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You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology. 20 YearsHelping You Live Richer Reviewed by Experts Trusted by Millions of Readers Looking to buy a home this year without torching your finances? GOBankingRates has uncovered 30 cities across America where affordability and livability best intersect. These hidden gems offer significantly lower home prices than their state averages, manageable mortgage costs and solid median incomes — along with strong livability ratings. From college towns to lakeside communities, these markets are quietly thriving and poised to attract savvy buyers in the months ahead. To compile its list, GOBankingRates analyzed data from Zillow, AreaVibes, Sperling’s BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve. Cities were weighted based on how they rank in multiple categories, and an overall score was determined — producing a list of the nation’s best blends of affordability and livability. Here’s a rundown of the top 30, counting down to the best hidden gem in the nation for 2025. California and New York each landed five cities in the list. Also look ahead to the best cities to buy a home in 2026. 30. Merced, California Average home value in city: $400,681 Average home value in state: $798,043 Average monthly mortgage: $2,294 Livability: 75 Median household income: $59,938 Merced sits along State Route 99, roughly 110 miles southeast of Sacramento and about 270 miles north of Los Angeles. With average home prices coming in nearly $400,000 below state averages, Merced offers a less expensive alternative in a famously expensive state. 29. Pensacola, Florida Average home value in city: $260,455 Average home value in state: $402,892 Average monthly mortgage: $1,491 Livability: 83 Median household income: $72,699 Pensacola is located in the far western part of the Florida Panhandle, right along the Gulf of Mexico. Pensacola’s total cost of living pencils out to about $3,500 a month on average. 28. Glassboro, New Jersey Average home value in city: $372,448 Average home value in state: $589,265 Average monthly mortgage: $2,132 Livability: 81 Median household income: $80,388 Glassboro sits about 20 miles southeast of Philadelphia, making it a convenient suburb for commuters. Total monthly living costs here come in around $4,300. 27. Springfield, Massachusetts Average home value in city: $300,102 Average home value in state: $682,247 Average monthly mortgage: $1,718 Livability: 75 Median household income: $51,339 You’ll find Springfield in southwestern Massachusetts, about 90 miles west of Boston and roughly 25 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut. With more than 150,000 residents, Springfield is the most populous city to make GBR’s top 30. 26. Binghamton, New York Average home value in city: $181,851 Average home value in state: $489,352 Average monthly mortgage: $1,041 Livability: 77 Median household income: $44,331 Binghamton is located in the Southern Tier region of New York, near the Pennsylvania border. Its median household income is the lowest among the cities in this list. 25. Clinton, Utah Average home value in city: $494,510 Average home value in state: $545,049 Average monthly mortgage: $2,831 Livability: 88 Median household income: $109,915 Located about 30 miles north of Salt Lake City, Clinton is part of the Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan area. Average single-family home values come in just shy of $500,000, the highest figure among the cities in this list. 24. Utica, New York Average home value in city: $200,717 Average home value in state: $489,352 Average monthly mortgage: $1,149 Livability: 78 Median household income: $51,513 You’ll find Utica in the central part of the state, about 55 miles east of Syracuse and 95 miles west of Albany. Total monthly living costs in Utica come in around $3,200 on average. 23. Superior, Wisconsin Average home value in city: $225,498 Average home value in state: $335,546 Average monthly mortgage: $1,291 Livability: 85 Median household income: $63,415 Superior is located at the western tip of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, along the border with Minnesota. Based on the numbers in GBR’s study, you can live here and cover basic necessities for less than $40,000 a year. 22. Chicopee, Massachusetts Average home value in city: $322,883 Average home value in state: $682,247 Average monthly mortgage: $1,848 Livability: 76 Median household income: $66,927 Chicopee is located in western Massachusetts, just north of Springfield (which also appears in the top 30). With homes in Chicopee valued $360,000 below state averages, it’s more likely to be in reach for people on tight budgets. 