REVEALED: The ten most affordable places where a fraction of your income can buy you a home
Across the US, the average homeowner is forking over nearly 40 percent of their income on housing.
But residents in a range of towns and cities across the nation are paying half that — with some areas requiring as little as 16 percent of an owner's earnings to achieve the American dream, according to a new report.
Despite all the doom and gloom of the US housing market, an analysis by Redfin revealed the hidden gems where a mortgage won't cost a significant chunk of your salary.
Cities in the Midwest and South dominated the rankings, with three St. Louis suburbs landing in the top ten and two towns in Louisiana making the list.
Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri, located less than ten miles from the heart of St. Louis, claimed the No. 1 spot — with residents there paying 16 percent of their income on housing, according to Redfin.
Residents of nearby Ferguson are paying 17.9 percent of their earnings on housing, the same share citizens of Detroit, Michigan, are spending.
A pair of Louisiana cities — Broussard and Bayou Cane — rounded out the top five, with locals paying 18.4 and 18.6 percent, respectively, of their incomes on housing.
'Affordability is top of mind for many people today, as rising costs have left younger generations feeling like homeownership is just a pipe dream,' said Asad Khan, a senior economist at Redfin.
In Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri, located less than ten miles from the heart of St. Louis, residents pay just 16 percent of their income on housing, according to Redfin
Residents of Ferguson, another St. Louis suburb, are paying 17.9 percent of their earnings on housing
Experts recommend spending no more than 28 percent of your monthly pre-tax income on housing costs, according to Bankrate.
But many households in the US spend far more as the costs of rent, mortgage, and utilities rise faster than wages.
The Bellefontaine Neighbors area is known for its quiet residential streets, older housing stock, and proximity to major highways connecting to downtown St. Louis.
The median price of a home there is $101,106 and the average mortgage is $645, according to Redfin.
Ferguson, another St. Louis suburb, made headlines in 2014 for its role in bringing national attention to race and policing after a white officer, Darren Wilson, fatally shot Michael Brown Jr., an 18-year-old black man.
The event, and the subsequent decision by a grand jury not to indict Wilson, sparked widespread protests and civil unrest in Ferguson and dozens of cities across the US.
Since Brown's death, Ferguson elected its first black mayor, and now more than half of its police officers are black.
In a Facebook group called 'I care about Ferguson,' locals have weighed in on their appreciation for area and its charm.
'I really love that almost every store or restaurant I go to I see someone I know and can say, 'Hi!' to,' one wrote.
Still, both Bellefontaine Neighbors and Ferguson had poverty rates more than twice the national average, Redfin reported, with Detroit having the highest of any area on the top ten.
Is it fair that affordable homes are clustered in areas struggling with poverty and past crises?
Comment now
The Bellefontaine Neighbors area is known for its quiet residential streets, older housing stock, and proximity to major highways connecting to downtown St. Louis
Detroit, Michigan, was in such bad shape two decades ago that it was forced to declare bankruptcy and had homes for sale for $1. Now, it's an affordable hotspot with a booming job and housing market
The median price of a home in Detroit is just $92,384 and the average mortgage is $589, according to Redfin
Redfin senior economist Asad Khan said that 'rising costs have left younger generations feeling like homeownership is just a pipe dream'
The Michigan city — the historic heart of America's auto industry — has long been associated with manufacturing, Motown music, and more recently large-scale urban revitalization efforts.
The city was in such bad shape two decades ago that it was forced to declare bankruptcy and had homes for sale for $1.
Now, it's an affordable hotspot with a booming job and housing market.
'I've been a realtor in Detroit since 2016, so I've seen years of unprecedented growth,' local realtor Jay Taylor told the Daily Mail.
The median price of a home in Detroit is just $92,384 and the average mortgage is $589, according to Redfin.
Moving from the Midwest to the Deep South, the city of Broussard, Louisiana, outside Lafayette, boasts the highest median home price and monthly mortgage of any area on Redfin's ranking, at $280,407 and $1,790, respectively.
Broussard's high median household income of $116,613 — by the far the most on the list, compared to $48,354 for No. 1 Bellefontaine Neighbors — means residents there are spending only 18.4 percent of their earnings to cover housing.
The city of Broussard, Louisiana, outside Lafayette, boasts the highest median home price and monthly mortgage of any area on Redfin's ranking
Also in Louisiana, Bayou Cane outside Houma ranked just behind Broussard on the list
Others in top ten included West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh (pictured), with its steel-making roots
Moss Point, Mississippi, near the Gulf Coast
The city has a strong local economy based in oil, gas and manufacturing, as well as family-friendly neighborhoods, excellent schools, and low crime.
Also in Louisiana, Bayou Cane ranked just behind Broussard on the list.
The area just outside Houma has deep ties to the oil, gas, and fishing industries, contributing to a strong housing market.
In Bayou Cane, the average home is $177,786 and the average monthly mortgage payment is $1,135.
Others in top ten included West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, with its steel-making roots; and Moss Point, Mississippi, near the Gulf Coast, with its long history of shipbuilding and railroads.
Rounding on the rankings are Dunbar, West Virginia, which reflects Appalachia's industrial past; Garfield Heights, Ohio, in suburban Cleveland; and Spanish Lake, Missouri, the third St. Louis suburb to land on the list.
All of Redfin's data represents a weighted average from January to November 2025 and is based on an analysis of median incomes and median home sale prices across 1,751 US cities.
Dunbar, West Virginia, reflects Appalachia's industrial past
Garfield Heights, Ohio, in suburban Cleveland
Spanish Lake, Missouri, is the third St. Louis suburb to land on the list
The real estate listing service put a focus on affordable cities at a time when housing prices are near record highs.
Redfin predicts that affordability will slowly improve in the new year, as wages climb faster than housing costs for a sustained period for the first time since the Great Recession of 2008.
'Rising wages and declining costs may bring some life back to the market in 2026, but until homebuilding catches up to years of unmet demand, affordability will remain a challenge,' Khan said.
'The best way to make homebuying affordable — especially for younger generations— is to make homebuilding easier and provide financial and social support to populations in need.'
