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Looking for an affordable place to own a home? Think Garfield Heights, Ohio, or Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, or any number of the townships and communities clustered predominantly in America's industrial heartland. Nine of the 25 in the list can be found in Ohio alone.
To generate the list, we divided median family income by median home prices. The towns are ranked in order of their home-to-income ratio. And average prices are less than half the cost of hot coastal markets, such as Boston, San Francisco and Seattle.
Northbrook, Ohio Median family income: $59,902 Median home price (2006): $83,760This sleepy Cincinnati suburb has more than 11,000 people and some of the best housing buys in a region known for affordable places to live. Residents say they like the low-key living there, aided by a high percentage of home ownership. Northbrook is one of many Ohio communities benefiting from an influx of out-of-state buyers looking for
investment properties. Prices, however, remain reasonable and the community has managed to maintain its character.
Blacklick Estates, Ohio Median family income: $59,172Median home price (2006): $83,480A short drive from the flourishing state capital of Columbus, Blacklick Estates provides a pastoral setting with good schools nearby and a number of activities within walking distance.
Tonawanda, New YorkMedian family income: $51,819Median home price (2006): $74,878The town's name means "Swift Running Water" not "Crazy Real Estate Bubble." Tonawanda commonly refers to several towns in Western New York, but in this case we're talking about the two that run along the Niagara River with attractive affordable homes. Available there: A ranch with three bedrooms and two baths for $119,000 -- and that's on the high end. Values are easily found for under $100,000, making this region
both beautiful and budget-friendly.
Shiloh, OhioMedian family income: $54,079Median home price (2006): $79,722"Shiloh" is generally believed to be an Old Testament reference to the Messiah. Ohioans are so enamored with the name that they've given it to four towns in the state. We're focusing on the one in Montgomery County. The city has an abundance of neatly kept, smartly priced homes where fixer-uppers start in the mid-60s and where you can get a three-bedroom with garage for about $135,000.
West Mifflin, Pennsylvania Median family income: $52,771Median home price (2006): $81,113Just a few miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh, West Mifflin provides easy access to the greater metropolitan area with housing prices that are anything but big-city. Late-model split-levels go for $189,000, while wide open spaces can be purchased for a reasonable $50,000 an acre.
North College Hill, Ohio Median family income: $52,482Median home price (2006): $80,761While this Cincinnati suburb dates to the year the Constitution was signed,
you don't need old money to live there. Well-maintained ranchers and Cape Cods go for under $100,000, and you can pick up a newer four-bedroom for under $170,000. The Ronald Reagan Cross Country Highway provides fine transportation access but hasn't caused property values to skyrocket.
Maple Heights, Ohio Median family income: $54,368Median home price (2006): $84,597This Cleveland suburb has been the beneficiary of some very ambitious local economic development initiatives, but housing costs remain well in line with what the locals can afford. Prices there tend to be a bit higher than other parts of the state -- a modest Cape Cod in the nicer part of town will run you $130,000 -- but Maple Heights is still well below the national average. There are plenty of bargains in the below-$100,000 range.
Kenmore, New York Median family income: $59,875Median home price (2006): $93,413Kenmore joins the aforementioned Tonawanda to form a region the locals call Ken-Ton. The Buffalo suburb offers low-cost housing in low-crime neighborhoods. Decent single-family homes start around $70,000 there with many in the $150,000 range. More exclusive areas, like Deerfield Park, will cost you close to $300,000.
Penn Hills, Pennsylvania Median family income: $54,022Median home price (2006): $84,915For an incorporated township, Penn Hills is sizeable with more than 40,000 residents, but the real estate market hasn't overheated. Decent homes in this Pittsburgh suburb can easily be found for less than $100,000, while impressive five-bedroom homes on sprawling properties can be had for about $300,000.
Brentwood, Pennsylvania Median family income: $55,105Median home price (2006): $86,878Another in a long list of inexpensive, quiet suburbs in the Pittsburgh-Northeast Ohio corridor, Brentwood gets plenty of lake-effect snow but lots of heat from the local real estate market.
Like its counterparts, you can get a decent fixer-upper or starter home in the $60,000 range, but you can also go upscale with the $300,000-and-up construction sprouting in the newer neighborhoods.
Depew, New YorkMedian family income: $56,786Median home price (2006): $90,149Quiet Depew is another Buffalo suburb known for nasty winters and low-cost housing. In this old railroad town it's not unheard of to find older homes selling for around $50,000, with very few properties over the $400,000 mark.
