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The Midwest leads in desirable metros with homes priced under $300,000, per Realtor.com.
As home prices still remain high, affordability is a key factor for prospective homebuyers.
Coastal cities tend to be more expensive while the Midwest is gaining appeal for its lower costs.
Home sale prices across the country have actually decreased since their peak in 2022, according to data from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, home prices still remain unaffordable for many.
During the second quarter of 2020, the median sales price for a home was $317,100. Fast forward to that same timeframe in 2023, and the price jumped to $418,500. As of 2025, the amount has decreased slightly to $410,800.
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Some areas continue to see increases in price, like Miami Beach’s Fisher Island neighborhood, where the median listing price for a home is $11,925,000. Other regions, like the Sun Belt, have cooled off as buyer demand has decreased.
One region that’s becoming more desirable is the Midwest. With household incomes not far off from home listing prices, there are many affordable options available below the national median of $424,200. Realtor.com highlighted the 10 most desirable metros with homes under $300,000, and a large majority of them are Midwestern cities.
While not every city listed is considered Midwestern, the metros are concentrated toward the middle of the map. East- and West-Coast elitists may (or may not) be shocked to find that no coastal cities made the cut. The farthest east city is in northeast Pennsylvania, and the most western city is in Kansas.
Here are 10 desirable metros with homes under $300,000, according to Realtor.com. Metros are in descending order of median list price. Median household income numbers come from the US Census Bureau.
10. St. Louis, MO
St. Louis. Sean Pavone/Getty Images
Median list price: $295,900
Median household income: $53,374
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9. Frankfort, KY
Frankfort, Kentucky. benedek/Getty Images
Median list price: $292,050
Median household income: $54,438
8. Wichita, KS
Wichita, Kansas. Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock
Median list price: $285,000
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Median household income: $65,855
7. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Buffalo, New York. Getty Images
Median list price: $267,450
Median household income: $69,861
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6. Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA
Scranton, Pennsylvania. Getty Images
Median list price: $262,350
Median household income: $58,834
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5. Cleveland, OH
Cleveland. Yuanshuai Si/Getty Images
Median list price: $259,900
Median household income: $43,383
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4. Pittsburgh, PA
The Roberto Clemente Bridge (Sixth Street Bridge) on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh. JNix/Shutterstock
This forecast is outdated and inaccurate. Get the latest forecast here.
CLEVELAND (WJW) — (WJW) — The National Weather Service has extended its EXTREME HEAT WARNING for all of Northeast Ohio.
It will remain in effect until 8 p.m. on Friday, July 3, in Ashland, Ashtabula, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning Medina, Ottawa, Portage, Richland, Sandusky, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties; and until 10 p.m. Friday, July 3, in Carroll, Coshocton and Tuscarawas counties.
The heat waves continues! An EXTREME HEAT WARNING will remain in effect through 8 p.m. Friday. Heat indices could top 105 degrees during the hottest time of day on Friday.
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Once again, there will not be much relief from the heat and humidity overnight. Tonight lows will be in the mid to upper 70s again. Feeling warmer with the higher humidity. Mostly clear skies.
Friday will be the last sweltering summer day before the heat starts to back off for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. There is the chance of rain and storms Friday evening, around 7pm that could go through the late evening. This may impact some 4th of July celebrations on Friday. Any storm that pops up we’ll have to watch for the potential of gusty winds, heavy downpours and large hail.
This is what the radar could look like by the time some Fireworks celebrations are expected Friday evening. We have a level 2 out of 5 chance of any storm turning severe, meaning that 1 or 2 have the chance.
The upper-level ridge, or heat dome, will start to breakdown on Friday. This means two things. The first is it will go from being very hot and humid to being very warm and humid. The second thing is the chance of rain and threat of storms will return.
The Fourth of July holiday weekend will be far from a washout! There will be more dry time than time with downpours and storms. However, clusters of downpours and storms will move through Northeast Ohio at times. This means some Fourth of July events, backyard BBQs, pool parties, and firework shows could be impacted by rain and storms.
With all the heat and humidity around, any downpours or storms that develop could be strong and produce gusty winds, small hail, torrential rain, and lightning. Here’s the latest 8 Day Forecast:
Keep up with FOX 8 News for the latest weather updates.
Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell previewed their championship bout and came face to face at the press conference. The two fighters square off this Saturday, July 4, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center.
Cleveland-based 22-year-old southpaw Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) of Bedford, Ohio, defends his WBO lightweight title after claiming the vacant belt last November by decision against Sam Noakes.
Toledo’s 33-year-old Bell (28-0, 9 KOs), who makes his first bid to become a champion, took the fight on short notice, replacing Joe Cordina of Wales.
See below what Mason and Bell had to say at the press conference on Thursday, following the open workout.
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Mason: I’m prepared to come out on top
“I’m excited. I’m super excited,” Mason said. “This is something me and my brothers have been looking forward to doing since we were amateurs. We fought on the same card a few times as amateurs, and all of us did it together on the last show my father threw here in Cleveland. It was huge.”
“At that time, we were like, ‘Yo, when we do this on a professional level, it’s going to be big for Cleveland.’ And now, it’s big for not only Cleveland, but it’s on TNT, so this is a national stage, a world stage with DAZN. I’m just excited to be able to put this show on with two of my brothers on the card.”
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“I feel like it [fight vs Sam Noakes] was definitely a much-needed experience. That’s not the type of fight you have all the time in your career. It was something I felt like I had to do that night. Every fight is different, and it definitely gave me some insight into how I’ll approach the rest of my career. So, it was a much-needed experience and a great fight.”
“It [opponent change] was definitely unexpected. Albert Bell – that’s our guy from Toledo. But it’s boxing. You’ve got to be prepared for anything, and I’m prepared to come out on top. Everything happens for a reason.”
“One thing I do want to say is, I’m the youngest world champion in boxing for a reason, and I’m prepared to show that when I step into the ring.”
“Boxing is offense, defense and IQ, and you’ve got to put it together and tailor it to the person you’re stepping in the ring with. So, with the opponent switch, I just have to tailor it to the person across the ring from me, and that’s Albert Bell.”
Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell face off during a press conference in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 2, 2026. Photo by Top Rank
Bell: We’re here now, and that’s all that matters
“I mean, it caught me by surprise,” Bell said on stepping in to face Mason on short notice. “It was an ideal opponent for me. I wasn’t really thinking about fighting Abdullah, especially not this soon. But everything made sense. I talked to my pops about it, and it made sense, so I stepped in to save the card, get my world title opportunity and put on a show for all of Ohio.”
“I mean, I get turned down by a lot of guys. I’m not saying that in a cocky way or trying to act like I’m the boogeyman or anything like that, but a lot of guys say no when my name comes across their table. I would’ve had the name I was supposed to have by now if it weren’t for that, but what’s delayed is not denied. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”
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“I just need to be the best version of myself. I know he’s coming to be the best version of himself. He’s prepared, I’m prepared. We’re ready. We’re two top fighters, and we’re professionals. We’re both Ohioans. We’ve got history with each other, and it’s gonna be a show for sure.”
Mason vs Bell undercard
In the co-feature, Bruce Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) of Brooklyn makes the first defense of his WBC featherweight title against Rene Palacios (19-0-1, 10 KOs) of Mexico.
On the undercard, Cleveland’s Delante “Tiger” Johnson (17-0, 8 KOs) takes on Canada-based Mexican Christopher Guerrero (16-0, 9 KOs) at welterweight.
Plus, Deric Davis (11-0, 10 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland, and Carlos Ramos (18-4-1, 10 KOs) of Spain by way of Ecuador, square off at lightweight.