Best Value Housing Markets in the U.S.
These counties offer the best balance of affordability and momentum — where buyers can enter at reasonable prices while the market still has room to grow.
| # | County | Median Home | Tax Rate | Market Score | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumberland County, IL | $126,000 | 1.59% | 79.4 | Strong |
| 2 | Iron County, MI | $109,100 | 1.34% | 84.0 | Excellent |
| 3 | Wetzel County, WV | $107,900 | 0.67% | 75.5 | Strong |
| 4 | Stark County, IL | $104,500 | 1.69% | 75.4 | Strong |
| 5 | Perry County, IL | $112,600 | 1.6% | 70.5 | Strong |
| 6 | Luce County, MI | $112,000 | 0.98% | 67.2 | Balanced |
| 7 | Hancock County, IL | $113,800 | 1.81% | 77.3 | Strong |
| 8 | Worth County, IA | $145,800 | 1.1% | 74.6 | Strong |
| 9 | Foster County, ND | $167,500 | 1.19% | 79.5 | Strong |
| 10 | Greene County, MS | $92,700 | 0.85% | 65.6 | Balanced |
| 11 | Washington County, IL | $155,700 | 1.87% | 75.3 | Strong |
| 12 | Crawford County, IL | $121,100 | 1.49% | 80.4 | Excellent |
| 13 | Doniphan County, KS | $135,200 | 1.07% | 75.6 | Strong |
| 14 | Keokuk County, IA | $118,700 | 1.26% | 74.4 | Strong |
| 15 | Osceola County, IA | $122,600 | 1.13% | 78.1 | Strong |
| 16 | Louisa County, IA | $150,100 | 1.17% | 76.7 | Strong |
| 17 | Rice County, KS | $104,600 | 1.52% | 73.3 | Strong |
| 18 | Woodford County, IL | $197,600 | 2.13% | 81.2 | Excellent |
| 19 | Marshall County, IL | $142,800 | 1.94% | 76.7 | Strong |
| 20 | Palo Alto County, IA | $123,200 | 1.2% | 79.9 | Strong |
| 21 | Mercer County, IL | $146,700 | 1.96% | 75.8 | Strong |
| 22 | Jersey County, IL | $171,900 | 1.76% | 76.3 | Strong |
| 23 | Jay County, IN | $117,500 | 0.6% | 70.6 | Strong |
| 24 | Marion County, KS | $124,200 | 1.62% | 78.0 | Strong |
| 25 | Allegany County, NY | $101,700 | 2.92% | 72.5 | Strong |
| 26 | Cass County, IL | $97,100 | 2.02% | 76.3 | Strong |
| 27 | Emmet County, IA | $114,100 | 1.47% | 76.6 | Strong |
| 28 | Hutchinson County, TX | $119,100 | 1.35% | 69.8 | Balanced |
| 29 | Putnam County, IL | $172,700 | 1.57% | 75.2 | Strong |
| 30 | Schoolcraft County, MI | $141,800 | 0.99% | 74.9 | Strong |
| 31 | Wabash County, IL | $104,900 | 1.41% | 68.3 | Balanced |
| 32 | Cottle County, TX | $59,300 | 1.15% | 70.0 | Strong |
| 33 | Cherokee County, KS | $100,100 | 1.22% | 72.2 | Strong |
| 34 | Iroquois County, IL | $137,800 | 1.82% | 75.1 | Strong |
| 35 | Butler County, IA | $165,400 | 1.35% | 74.0 | Strong |
| 36 | Kinney County, TX | $82,000 | 1.41% | 55.7 | Challenging |
| 37 | Fulton County, IL | $107,200 | 2.14% | 69.5 | Balanced |
| 38 | Grant County, AR | $161,700 | 0.54% | 75.8 | Strong |
| 39 | Gogebic County, MI | $107,200 | 1.43% | 73.6 | Strong |
| 40 | Harper County, OK | $99,200 | 0.64% | 68.3 | Balanced |
| 41 | Henry County, IL | $151,600 | 1.99% | 73.7 | Strong |
| 42 | LaMoure County, ND | $117,200 | 1.01% | 68.0 | Balanced |
| 43 | Fayette County, WV | $105,800 | 0.64% | 67.6 | Balanced |
| 44 | Allen County, KS | $107,600 | 1.67% | 75.3 | Strong |
| 45 | Elk County, PA | $133,600 | 1.27% | 72.7 | Strong |
| 46 | Calhoun County, IA | $118,800 | 1.32% | 70.7 | Strong |
| 47 | McKean County, PA | $104,500 | 1.59% | 68.9 | Balanced |
| 48 | McLean County, KY | $148,500 | 0.64% | 70.2 | Strong |
| 49 | Dickinson County, KS | $146,800 | 1.47% | 71.3 | Strong |
| 50 | Jasper County, IL | $125,500 | 1.95% | 66.9 | Balanced |
