America’s 30 Best Hidden Gem Housing Markets of 2025

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 15^th, 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.