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ealtor.com’s latest roundup shows that, despite a national median listing price of $424,000 in October, several U.S. metros still offer homes well below that level. The report highlights ten cities where affordability remains realistic for many buyers.

    In the Northeast, Pottsville, Pennsylvania, keeps prices low with a median listing of $179,975. Nearby, Elmira, New York, sits 33 miles from Ithaca and offers a median price of $179,900, while the Watertown‑Fort Drum area near the Canadian border posts $249,950. Both towns combine small‑town charm with reasonable housing costs.

    The Appalachian region also shines. Wheeling, West Virginia—part of the state’s birthplace and a riverfront city that borders Ohio—has a median price just under $180,000. The city’s proximity to Pittsburgh adds appeal without the high cost.

    Midwestern markets dominate the affordable list. Ottawa, Illinois, a 18,800‑person city at the confluence of two rivers, has median prices below $200,000. St. Joseph, straddling Missouri and Kansas, lists at $227,125, while Marinette, on the Wisconsin‑Michigan border, is $227,425. The combined Waterloo‑Cedar Falls metro in Iowa and Joplin, Missouri, also stay comfortably under $250,000.

    In the South, Wichita Falls, Texas, stands out as the sole Southern city on the list, with a median price of $199,900—an attractive alternative to the higher‑priced Dallas market.

    These metros illustrate that, even amid rising listing costs and mortgage rates, affordable homeownership is still attainable in select Northeastern, Appalachian, Midwestern, and Southern cities.