| 51 | Brown County, KS | $118,100 | 1.24% | 71.7 | Strong |
| 52 | Randolph County, IL | $135,100 | 1.43% | 71.5 | Strong |
| 53 | Tioga County, NY | $160,800 | 2.33% | 74.0 | Strong |
| 54 | Piatt County, IL | $180,600 | 1.81% | 76.5 | Strong |
| 55 | Linn County, MO | $123,300 | 0.72% | 71.2 | Strong |
| 56 | Warren County, IN | $182,500 | 0.5% | 71.1 | Strong |
| 57 | Wright County, IA | $119,600 | 1.51% | 71.7 | Strong |
| 58 | Logan County, ND | $102,000 | 1.0% | 66.1 | Balanced |
| 59 | Randolph County, IN | $113,400 | 0.79% | 72.8 | Strong |
| 60 | Clinton County, IL | $192,400 | 1.83% | 73.0 | Strong |
| 61 | Deuel County, NE | $100,200 | 1.43% | 69.9 | Balanced |
| 62 | Henry County, OH | $168,600 | 1.17% | 73.3 | Strong |
| 63 | Pike County, IN | $154,900 | 0.78% | 67.0 | Balanced |
| 64 | Sheridan County, ND | $110,300 | 0.7% | 69.8 | Balanced |
| 65 | Christian County, IL | $115,500 | 1.64% | 72.2 | Strong |
| 66 | Menard County, IL | $185,500 | 1.72% | 71.5 | Strong |
| 67 | Smith County, KS | $94,100 | 1.83% | 63.3 | Balanced |
| 68 | Buchanan County, IA | $176,000 | 1.36% | 76.9 | Strong |
| 69 | Putnam County, OH | $201,100 | 0.97% | 75.6 | Strong |
| 70 | Wilkinson County, GA | $86,300 | 0.9% | 61.1 | Balanced |
| 71 | Paulding County, OH | $140,800 | 1.03% | 72.1 | Strong |
| 72 | Wayne County, WV | $127,100 | 0.47% | 66.3 | Balanced |
| 73 | Ness County, KS | $89,700 | 1.95% | 66.6 | Balanced |
| 74 | Macoupin County, IL | $138,200 | 1.5% | 68.5 | Balanced |
| 75 | Pembina County, ND | $119,200 | 1.01% | 76.7 | Strong |
| 76 | Faribault County, MN | $135,300 | 0.99% | 70.1 | Strong |
| 77 | Ohio County, KY | $121,400 | 0.62% | 63.2 | Balanced |
| 78 | Cattaraugus County, NY | $113,100 | 2.64% | 70.1 | Strong |
| 79 | Neosho County, KS | $111,300 | 1.47% | 69.8 | Balanced |
| 80 | Clay County, AR | $94,600 | 0.5% | 63.9 | Balanced |
| 81 | Giles County, VA | $151,100 | 0.61% | 78.4 | Strong |
| 82 | Knox County, MO | $101,400 | 0.83% | 71.8 | Strong |
| 83 | Tyler County, WV | $121,300 | 0.57% | 68.2 | Balanced |
| 84 | Oscoda County, MI | $125,500 | 0.94% | 73.3 | Strong |
| 85 | Lipscomb County, TX | $124,300 | 1.41% | 63.6 | Balanced |
| 86 | Fisher County, TX | $78,600 | 1.73% | 64.5 | Balanced |
| 87 | Marinette County, WI | $158,600 | 1.2% | 76.4 | Strong |
| 88 | Boone County, WV | $93,100 | 0.67% | 63.5 | Balanced |
| 89 | Howard County, IA | $147,800 | 1.25% | 72.2 | Strong |
| 90 | Scott County, IL | $96,400 | 1.5% | 68.9 | Balanced |
| 91 | Koochiching County, MN | $156,600 | 0.74% | 77.2 | Strong |
| 92 | Colfax County, NE | $144,700 | 1.18% | 67.0 | Balanced |
| 93 | Ralls County, MO | $168,200 | 0.73% | 75.4 | Strong |
| 94 | Smith County, MS | $112,600 | 0.42% | 63.0 | Balanced |
| 95 | Barber County, KS | $97,000 | 1.7% | 63.0 | Balanced |
| 96 | Tazewell County, IL | $167,500 | 2.11% | 75.2 | Strong |
| 97 | Pike County, IL | $101,400 | 1.53% | 70.9 | Strong |
| 98 | Jackson County, IA | $175,000 | 1.23% | 71.9 | Strong |
| 99 | Neshoba County, MS | $100,000 | 0.89% | 65.2 | Balanced |
| 100 | Jones County, TX | $96,500 | 1.59% | 63.9 | Balanced |
Methodology: Rankings are editorial, based on percentile ranks across all U.S. counties. Filtering and weighting are applied per preset. Data source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, FHFA, BLS, IRS, FRED. These rankings are not investment advice or recommendations.
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