21. Redding, California Average home value in city: $394,762 Average home value in state: $798,043 Average monthly mortgage: $2,260 Livability: 75 Median household income: $69,443 This northern California city sits about 160 miles north of Sacramento and roughly 120 miles south of the Oregon border. Redding’s average monthly cost of living ($4,438) is the third highest among the cities in GBR’s top 30. 20. Pullman, Washington Average home value in city: $439,271 Average home value in state: $621,316 Average monthly mortgage: $2,514 Livability: 86 Median household income: $45,097 The heart of the Palouse region, Pullman is located in southeastern Washington State — about 8 miles west of Moscow, Idaho. Pullman is a college town and a relatively youthful city compared to the others in GBR’s top 30. Just 6.5% of Pullman’s residents are age 65 or older. 19. Meadville, Pennsylvania Average home value in city: $159,895 Average home value in state: $287,856 Average monthly mortgage: $915 Livability: 85 Median household income: $46,012 Meadville sits in northwestern Pennsylvania, about 40 miles south of Erie and roughly 90 miles north of Pittsburgh. Meadville’s average monthly cost of living ($2,764) is the third lowest among cities in GBR’s top 30. 18. Cumberland, Maryland Average home value in city: $152,788 Average home value in state: $450,720 Average monthly mortgage: $875 Livability: 78 Median household income: $47,819 Cumberland sits along the Potomac River in the far western part of Maryland. It’s one of four cities in GBR’s top 30 that has an average monthly cost of living below $3,000. 17. Wakefield, Virginia Average home value in city: $203,891 Average home value in state: $417,032 Average monthly mortgage: $1,167 Livability: 73 Median household income: $56,250 Wakefield is a small town in southeastern Virginia, roughly 50 miles southeast of Richmond and about 60 miles northwest of Virginia Beach. Wakefield has the highest household median income among the cities in GBR’s list. Its average monthly expenditures also rank highest. 16. Gloversville, New York Average home value in city: $173,405 Average home value in state: $489,352 Average monthly mortgage: $993 Livability: 78 Median household income: $49,155 You’ll find Gloversville in upstate New York, about 45 miles northwest of Albany and right next to the city of Johnstown. Monthly living expenses here come in just over $3,000 on average. 15. South Euclid, Ohio Average home value in city: $185,896 Average home value in state: $247,160 Average monthly mortgage: $1,064 Livability: 87 Median household income: $78,782 South Euclid is a suburb of Cleveland that manages to place 15th, despite the smallest delta on the list between its average home values and the state of Ohio’s average home values (about $61,000). South Euclid’s average monthly cost of living stands at $2,915. 14. Hanford, California Average home value in city: $375,055 Average home value in state: $798,043 Average monthly mortgage: $2,147 Livability: 75 Median household income: $73,544 Hanford sits in California’s Central Valley, about 35 miles south of Fresno. Average home values in Hanford come in about $423,000 below the state average — the third-largest difference among the cities in this list. 13. Glens Falls, New York Average home value in city: $266,173 Average home value in state: $489,352 Average monthly mortgage: $1,524 Livability: 82 Median household income: $70,089 Glens Falls is located in upstate New York, about 45 miles north of Albany. The average total cost of living in Glens Falls comes in around $3,700 a month. 12. Spokane Valley, Washington Average home value in city: $420,821 Average home value in state: $621,316 Average monthly mortgage: $2,409 Livability: 85 Median household income: $70,722 This eastern Washington city is located directly east of Spokane and just west of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. With about 105,000 residents, Spokane Valley is the second most populous city among GBR’s top 30. Also See: 33 Cities Where You Need To Earn Six Figures To Afford a Typical Home 11. Sandusky, Ohio Average home value in city: $145,974 Average home value in state: $247,160 Average monthly mortgage: $836 Livability: 87 Median household income: $47,827 Sandusky is located in northern Ohio along the southern shore of Lake Erie, roughly halfway between Toledo and Cleveland. Helped by average monthly mortgage costs in the $800 range, Sandusky has the lowest total monthly living costs ($2,527) of any city in the top 30. 10. Wyandotte, Michigan Average home value in city: $190,919 Average home value in state: $259,881 Average monthly mortgage: $1,093 Livability: 88 Median household income: $67,846 Wyandotte sits in southeastern Michigan along the Detroit River, about 11 miles south of downtown Detroit. Wyandotte’s average home values come in just $69,000 than the state average, but this Detroit suburb scores high on livability and median household income. 