How Much House Does $300K Buy You in the Midwest?

A modest homebuying budget of $300,000 buys a roomy home in the Midwest. Buyers in Kansas, for instance, can put this savings towards purchasing a home of more than 1,800 square feet. Regardless which of the 12 Midwestern states you end up moving to, $300,000 is enough money to buy at least 1,300 square feet of home.

GOBankingRates was able to determine the amount of home you can buy with $300,000 via an existing January 2025 study which isolated the costs in Midwestern states. A full methodology is available at the end of this article.

Take a look at the amount of space a $300,000 budget could secure you for a home in the Midwest.

• Housing cost-of-living index: 84.2
• Price per square foot: $189
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,590.6

• Housing cost-of-living index: 77.3
• Price per square foot: $173
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,732.6

• Housing cost-of-living index: 75.4
• Price per square foot: $169
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,776.2

• Housing cost-of-living index: 70.7
• Price per square foot: $158
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,894.3

• Housing cost-of-living index: 78.5
• Price per square foot: $176
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,706.1

• Housing cost-of-living index: 80.3
• Price per square foot: $180
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,667.9

• Housing cost-of-living index: 78.6
• Price per square foot: $176
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,703.9

• Housing cost-of-living index: 79.5
• Price per square foot: $178
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,684.6

• Housing cost-of-living index: 79.8
• Price per square foot: $179
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,678.3

• Housing cost-of-living index: 87.6
• Price per square foot: $196
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,528.9

• Housing cost-of-living index: 89.7
• Price per square foot: $201
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,493.1

• Housing cost-of-living index: 98.5
• Price per square foot: $221
• Square feet for $300,000: 1,359.7

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed each US state to find out how much house $300,000 can afford. First GOBankingRates found the median listing price per square foot in the US as sourced from the Federal Reserve of St. Louis for the month of November 2024. Next, GOBankingRates found the housing cost index for each state as sourced from the Missouri Economic and Research Information Center for Q3 of 2024. Using this data the price per square foot for each state can be calculated, and using $300,000, $400,000, and $500,000 savings as a starting point, the total affordable square footage can be calculated for each state. All data was collected on and is up to date as of January 3rd, 2025.