Here’s where Arizona cities rank among most affordable cities to buy a home

With the median home sales price having skyrocketed from $313,000 in the first quarter of 2019 to $416,900 in the first quarter of 2025, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Most Affordable Cities for Home Buyers, as well as expert commentary. In order to determine the most affordable cities to buy a home, WalletHub compared 300 U.S. cities across ten key metrics. The data set ranges from the costs of homes and their maintenance to tax rates and vacancy rates.

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Affordability of Phoenix for Home Buyers (1=Most Affordable; 150=Avg.):

• 136^th – Housing Affordability 
• 146^th – Maintenance Affordability
• 17^th – Average Cost of Homeowner’s Insurance
• 147^th – Cost of Living
• 176^th – Cost per Square Foot
• 16^th – Real-Estate Tax Rate
• 167^th – Rent-to-Price-Ratio
• 19^th – Median Home-Price Appreciation
• 147^th – Quarterly Active Listings per Capita
• 155^th – Vacancy Rate

Phoenix ranks 65^th overall and 19^th among large cities. But other Arizona cities fared much better in the most affordable cities to buy a home rankings (see rankings below).

With the combination of inflated prices and high interest rates in play, many consumers may wonder if they can even afford to buy a home. Fortunately, owning real estate in some cities is much less expensive than others.