Irmo, South Carolina Median family income: $74,920Median home price (2006): $119,003This suburb of state capital, Columbia, features scenic Lake Murray, a solid travel system and great schools -- just the kind of place where real estate prices should soar. Yet costs remain reasonable, with a fair number of bargains below $150,000. The high end, though, can get pretty high, with properties listed at $500,000 and up.
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Great Then, Great Now: 20 Years of Best PlacesMore Real Estate StoriesReal Estate How-to GuidesReal Estate CalculatorsCorning, New YorkMedian family income: $52,152Median home price (2006): $83,198Glass manufacturer Corning Inc. serves as the
economic bedrock for this southwest New York community known also for the elaborate Rockwell Museum of Western Art. Opportunities abound for the housing bargain hunter, with many fine homes listed below $75,000 and few over $400,000.
Lancaster, New York Median family income: $61,781Median home price (2006): $98,883The town of Lancaster and the smaller adjacent village by the same name have been talking about merging, but until then this upstate community stands on its own as an affordable housing center. Single-family homes start under $100,000 and run to the half-million-dollar range -- still far lower than in many other regions in the state.
Bellevue, Ohio Median family income: $55,104Median home price (2006): $91,322This little sliver of a city somehow manages to span four counties, perhaps accounting for the wild variations in home prices. A small single can run you as low as $35,000, but the larger homes in newer developments will set you back close to $600,000.
Gates-North Gates, New York Median family income: $59,960Median home price (2006): $99,612Part of the larger town of Gates, this upstate community is near a number of major corporate headquarters including Eastman Kodak and Bausch & Lomb. Despite such well-heeled neighbors, the Gates area remains a place where you can easily find a great home in the $100,000 range.
Cheektowaga, New York Median family income: $53,039Median home price (2006): $88,239Yet another place to go house-hunting in the Buffalo region, Cheektowaga is the largest of the suburbs with a population approaching 100,000. The town features hundreds of multi-dwelling units that go for $90,000 and under as well as an amazing array of single-family houses priced below $75,000.
Cheviot, Ohio Median family income: $54,611Median home price (2006): $92,038This small Cincinnati suburb has houses priced to sell. A handful of available luxury homes will set you back about $500,000, but the lower end finds a slew of handsomely maintained homes for well under six figures.
Boardman, Ohio Median family income: $61,012Median home price (2006): $103,175Part of that up-and-coming Pittsburgh-Northeast Ohio region, the sprawling town is known mostly for farming and its banner crop of athletes, which include former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar. On the real estate scene, an array of cute single-family homes goes for under $100,000, with an abundance of fixer-uppers for half that price. There are also quality higher-end properties available around this charming town.
Lincoln Park, Michigan Median family income: $56,912Median home price (2006): $96,579Residents of this Detroit suburb generally work in the city at one of the automotive plants, with industry in town virtually non-existent. Housing prices run the gamut, with most under $150,000 and very little above $250,000.
Melvindale, Michigan Median family income: $53,156Median home price (2006): $90,302A Detroit suburb with precious little of its own industry, there are lots of homes available in Melvindale for under $100,000. Even $150,000 gets pricey here, with the most expensive homes topping out at under $300,000.
Storm Lake, Iowa Median family income: $50,455Median home price (2006): $85,830Home of Buena Vista University, Storm Lake is an ethnically diverse community rich with housing bargains. There are a handful of homes in the $500,000 range, but you can get plenty of house for under $70,000.
Garfield Heights, OhioMedian family income: $54,166Median home price (2006): $93,116This Cleveland suburb recently witnessed the completion of the $200 million CitiView Center, a mega-complex to house shopping, a hotel and office space. Property values are still reasonable though, with an amazingly rich selection of real estate, at least half of it priced under $150,000 and only a sliver of more than 1,700 listings priced over $250,000.
Kokomo, IndianaMedian family income: $50,355Median home price (2006): $87,148Slow-moving Kokomo is home to a DaimlerChrysler plant and Delphi Corp. world headquarters. Its real estate market, though, remains tame, with most listings coming in below $250,000 and more than half well below $100,000. Not the Kokomo Island of which the Beach Boys sang, but definitely an oasis for home shoppers on limited budgets.
Harper Woods, Michigan Median family income: $63,770Median home price (2006): $110,486This small city split off from a larger township 55 years ago and has made its identity, as the name implies, as a rural counterpart to its more industrialized neighbors in the Detroit area. Co-ops and condos might be the biggest bargain in town, with most starting around $40,000. Single-family homes are available as well for under $100,000 where even the high end doesn't get much higher than $200,000.
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Most Affordable Towns
