15 Southern Cities Where You Can Get a House for the Lowest Price per Square Foot
Written by
Nicole Spector
Edited by
Gabrielle Olya
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When you’re looking to buy a home — or thinking about building one yourself — you’re probably factoring in several key numbers, including the number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms and the amount of outdoor space. But perhaps the most important number in the mix is the square footage. All too often we find homes that have what sounds like enough space in terms of the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, but then you look at the square footage and are astonished by how tiny the whole house actually is.
Generally, the more square footage a home has, the more expensive it will be (depending on the location and condition, of course). This is how it works pretty much everywhere, including the South. So, if you’re thinking about moving to a Southern city either to buy an existing house or build your own, it’s necessary to know how much a single square foot costs, on average. This will help you determine the best location for your budget.
In a new study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities in the Southern U.S. to find the lowest cost per square foot for a new home. These are the 15 places where the cost per square foot is the cheapest.
15. El Paso, Texas
- Population: 677,181
- Livability: 81
- Single-family average home value: $224,164
- Median sale price: $240,490
- New construction price per square foot: $166.34
14. Greenville, South Carolina
- Population: 70,838
- Livability: 82
- Single-family average home value: $305,178
- Median sale price: $301,211
- New construction price per square foot: $164.91
13. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Population: 225,500
- Livability: 68
- Single-family average home value: $230,241
- Median sale price: $249,124
- New construction price per square foot: $164.42
12. Gulfport, Mississippi
- Population: 72,524
- Livability: 71
- Single-family average home value: $189,403
- Median sale price: $209,916
- New construction price per square foot: $160.63
11. Greenville, North Carolina
- Population: 87,894
- Livability: 76
- Single-family average home value: $258,264
- Median sale price: $245,775
- New construction price per square foot: $160.61
10. Montgomery, Alabama
- Population: 199,819
- Livability: 64
- Single-family average home value: $142,903
- Median sale price: $190,149
- New construction price per square foot: $160.06
9. Spartanburg, South Carolina
- Population: 38,301
- Livability: 75
- Single-family average home value: $222,526
- Median sale price: $251,216
- New construction price per square foot: $158.98
8. Augusta, Georgia
- Population: 201,615
- Livability: 64
- Single-family average home value: $173,382
- Median sale price: $243,939
- New construction price per square foot: $158.84
7. Columbus, Georgia
- Population: 204,572
- Livability: 64
- Single-family average home value: $163,848
- Median sale price: $206,612
- New construction price per square foot: $155.14
6. Warner Robins, Georgia
- Population: 80,374
- Livability: 64
- Single-family average home value: $203,541
- Median sale price: $233,676
- New construction price per square foot: $155.09
5. Hinesville, Georgia
- Population: 34,732
- Livability: 73
- Single-family average home value: $227,300
- Median sale price: $250,676
- New construction price per square foot: $153.16
4. Florence, South Carolina
- Population: 39,931
- Livability: 58
- Single-family average home value: $215,478
- Median sale price: $191,655
- New construction price per square foot: $151.71
3. Columbia, South Carolina
- Population: 136,754
- Livability: 79
- Single-family average home value: $235,575
- Median sale price: $255,077
- New construction price per square foot: $149.82
2. Hammond, Louisiana
- Population: 20,239
- Livability: 66
- Single-family average home value: $211,619
- Median sale price: $228,447
- New construction price per square foot: $149.32
1. Macon, Georgia
- Population: 156,554
- Livability: 75
- Single-family average home value: $169,135
- Median sale price: $149,177
- New construction price per square foot: $143.82
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed places in the Southern United States to find the lowest cost per square foot for a new home. First GOBankingRates defined the Southern United States as places in the following states; Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. For each city a number of factors were found including; total population, population ages 65 and over, total households, and household median income all sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. Using this data the percentage of the population ages 65 and over can be calculated. The cost of living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and include the grocery, healthcare, housing, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous cost of living indexes. Using the cost of living indexes and the national average expenditure costs, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the expenditure cost for each location can be calculated. The average single-family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index for September 2024. Using the average single-family home value, assuming a 10% down payment, and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage can be calculated. Using the average mortgage and expenditure costs, the total cost of living can be calculated for each location. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes and included as supplemental information. The median sales price for single-family homes as well as the price per square foot for new construction was sourced from Zillow Research Data. The places were sorted to show the cheapest price per square foot for new construction locations first to find the Southern cities where you can get a house for the lowest price per square foot. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Oct. 7, 2024.
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