Main Findings

Most affordable cities to buy a home

Overall Rank*	City	Total Score
1	Flint, MI	76.74
2	Detroit, MI	73.42
3	Pittsburgh, PA	73.3
4	Surprise, AZ	72.05
5	Akron, OH	71.61
6	Yuma, AZ	71.26
7	Memphis, TN	70.33
8	Augusta, GA	69.93
9	Fort Wayne, IN	69.85
10	Indianapolis, IN	69.83
11	North Las Vegas, NV	69.78
12	Cleveland, OH	69.36
13	Warren, MI	69.35
14	Toledo, OH	69.12
15	Montgomery, AL	69.03
16	Davenport, IA	68.95
17	Palm Bay, FL	68.78
18	Fayetteville, NC	68.57
19	High Point, NC	68.54
20	Springfield, IL	68.42
21	Philadelphia, PA	68.4
22	Baltimore, MD	68.33
23	Birmingham, AL	68.09
24	Little Rock, AR	67.88
25	Dayton, OH	67.86
26	Las Vegas, NV	67.7
26	Henderson, NV	67.7
28	Mesa, AZ	67.69
29	Winston-Salem, NC	67.5
30	Gilbert, AZ	67.36
31	Louisville, KY	67.22
32	Peoria, IL	67.14
33	Atlanta, GA	67.11
34	Cedar Rapids, IA	67
35	Pueblo, CO	67
36	Peoria, AZ	66.98
37	Grand Rapids, MI	66.89
38	Des Moines, IA	66.79
39	Columbus, OH	66.75
40	Buffalo, NY	66.69
41	Greensboro, NC	66.48
42	Columbus, GA	66.46
43	Boise, ID	66.42
44	Tucson, AZ	66.41
45	Mobile, AL	66.31
46	Livonia, MI	66.07
47	Murfreesboro, TN	65.98
48	Lakeland, FL	65.98
49	Cincinnati, OH	65.9
50	Charlotte, NC	65.85
51	Fort Smith, AR	65.62
52	Chandler, AZ	65.56
53	Durham, NC	65.5
54	Cary, NC	65.45
55	Broken Arrow, OK	65.33
56	Spokane, WA	65.3
57	Rockford, IL	65.18
58	Huntsville, AL	65.13
59	Colorado Springs, CO	65.05
60	Joliet, IL	65.05
61	Thornton, CO	65.05
62	Raleigh, NC	65.03
63	Kenosha, WI	64.95
64	Spokane Valley, WA	64.88
65	Phoenix, AZ	64.88
66	Centennial, CO	64.83
67	Aurora, CO	64.82
68	Sterling Heights, MI	64.6
69	Victorville, CA	64.58
70	Arvada, CO	64.54
71	Sunrise, FL	64.53
72	Glendale, AZ	64.51
73	Chesapeake, VA	64.41
74	Nashville, TN	64.4
75	Green Bay, WI	64.34
76	Milwaukee, WI	64.3
77	Erie, PA	64.2
78	Dearborn, MI	64.16
79	Tuscaloosa, AL	64.13
80	Hillsboro, OR	64.13
81	Lexington, KY	64.07
82	Cape Coral, FL	63.95
83	Westminster, CO	63.79
84	Hampton, VA	63.76
85	Clearwater, FL	63.71
86	Virginia Beach, VA	63.63
87	Savannah, GA	63.49
88	Aurora, IL	63.37
89	Knoxville, TN	63.28
90	Portsmouth, VA	63.17
91	Lansing, MI	63.16
92	Roswell, GA	63.11
93	Oklahoma City, OK	63.09
94	Jacksonville, FL	63.06
95	Lincoln, NE	63.04
96	Newport News, VA	62.97
97	Madison, WI	62.78
98	Salem, OR	62.78
99	North Charleston, SC	62.72
100	Tulsa, OK	62.7
101	Lancaster, CA	62.51
102	St. Louis, MO	62.45
103	Tempe, AZ	62.43
104	Waukegan, IL	62.14
105	Reno, NV	62.13
106	Vancouver, WA	62.1
107	Salt Lake City, UT	62.08
108	Orlando, FL	62.07
109	Roanoke, VA	62.05
110	Beaverton, OR	62.01
111	Tacoma, WA	61.88
112	Omaha, NE	61.8
113	Norfolk, VA	61.49
114	Visalia, CA	61.23
115	Elgin, IL	61.23
116	Rochester, NY	61.18
117	Greeley, CO	61.09
118	Gresham, OR	61.05
119	Tampa, FL	61.01
120	Richmond, VA	60.9
121	Yakima, WA	60.83
122	Manchester, NH	60.75
123	Naperville, IL	60.75
124	Denver, CO	60.69
125	Minneapolis, MN	60.69
126	Lakewood, CO	60.67
127	Kansas City, MO	60.66
128	Allentown, PA	60.51
129	Portland, OR	60.17
130	Scottsdale, AZ	60.09
131	Palmdale, CA	60.07
132	Norman, OK	60.03
133	Wilmington, NC	59.98
134	Springfield, MO	59.49
135	Jackson, MS	59.48
136	St. Petersburg, FL	59.32
137	West Palm Beach, FL	59.3
138	Chicago, IL	59.19
139	Athens-Clarke, GA	59.12
140	Port St. Lucie, FL	59.07
141	Stockton, CA	58.83
142	Moreno Valley, CA	58.6
143	Sandy Springs, GA	58.38
144	Tallahassee, FL	58.26
145	Fresno, CA	58.22
146	Pompano Beach, FL	58.15
147	Clovis, CA	58.12
148	Murrieta, CA	58.08
149	Modesto, CA	58
150	Wichita, KS	57.88
151	Longmont, CO	57.85
