The Cheapest Neighborhoods in the 30 Biggest US Cities

Big cities have more to offer, and people often pay a premium for those extra amenities, particularly in housing costs. This makes most big cities a stretch for many, and even out of reach, for others, financially. With housing prices remaining high, and mortgage interest rates not set to drop just yet, city life might just be a pipe dream for many.

While experts predict changes in the housing market over the next couple years, it’s unlikely housing will start to be cheap anytime soon. However, even within big cities there are affordable neighborhoods if you just know where to look. You might get lucky and find an affordable home and still enjoy the benefits of city life.

That’s the motivation behind a GOBankingRates study highlighting the neighborhoods in American metropolises that offer the most budget-friendly options for housing. Taking some of the largest cities in the country, the study identified three neighborhoods in each city where the cost of buying is lowest.

To determine these costs, GOBankingRates used Zillow’s rent index and home value index with 2023 data — both of which use weighted results from listings and sales data to give a more accurate reflection of the expected costs in a specific housing market. These areas might not be a magic bullet that allows you to buy a spacious home in one of America’s priciest cities, but they might remedy a difficult budget or offer a realistic cure for that long commute.

Check out these affordable neighborhoods in the biggest cities:

• Concourse
  • Average home value: $469,823.40 
• Parkchester
  • Average home value: $471,199.47 
• Highbridge
  • Average home value: $477,818

• Watts
  • Average home value: $549,643.89 
• Southeast Los Angeles
  • Average home value: $580,692.45 
• Central City
  • Average home value: $603,572.22

• Golden Gate
  • Average home value: $68,578.61 
• Riverdale
  • Average home value: $72,626.32 
• Eden Green
  • Average home value: $73,474.70

• South Park
  • Average home value: $148,093.36 
• Harrisburg – Manchester
  • Average home value: $150,887.85 
• Clinton Park Tri-Community 
  • Average home value: $154,391.80

• Maryvale
  • Average home value: $333,400.14 
• Estrella
  • Average home value: $349,666.46 
• Central City
  • Average home value: $354,635.43

• Fairhill 
  • Average home value: $60,292.87
• McGuire
  • Average home value: $63,967.44 
• Upper Kensington
  • Average home value: $65,725.53

• San Juan Gardens
  • Average home value: $115,524.60 
• Prospect Hill
  • Average home value: $121,039.30
• Loma Vista
  • Average home value: $124,001.85

• Mission Valley West
  • Average home value: $593,584.92 
• Colina del Sol
  • Average home value: $608,186.48 
• Mountain View
  • Average home value: $613,252.99

• Northwest Dallas
  • Average home value: $221,586.39 
• Five Mile Creek
  • Average home value: $272,269.79 
• Love Field Area
  • Average home value: $273,989.86

• Alum Rock
  • Average home value: $960,625.79 
• Seven Trees
  • Average home value: $971,798.74 
• Buena Vista
  • Average home value: $997,768.11

• Franklin Park
  • Average home value: $315,253.29 
• North Lamar
  • Average home value: $323,969.00 
• Georgian Acres
  • Average home value: $330,620.58

• Fairfield
  • Average home value: $88,126.90 
• Phoenix
  • Average home value: $90,532.19 
• Longbranch
  • Average home value: $93,752.28

• Morningside Park
  • Average home value: $146,250.01 
• South Fort Worth
  • Average home value: $146,383.98 
• Glenwood Triangle
  • Average home value: $153,248.14

• East Linden
  • Average home value: $114,213.23 
• Devon Triangle
  • Average home value: $114,602.15 
• South Linden
  • Average home value: $118,613.46

• Martindale-Brightwood
  • Average home value: $97,903.32 
• Meadows
  • Average home value: $99,438.43 
• West Indianapolis
  • Average home value: $106,084.07

• Thomasboro-Hoskins
  • Average home value:  $221,185.54 
• University Park
  • Average home value: $227,047.39 
• Washington Heights
  • Average home value: $227,438.44

• Hunters Point
  • Average home value: $844,576.57 
• Sunnydale
  • Average home value: $864,087.56 
• Bret Harte
  • Average home value: $884,216.69

• South Park
  • Average home value: $533,384
• South Park
  • Average home value: $540,783.09 
• Rainier View
  • Average home value: $586,578.62 
• South Delridge
  • Average home value: $608,192.14

• Elyria Swansea
  • Average home value: $381,579
• Westwood
  • Average home value: $387,709.73 
• Globeville
  • Average home value: $395,767.13

• Lake Country
  • Average home value: $241,573.78 
• Justin Towne
  • Average home value: $242,642.89 
• Priest Lake Forest
  • Average home value: $242,812.27

• Akers Park
  • Average home value: $78,644.08 
• Shidler-Wheeler
  • Average home value: $79,875.45 
• South Creston Hills
  • Average home value: $83,106.32

• Chamizal
  • Average home value: $113,505
• Alameda Business
  • Average home value: $113,684.46 
• Eagle Estates Homeowners Association
  • Average home value: $114,868.69

• Fairfax Village
  • Average home value: $246,479.55 
• Barry Farm
  • Average home value: $273,250.89 
• Knox Hill
  • Average home value: $335,134.57

• Mattapan
  • Average home value: $556,639.47 
• Hyde Park
  • Average home value: $603,493.89 
• Roxbury
  • Average home value: $660,391.01

• Sumner
  • Average home value: $375,380.97 
• Bridgeton
  • Average home value: $385,236.59 
• Sunderland
  • Average home value: $395,304.86

• Downtown East
  • Average home value: $282,846.79 
• Cultural Corridor
  • Average home value: $285,720.95 
• East Las Vegas
  • Average home value: $291,602.50

• Hawthorne Park
  • Average home value: $37,137.12 
• Krainz Woods
  • Average home value: $40,212.36 
• West End
  • Average home value: $40,809.42

• Shelby Forest-Frayser
  • Average home value: $84,236.13 
• Berclair-Highland Heights
  • Average home value: $97,974.22 
• Downtown
  • Average home value: $103,808.83

• Park Hill
  • Average home value: $58,585.86 
• California
  • Average home value: $61,615.91 
• Portland
  • Average home value: $63,285.74

• Carrollton Ridge
  • Average home value: $40,386.64 
• Booth-Boyd
  • Average home value: $42,023.49 
• Shipley Hill
  • Average home value: $43,973.00

Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting of this article.

Methodology: In order to find the cheapest neighborhoods in the biggest US cities, GOBankingRates sourced the largest US cities by population as sourced from the US Census American Community Survey. Using the top cities, GOBankingRates analyzed average home values for single family homes from November 2023 to find the lowest priced home values by neighborhoods as sourced from Zillow Home Value Index. The neighborhoods, home values, and cities where the neighborhoods reside were all sourced from Zillow Home Value Index to show the cheapest neighborhoods in each state. All data was collected and is up-to-date as-of January 11th, 2024.