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8 US Metros With More Than 5,000 Mansions Valued at Under $1 Million

September 13, 2025

4 min Read

Written by J. David Herman

Edited by Levi Leidy

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In an age when modest homes routinely command seven-figure price tags, the notion of owning a mansion for under $1 million may sound like an unreachable dream. But it’s surprisingly real in some U.S. metros, with thousands of sprawling estates listed for less than a million.

Defining a “mansion” as a single-family home with at least 5,000 square feet of finished living space, Zillow recently did a deep dive on pricing and availability from state to state. The study identified four U.S. markets in which the median price for a mansion is less than $1 million: Buffalo, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Memphis, Tennessee.

On top of that, Zillow’s study flagged eight U.S. metro markets in which there are at least 5,000 mansions available for less than $1 million. For some perspective, there are about 415,000 mansions across the U.S. that come in under $1 million — about a third of all mansions.

Here’s a look at those eight markets, along with median mansion value, median “starter mansion” value (a mansion in the 25^th percentile in value for its location) and the number of sub-$1 million mansions available.

Atlanta, Georgia

Median mansion value: $1,194,000
Median “starter mansion” value: $878,400
Number of mansions valued under $1 million: 21,634

Georgia’s capital has more sub-$1 million mansions listed than any other U.S. metro, well in front of runner-up New York City. According to Zillow, 35% of Atlanta mansions are valued at less than $1 million.

New York, New York

Median mansion value: $2,247,000
Median “starter mansion” value: $1,381,200
Number of mansions valued under $1 million: 12,555

About 15% of New York City’s mansions are valued below $1 million. However, the Big Apple is one of 14 major U.S. metros in which the median mansion value tops $2 million.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Median mansion value: $965,500
Median “starter mansion” value: $769,300
Number of mansions valued under $1 million: 11,696

There are plenty of sub-$1 million mansion options in Indianapolis, one of the four major U.S. markets in which the median mansion value falls below that threshold. About 54% of mansions in Indianapolis are valued at less than a million.

Washington, DC

Median mansion value: $1,581,500
Median “starter mansion” value: $1,158,300
Number of mansions valued under $1 million: 10,613

In the nation’s capital, there’s little difference between median mansion value and median “starter mansion” value. However, about 16% of all D.C. mansions are valued below $1 million.

Chicago, Illinois

Median mansion value: $1,383,000
Median “starter mansion” value: $934,600
Number of mansions valued under $1 million: 9,530

Roughly 29% of Chicago’s mansions are valued at less than $1 million. For some perspective, the median value for all single-family homes in Chicago stands at $315,000, based on Zillow figures for August 2025.

Houston, Texas

Median mansion value: $1,471,600
Median “starter mansion” value: $1,005,100
Number of mansions valued under $1 million: 8,735

About a quarter of Houston’s mansions are valued at less than $1 million. Zillow lists the median value for all single-family homes in Houston at $347,000.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Median mansion value: $1,373,800
Median “starter mansion” value: $1,032,700
Number of mansions valued under $1 million: 7,421

Philadelphia offers thousands of sub-$1 million mansions, with about 23% of the city’s mansions meeting that threshold. The median value for all single-family homes in Philadelphia is $235,000.