152	Bakersfield, CA	57.6
153	San Bernardino, CA	57.51
154	Alexandria, VA	57.51
155	Charleston, SC	57.08
156	Elk Grove, CA	57.05
157	Baton Rouge, LA	56.97
158	Albany, NY	56.88
159	Davie, FL	56.79
160	Overland Park, KS	56.73
161	Kent, WA	56.61
162	Eugene, OR	56.6
163	San Antonio, TX	56.5
164	Boca Raton, FL	56.49
165	Federal Way, WA	56.48
166	Albuquerque, NM	56.43
167	Vallejo, CA	56.15
168	Roseville, CA	56.08
169	Pembroke Pines, FL	56.07
170	Everett, WA	56
171	Amarillo, TX	56
172	Chico, CA	55.95
173	Gainesville, FL	55.72
174	Vacaville, CA	55.63
175	Rialto, CA	55.54
176	Fort Collins, CO	55.45
177	Ann Arbor, MI	55.36
178	Temecula, CA	55.09
179	Plantation, FL	54.83
180	Springfield, MA	54.81
181	Fontana, CA	54.8
182	Mesquite, TX	54.74
183	Renton, WA	54.66
184	Fort Worth, TX	54.56
185	Sacramento, CA	54.46
186	Riverside, CA	54.38
187	Fairfield, CA	54.32
188	Santa Maria, CA	54.31
189	Corpus Christi, TX	54.29
190	Houston, TX	54.2
191	Washington, DC	53.6
192	New Orleans, LA	53.57
193	Antioch, CA	53.52
194	St. Paul, MN	53.49
195	Grand Prairie, TX	53.05
196	Corona, CA	52.96
197	McKinney, TX	52.91
198	Shreveport, LA	52.83
199	Santa Clarita, CA	52.71
200	Garland, TX	52.67
201	Arlington, TX	52.63
202	Miami Gardens, FL	52.61
203	Anchorage, AK	52.49
204	Miramar, FL	52.38
205	Worcester, MA	52.22
206	Seattle, WA	52.11
207	Fort Lauderdale, FL	52.08
208	Coral Springs, FL	52.05
209	Ontario, CA	51.96
210	Irving, TX	51.82
211	Carrollton, TX	51.64
212	Hollywood, FL	51.56
213	Frisco, TX	51.47
214	Waterbury, CT	51.05
215	Providence, RI	51.04
216	Richardson, TX	51.03
217	Denton, TX	50.96
218	Dallas, TX	50.82
219	Hartford, CT	50.7
220	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	50.12
221	Laredo, TX	50.06
222	Allen, TX	49.97
223	Carson, CA	49.7
224	Austin, TX	49.58
225	Concord, CA	49.56
226	Yonkers, NY	49.04
227	El Paso, TX	49.02
228	Brockton, MA	48.83
229	Hialeah, FL	48.76
230	Plano, TX	48.66
231	New Haven, CT	48.52
232	Lowell, MA	48.46
233	Stamford, CT	48.41
234	Simi Valley, CA	48.26
235	Chula Vista, CA	47.98
236	Norwalk, CA	47.48
237	Salinas, CA	47.46
238	Pomona, CA	47.4
239	Compton, CA	47.24
240	Santa Rosa, CA	47.2
241	Richmond, CA	46.95
242	Bridgeport, CT	46.79
243	Jersey City, NJ	46.79
244	Hayward, CA	46.77
245	Bellevue, WA	46.52
246	Mission Viejo, CA	46.41
247	West Covina, CA	46.05
248	Quincy, MA	45.71
249	Oxnard, CA	45.64
250	Oceanside, CA	45.62
251	New Bedford, MA	45.3
252	Oakland, CA	44.81
253	Miami, FL	44.65
254	Ventura, CA	44.63
255	Vista, CA	44.48
256	Fall River, MA	44.46
257	Lynn, MA	44.41
258	Escondido, CA	43.18
259	Elizabeth, NJ	43.13
260	Thousand Oaks, CA	42.79
261	Inglewood, CA	42.57
262	Orange, CA	42.49
263	Newark, NJ	42.02
264	Honolulu, HI	41.98
265	Paterson, NJ	41.39
266	Fremont, CA	41.3
267	Fullerton, CA	41.15
268	Santa Ana, CA	41.06
269	Long Beach, CA	40.85
270	Garden Grove, CA	40.84
271	Anaheim, CA	40.84
272	San Diego, CA	40.75
273	Miami Beach, FL	40.74
274	Carlsbad, CA	40.64
275	Torrance, CA	40.44
276	South Gate, CA	40.36
277	Daly City, CA	39.9
278	Downey, CA	39.67
279	El Cajon, CA	38.93
280	San Jose, CA	38.25
281	Santa Clara, CA	38.22
282	Boulder, CO	38
283	San Mateo, CA	36.99
284	Huntington Beach, CA	36.95
285	El Monte, CA	36.44
286	Boston, MA	36.32
287	Sunnyvale, CA	36.12
288	Cambridge, MA	35.57
289	Westminster, CA	35.38
290	San Francisco, CA	35.21
291	Pasadena, CA	35.2
292	New York, NY	34.68
293	Burbank, CA	33.45
294	Los Angeles, CA	33.16
295	Glendale, CA	31.78
296	Irvine, CA	31.05
297	Costa Mesa, CA	30.78
298	Berkeley, CA	30.2
299	Santa Monica, CA	24.84
300	Santa Barbara, CA	22.63