Flint, MI Named the Most Affordable for Home Buyers—and It Has the Lowest Cost of Living Index in the U.S.
Photo by Pure Michigan
The cost of homes in the U.S. is skyrocketing. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the median sales price went from $313,000 at the beginning of 2019 to $416,900 at the beginning of 2025. And, as WalletHub noted, that doesn’t account for the rise in mortgage rates, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate jumping from 2.65 percent in January 2021 to 6.87 percent in January 2025. However, you can still find a great deal in certain parts of the country.
On May 20, WalletHub released its latest report identifying the most affordable cities for home buyers. The company compared 300 U.S. cities across 10 key metrics, including housing affordability, the average cost per square foot, average cost of home insurance, the city’s cost of living, and the real estate tax rate. Flint, Michigan, came out on top.
“Flint is the most affordable city for home buyers, boasting the lowest cost of living index (COLI) in the country and the most affordable home prices relative to residents’ income,” the report stated. “It also has the lowest median home price per square foot, at only $61. To put that in perspective, the price in the most expensive cities is over $1,000 per square foot.”
Flint also has a very high rent-to-price ratio, meaning it’s “cheaper to buy property than it is to rent it,” WalletHub reported.
Read the full article, in Travel + Leisure, HERE.