If You are Looking to Buy Home in 202, Might Want to Avoid These Cities

Nine California cities were listed among 10 worst cities in which to buy a home; none of the cities was listed in the Coachella Valley.

On May 1st, Valley inventory was 3,799 units, which is 1,349 units more than last year. Inventory has been improving, and current numbers are now comparable to inventory before the pandemic, according to the April 2025 Greater Palm Springs Real Estate Housing Report.

The Valley’s “months of sales” ratio was 6.2 months, which is 2.1 months more than last year.

You see consistent ratios between 4.0 and 6.0 months in most of the nine cities. The ratio in Bermuda Dunes is now the highest at 6.6 months.

With the median home sales price having skyrocketed from $313,000 in Q1 2019 to $416,900 in Q1 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 for home buyers, 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.

Most Affordable Cities 
1. Flint, MI
2. Detroit, MI
3. Pittsburgh, PA
4. Surprise, AZ
5. Akron, OH
6. Yuma, AZ
7. Memphis, TN
8. Augusta, GA
9. Fort Wayne, IN
10. Indianapolis, IN

Least Affordable Cities to Buy a Home

291. Pasadena, CA
292. New York, NY
293. Burbank, CA
294. Los Angeles, CA 
295. Glendale, CA
296. Irvine, CA
297. Costa Mesa, CA
298. Berkeley, CA
299. Santa Monica, CA
300. Santa Barbara, CA

Best vs. Worst

  • Flint, Michigan, has the most affordable housing (median house price divided by median annual household income) which is 9.7 times cheaper than in Santa Barbara, California, the city with the least affordable housing.
  • Honolulu has the lowest median real-estate tax rate which is 10 times lower than in Paterson, New Jersey, the city with the highest.
  • Flint, Michigan, has the highest rent-to-price ratio which is 14 times higher than in Santa Monica, California, the city with the lowest.
  • Boise, Idaho, has the highest median home price appreciation which is 6.3 times higher than in Stamford, Connecticut, the city with the lowest.
  • Miami Beach, Florida, has the highest vacancy rate which is 17.9 times higher than in Fontana, California, the city with the lowest.

“When deciding where to buy a home, home prices alone aren’t a good enough indicator of how affordable things will be,” Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst said. “You also have to consider how the average price compares to a typical income in the area, plus things like the overall cost of living and the costs of maintenance and taxes. The most affordable cities, like Flint, Michc., Detroit, and Pittsburgh, Penn.; have low costs across several of these different metrics.

“Flint, Mich., is the most affordable city to buy a home in 2025, boasting the lowest cost of living index in the country and the most affordable home prices relative to residents’ income. It also has the lowest median home price per square footage, at just $61. To put that in perspective, the price in the most expensive cities is over $1,000 per square foot.”

To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-affordable-cities-for-home-buyers/121950

Image Sources

  • Welcome to Irvine: Shutterstock