income)
- Average household income: $57,379
- Median home age: N/A
5. Wheeling Island Historic District (Wheeling, WV)
- Average home value: $96,748 (1.4 times income)
- Average household income: $67,438
- Median home age: N/A
4. Crandall Park-Fifth Avenue Historic District (Youngstown, OH)
- Average home value: $93,037 (1.4 times income)
- Average household income: $65,955
- Median home age: 75 years
3. Knickerbocker Historic District (Altoona, PA)
- Average home value: $143,156 (1.4 times income)
- Average household income: $101,549
- Median home age: 77 years
2. Maple Avenue Historic District (Elmira, NY)
- Average home value: $79,531 (1.2 times income)
- Average household income: $66,979
- Median home age: N/A
1. Berkeley Park Historic District (Atlanta, GA)
- Average home value: $88,688 (0.8 times income)
- Average household income: $115,549
- Median home age: 44 years
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