MapsToItCity Data

225U.S. cities mapped

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Cheapest and most expensive U.S. cities

Ranked by MapsToIt housing cost index (100 ≈ U.S. average), derived from Census ACS median home value and median gross rent. Lower scores mean more affordable housing relative to the national baseline — not a full BLS consumer price basket.

10 cheapest cities by housing cost index

These catalog cities post the lowest blended ACS home + rent indices in the current MapsToIt release. Use the list below if you are scanning for affordable entry points; open any profile for income, commute, climate, and safety context.

  1. 1. Dayton, OHHousing index 47 · homes ~$93,200 · 136,346 people
  2. 2. Cleveland, OHHousing index 49 · homes ~$94,100 · 365,379 people
  3. 3. Toledo, OHHousing index 50 · homes ~$107,000 · 265,638 people
  4. 4. Detroit, MIHousing index 51 · homes ~$76,800 · 645,705 people
  5. 5. Akron, OHHousing index 53 · homes ~$111,200 · 189,664 people
  6. 6. Brownsville, TXHousing index 54 · homes ~$122,400 · 191,967 people
  7. 7. Rockford, ILHousing index 55 · homes ~$120,900 · 147,486 people
  8. 8. Evansville, INHousing index 56 · homes ~$129,100 · 115,395 people
  9. 9. Jackson, MSHousing index 56 · homes ~$108,200 · 141,449 people
  10. 10. Topeka, KSHousing index 57 · homes ~$130,600 · 125,467 people

10 most expensive cities by housing cost index

At the other end of the catalog, these places carry the highest ACS-derived housing cost indices. High scores usually reflect elevated home values and rents versus national medians — dig into each profile before assuming “expensive” equals poor relocator fit.

  1. 1. Sunnyvale, CAHousing index 413 · homes ~$1,816,600 · 156,792 people
  2. 2. Santa Clara, CAHousing index 363 · homes ~$1,527,900 · 133,132 people
  3. 3. Santa Barbara, CAHousing index 327 · homes ~$1,466,400 · 87,291 people
  4. 4. Fremont, CAHousing index 320 · homes ~$1,289,400 · 228,192 people
  5. 5. San Francisco, CAHousing index 317 · homes ~$1,380,500 · 827,526 people
  6. 6. Berkeley, CAHousing index 302 · homes ~$1,351,100 · 121,749 people
  7. 7. San Jose, CAHousing index 293 · homes ~$1,187,800 · 997,368 people
  8. 8. Bellevue, WAHousing index 291 · homes ~$1,203,100 · 154,377 people
  9. 9. Irvine, CAHousing index 291 · homes ~$1,115,400 · 318,683 people
  10. 10. Cambridge, MAHousing index 273 · homes ~$1,040,500 · 121,186 people

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year median home value and median gross rent; MapsToIt housing cost index (100 = U.S. average). See methodology. Also browse the full city index, cost vs safety scatter, or compare cities.