The NAR evaluated 179 cities to determine which ones offer the best value for buyers, based on data collected for one year through October 2022 and reflecting projected demand from buyers in 2023.
Although the price of housing has been increasing, there are still cities where it is possible to find houses that are relatively cheap, compared to the costs in other parts of the country, and that also offer other advantages, such as more jobs and more options for living place.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) analyzed 179 cities to determine which ones offer the greatest value to buyers. The data goes back one year to October 2022 and reflects expected demand from buyers in 2023.
The five cities that came out best qualified were:
1. Atlanta, Georgia
–Average home price: $371,200.
With major tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Visa opening offices in Atlanta in recent years, the city has a strong job market.
The Atlanta metro area remains relatively affordable compared to other regions of the country. More than 20% of renters can afford to buy a median-priced home in the area.
2. Raleigh, North Carolina
–Average home price: $460,500 dollars.
A fast-growing tech hub with low unemployment, Raleigh has seen home prices rise by nearly 30% since 2020. With median home prices approaching $500,000.
Yet local home sales prices are already declining from their peak this summer, housing inventory has increased 188% in the last 12 months, and unemployment in Raleigh is lower than it was before the pandemic.
3. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
–Average home price: $390,100.
Dallas-Fort Worth is another emerging tech hub in the US, with job growth nearly double the national average, which was 3.4% since October 2022.
While the supply of homes is lower than the national average, inventory increased in 2022, with the number of active listings tripling the national average, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.
4. Fayetteville, Arkansas
–Average home price: $328,400
Fayetteville is home to three Fortune 500 companies: Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt Transport Services, this city ranks second in NAR’s top 10 rankings in terms of housing affordability.
It is also a growing market, with an annual population increase of 2%, well above the national average of 0.01%.
Houses are also cheap. The proportion of renters who can afford a typical home is almost twice the national average.
5. Greenville, South Carolina
–Average home price: $335,400.
While housing affordability is on par with the national average, job growth in this area is strong, especially for high-paying information technology jobs like computer programming or web development.
There are also more homes to choose from, as the supply of homes in 2022 was more than double the national average.