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5. Akron, Ohio
Affordable home value: $291,020 Number of square feet: 3,497
The fifth-largest city in Ohio, Akron is known as the hometown of NBA star LeBron James. While the annual family income here of $82,994 is close to our list’s median, the purchasing power of residents in Akron is much higher, and families here can afford about 3,500 square feet. In comparison, families in Salt Lake City — where median annual family income is only $200 less — can afford a 1,918-square-foot house.
6. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania
Affordable home value: $206,727 Number of square feet: 3,497
Youngstown may be one of the most affordable places in the country, but it’s also one of the poorest. Annual family incomes here are just $66,700, the fifth lowest of the nation’s 100 largest metros. In August 2015, Youngstown’s median list prices were $88,000, with a 0% increase over the past year, according to Realtor.com.
7. Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
Affordable home value: $304,307 Number of square feet: 3,330
Cincinnati, the biggest metro area by population in our top 10, has an average price per square foot of $91, which is Ohio’s second-highest value after Columbus. But income for Cincinnati families hasn’t kept up with this price: the median annual income here is below that of Cleveland families. Still, the area is affordable, although that may change. Cincinnati’s median list prices increased 9% while the number of home listings dropped 32% compared with a year ago, according to
Realtor.com .
8. Toledo, Ohio
Affordable home value: $257,171 Number of square feet: 3,295
Toledo, like Youngstown, suffers from low income and a high poverty rate. However, Toledo’s low home costs are accompanied by a price appreciation of
5.3% last year. Toledo’s 4.3% unemployment rate in August was below others on the list, including Cleveland and Youngstown.
9. Raleigh, North Carolina
Affordable home value: $351,588 Number of square feet: 3,163
Named as one of 2014’s
best places for STEM graduates , the Raleigh metro area not only has a great job market, it also has affordable home prices. The higher family income here offsets the $111 price per square foot, the highest in our top 10.
10. Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas
Affordable home value: $313,296 Number of square feet: 3,156
With over 2 million residents, the Kansas City metro area is one of the largest regions in the Midwest — and growing. Even with the expanding population, the Kansas City area saw just a 6% increase in its listing prices last year, less than the national average of 7.4%, according to Realtor.com . This is good news for potential homebuyers, as the median home price here was $178,000 in August, well below the national median.
Methodology
All recommended home prices are from NerdWallet’s home affordability calculations.
The recommended total home value was estimated as the sum of the down payment and the maximum conventional loan with mortgage insurance. The home price was then divided by
Zillow’s 2014 average of price per square foot to calculate estimated size.
To read more on the methodology, see the
full list of 100 metro areas. Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, skyline via iStock.
http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/mortgages/10-most-affordable-metros-for-homebuyers-2015/ 
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