What makes a top-ranked small city so desirable? According to
realtor.com®’s research team, it has a low unemployment rate, a crime rate below the national average, an affordable median home price, and a majority of households that spend no more than 28 percent of their annual income on housing costs.
The research team ranked more than 500 towns with populations between 10,000 and 50,000. The median home price of its top 10 small towns ranged from $65,600 to $139,900 (the national median price is $250,000, for comparison).
The following are the top 10 most affordable small towns for 2017, as ranked by
realtor.com®:
1. Mexico, Mo.
- Median home price: $65,600
2. Guymon, Okla.
- Median home price: $76,000
3. Decatur, Ind.
- Median home price: $81,900
4. Oskaloosa, Iowa
- Median home price: $98,500
5. Hereford, Texas
- Median home price: $98,900
6. Worthington, Minn.
- Median home price: $119,900
7. Malvern, Ark.
- Median home price: $120,000
8. Ionia, Mich.
- Median home price: $124,000
9. Wapakoneta, Ohio
- Median home price: $127,500
10. Greensburg, Ind.
- Median home price: $139,900
Source: “Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You’d Actually Want to Live, 2017 Edition,”realtor.com®
(March 6, 2017)