9. Logan, Utah Average home value in city: $393,794 Average home value in state: $545,049 Average monthly mortgage: $2,254 Livability: 88 Median household income: $56,764 Logan sits in northern Utah, about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. Its livability score from AreaVibes is tied for the fourth highest among cities in the top 30. 8. Ridgecrest, California Average home value in city: $273,927 Average home value in state: $798,043 Average monthly mortgage: $1,568 Livability: 70 Median household income: $88,107 Ridgecrest is located in northeastern Kern County in the Indian Wells Valley. With a livability score of 70 (the cutoff for inclusion), this California city barely qualified for GBR’s top 30. But with average home values more than $500,000 lower than the state average, Ridgecrest may be worth a look if you’re on a tight budget. 7. Central Point, Oregon Average home value in city: $420,175 Average home value in state: $512,882 Average monthly mortgage: $2,405 Livability: 90 Median household income: $80,450 You’ll find Central Point in southern Oregon, just northwest of Medford. Central Point’s livability score is high enough to tie for the second best among the cities in GBR’s top 30. 6. Keene, New Hampshire Average home value in city: $353,583 Average home value in state: $530,759 Average monthly mortgage: $2,024 Livability: 86 Median household income: $78,183 Keene is a city of about 23,000 residents, located in southwestern New Hampshire. Keene’s total annual cost of living comes in around $47,000. 5. Aberdeen, Washington Average home value in city: $282,994 Average home value in state: $621,316 Average monthly mortgage: $1,620 Livability: 80 Median household income: $52,181 Aberdeen is located in Grays Harbor County in western Washington, at the mouth of the Chehalis River near the Pacific Coast. Average monthly expenditures here come in at $1,836, one of the lowest figures among GBR’s top 30. 4. Blythe, California Average home value in city: $232,672 Average home value in state: $798,043 Average monthly mortgage: $1,332 Livability: 71 Median household income: $51,984 Blythe is situated along the California-Arizona border on the Colorado River, about 224 miles east of Los Angeles and 150 miles west of Phoenix. Average home values in Blythe come in about $565,000 lower than state averages, which is the largest delta among the cities in the top 30. 3. Wausau, Wisconsin Average home value in city: $238,916 Average home value in state: $335,546 Average monthly mortgage: $1,368 Livability: 90 Median household income: $61,877 Wausau is located in central Wisconsin along the Wisconsin River. Wausau’s livability score is tied for the second highest among the cities in this list. 2. North Tonawanda, New York Average home value in city: $275,977 Average home value in state: $489,352 Average monthly mortgage: $1,580 Livability: 86 Median household income: $66,774 North Tonawanda is in Niagara County in western New York. It lands high on the list with a strong livability score and average home values coming in more than $200,000 below state averages. 1. Lynchburg, Virginia Average home value in city: $264,559 Average home value in state: $417,032 Average monthly mortgage: $1,514 Livability: 91 Median household income: $59,808 Lynchburg is located in central Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the James River. This Virginia city’s high rating is due in part to a sparkling AreaVibes livability score of 91 — the highest among any city in the list. Methodology: To identify the best hidden gem housing markets for 2025, GOBankingRates conducted a comprehensive analysis of cities across the U.S. The selection began with data from the Zillow Home Value Index, focusing on cities where the average single-family home value was at least $50,000 below the statewide average. Cities with a livability score below 70, sourced from AreaVibes, were excluded to ensure a baseline quality of life. Cost-of-living indexes were obtained from Sperling’s BestPlaces and paired with national average expenditure data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey to estimate typical spending in each city. Assuming a 10% down payment and applying the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate from Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average monthly mortgage was calculated for each location. From there, the total necessity cost of living was determined by combining mortgage and expenditure estimates. Each city was then scored and weighted using the following weighted criteria: median household income (1.00), average mortgage cost (1.00), difference from statewide home value (2.00), and livability index (2.00). Final scores were then summed and ranked. All data is current as of Sept. 2, 2025. More From GOBankingRates 5 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Fall 2025 I Help People Retire Every Day -- Here's the Most Common Retirement Mistake People Make 6 Clever Ways to Pocket an Extra $1K This Month 6 Safe Accounts Proven to Grow Your Money Up to 13x Faster Share This Article: