If you\’re looking for a new hometown but want to make sure it has a great vibe and plenty of job opportunities, you\’re in luck. If you just know where to look, there are plenty of affordable cities out there.
Housing costs are a major concern when relocating, since you don\’t want your mortgage payment eating up a large portion of your paycheck. This can be tricky because home values have been rising steadily for some time. However, there are some light on the horizon: National Association of Realtors Indicates that house prices are down 20.2% from July 2021.
Of course, choosing a new city is more than finding the right housing price; you want a safe city with the amenities you need to be happy. This might involve providing your child with highly rated public schools, lots of parks, or a plethora of public transportation options.
While it may appear that these cities do not exist, they do not. There are so many amazing places across the country where the real estate market is not yet saturated.
Thankfully, you still have time to move to these cities before they\’re discovered by the masses — and largely unaffordable. If you\’re planning to move this year, it\’s important to do a lot of research to find the best fit.
To help you get started, GOBankingRates has compiled a list of 25 promising real estate markets. Read on to learn more about these vibrant cities and see if there\’s one you\’d like to call home.
25. Boise, Idaho
-
- Housing Market Price Growth: 7.9%
-
- Median Listing Home Price: $560,470
-
- Population Growth: 14.6%
-
- Job Growth: 3.2%
-
- Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
-
- Area Vibes Rating: 81
-
- Area Trivia: Don\’t worry about Idaho\’s overpopulation, since 66 percent of the state\’s land is owned by the federal government.
See: 6 Alternative Investments to Consider Diversifying in 2022
24. Palm Bay, Florida
-
- Housing Market Price Growth: 7.9%
-
- Median Listing Home Price: $300,000
-
- Population Growth: 16.1%
-
- Job Growth: 2.9%
-
- Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
-
- Area Vibes Rating: 80
-
- Area Trivia: The best place in town to catch a stunning sunset is the area around Emerson Road and the Heritage Parkway.
23. Lakeland, Florida
-
- Housing Market Price Growth: 7.0%
-
- Median Listing Home Price: $350,000
-
- Population Growth: 15.6%
-
- Job Growth: 4.5%
-
- Unemployment Rate : 3.6%
-
- Area Vibes Rating: 82
-
- Area Trivia: The world\’s largest on-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is located in Lakeland.
22. Tampa, Florida
-
- Housing Market Price Growth: 6.8%
-
- Median Listing Home Price: $430,000
-
- Population Growth: 14.7%
-
- Job Growth: 4.7%
-
- Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
-
- Area Vibes Rating: 74
-
- Area Trivia: Beginning in January, Tampa celebrates Gasparilla season each year, including two months of pirate-themed parade festivals and events.
21. Orlando, Florida
-
- Housing Market Price Growth: 5.4%
-
- Median Listing Home Price: $399,900
-
- Population Growth: 29.1%
-
- Job Growth: 5.2%
-
- Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
-
- Area Vibes Rating: 69
-
- Area Trivia: It might not be too surprising, but Orlando is known as the \”Theme Park Capital of the World.\”
20. Seattle, Washington
-
- Housing Market Price Growth: 7.5%
-
- Median Listing Home Price: $850,000
-
- Population Growth: 21.1%
-
- Job Growth: 4.9%
-
- Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
-
- Area Vibes Rating: 65
-
- Area Trivia: It\’s called a rainy city, but Seattle actually only averages 38 inches per year, which is about the national average.
19. Greenville, South Carolina
-
- Housing Market Price Growth: 5.7%
-
- Median Listing Home Price: $340,000
-
- Population Growth: 21.1%
-
- Job Growth: 3.3%
-
- Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
-
- Area Vibes Rating: 72
-
- Area Trivia: The Red Sox play their home game on Greenville Drive, and their home, Fluor Field, is a scaled-down version of Fenway Park—it even has a big green wall in the outfield.
18. Jacksonville, Florida Housing Market Price Growth: 6.5% Median Listing Home Price: $325,000 Population Growth: 15.6% Job Growth: 4.5% Unemployment Rate: 2.8% Area Vibes Rating: 69 Area Trivia: A local favorite since 1938, the Jacksonville Farmers Market is open daily on over nine acres.
17. Atlanta, Georgia Housing Market Price Growth: 3.5% Median Listing Home Price : $435,000 Population Growth: 18.7% Job Growth: 5.4% Unemployment Rate: 2.8% Area Vibes Rating: 72 Area Trivia: Atlanta\’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, which has held the top spot since 2000, slipped from being the world\’s busiest airport to second on the list.
16. Durham, North Carolina Housing Market Price Growth: 4.2% Median Listing Home Price: $410,000 Population Growth: 24.2% Job Growth: 3.8% Unemployment Rate: 3.1% Area Vibes Rating: 70 Area Trivia: At 7,000 acres, the Durham Research Triangle Park is the largest research park in the United States. There are more than 300 companies here, including technology companies, government agencies, academic institutions, startups and nonprofits.
15. Raleigh, North Carolina Housing Market Price Growth : 4.3% Median Listing Home Price: $440,000 Population Growth: 15.8% Job Growth: 4.0% Unemployment Rate: 3.1% Area Vibes Rating: 74 Area Trivia: Raleigh is often called the \”Smithsonian of the South\” because it\’s home to three state museums — featuring art history and the natural sciences — that welcome visitors for free.
14. Spokane, Washington Housing Market Price Growth: 7.7% Median Listing Home Price: $430,000 Population Growth: 9.6% Job Growth: 3.8% Unemployment Rate: 3.2% Area Vibes Rating: 67 Area Trivia: Known as \”Lilac City,\” Spokane has earned its nickname for its abundance of these beautiful purple flowers.
13. Charlotte, North Carolina Housing Market Price Growth: 5.6% Median Listing Home Price: $425,000 Population Growth: 19.6% Job Growth: 4.7% Unemployment Rate: 3.5% Area Vibes Rating: 66 Area Trivia: Charlotte is the second largest banking center in the United States, after New York City.
12. Nashville, Tennessee Housing Market Price Growth: 5.6% Median Listing Home Price: $484,900 Population Growth: 14.7% Job Growth: 5.4% Unemployment Rate: 3.1% Area Vibes Rating: 65 Area Trivia: Ideal for Musicians Nashville has more music industry workers per capita than anywhere else in the world.
11. Columbus, Ohio Housing Market Price Growth: 6.3% Median Listing Home Price: $259,500 Population Growth: 15.1% Job Growth: 1.5% Unemployment Rate: 3.7% Area Vibes Rating: 73 Area Trivia: The mayor of Columbus, dubbed \”America\’s City of Equal Opportunity,\” has an Office of Diversity and Inclusion to ensure all city residents are supported.
10. Omaha, Nebraska Housing Market Price Growth: 4.9% Median Listing Home Price: $259,500 Population Growth: 18.9% Job Growth: 1.5% Unemployment Rate: 2.7% Area Vibes Rating: 73 Area Trivia: Omaha is home to the College World Series, an annual event that draws fans of both college and professional baseball.
9. Colorado Springs, Colorado Housing Market Price Growth: 5.2% Median Listing Home Price: $469,000 Population Growth: 15% Job Growth: 3.7% Unemployment Rate: 3.6% Area Vibes Rating: 70 Area Trivia: Cycling-friendly Colorado Springs has more than 90 miles of street bike paths, 118 miles of city bike paths and 61 miles of unpaved bike paths. All city buses are equipped with bike racks, and the city even has a bike scheme funded by a bike tax.
8. Dallas, Texas Housing Market Price Growth: 4.0% Median Listing Home Price: $529,000 Population Growth: 8.9% Job Growth: 7.2% Unemployment Rate: 3.8% Area Vibes Rating: 69 Area Trivia: You\’ll find a lot of cool stuff here, but not the ocean. Dallas is the largest inland city in the United States
7. Grand Rapids, Michigan Housing Market Price Growth: 7.1% Median Listing Home Price: $254,900 Population Growth: 5.8% Job Growth: 3.3% Unemployment Rate: 3.8% Area Vibes Rating: 67 Area Trivia: Inhabited for over 2,000 years, Grand Rapids and its surrounding area are home to the famous prehistoric Hopewell Mounds—now reconstructed—along the banks of the Rio Grande.
6. McAllen, Texas Housing Market Price Growth: 5.1% Median Listing Home Price: $276,500 Population Growth: 9.5% Job Growth: 3.7% Unemployment Rate: 8.0% Area Vibes Rating: 81 Area Trivia: McAllen is one of the largest birding hotspots in North America, home to 540 species of birds. More than 330 species of butterflies have been recorded in the area.
5. Greensboro, North Carolina Housing Market Price Growth: 5.3% Median Listing Home Price: $290,000 Population Growth: 10.9% Job Growth: 3.3% Unemployment Rate: 4.2% Area Vibes Rating: 66 Area Trivia: Cone Health Care is Greensboro\’s largest private employer with more than 7,000 employees.
4. Virginia Beach, Virginia Housing Market Price Growth: 2.7% Median Listing Home Price: $350,000 Population Growth: 4.9% Job Growth: 1.7% Unemployment Rate: 3.3% Area Vibes Rating: 79 Area Trivia: Virginia Beach holds the Guinness record for largest pleasure beach.
3. El Paso, Texas Housing Market Price Growth: 5.1% Median Listing Home Price : $250,450 Population Growth : 4.6% Job Growth: 2.5% Unemployment Rate: 4.8% Area Vibes Rating: 74 Area Trivia: The Sun Bowl is the second oldest college football game in the country — after the Rose Bowl — played in El Paso, having been played since 1935.
2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Housing Market Price Growth: 3.5% Median Listing Home Price: $249,000 Population Growth: 0.9% Job Growth: 2.6% Unemployment Rate: 4.7% Area Vibes Rating: 75 Area Trivia: Pittsburgh has 446 bridges that span the three rivers that converge in the city center—the Allegheny, the Monongahela and the Ohio.
1. Cincinnati, Ohio Housing Market Price Growth: 5.4% Median Listing Home Price: $240,000 Population Growth: 4.2% Job Growth: 0.3% Unemployment Rate: 3.9% Area Vibes Rating: 68 Area Trivia: Launched in 1976, the city is home to the largest Oktoberfest \”Zinzinnati\” in the United States, with more than 575,000 annual attendees.
Source: Jennifer Taylor contributed reporting on this article. Methodology: To find 25 promising real estate markets, GOBankingRates researched the top 50 cities cited in Realtor.com\’s Top Real Estate Markets 2022 report. Once these 50 cities have been identified, GOBankingRates looks at the following factors for each metro area: (1) Year-over-year Housing Market Price Growth and Median Listing Price from Realtor.com; (2) Total Livability Score from AreaVibes out of 100; (3) Population Growth 2010-2019 from U.S. Census Bureau; (4) Employment growth and unemployment rate both come from US Bureau of Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics. The above factors are then combined and ranked against the top 25 scorers to give a final ranking. All data collected and updated on September 6, 2022.
