Most Affordable Cities in the Midwest and South – June 1st 2007

There are still spots in the Midwest where home prices are not out of reach yet and the quality of life is high. And in the South, job prospects are good, the weather is warm, and the real estate deals can be sweet.

In its ongoing series, BusinessWeek Online is taking a look at the most affordable suburbs in the Midwestern and Southern states. Using data compiled by Sperling’s Best Places, it lists the most attractive suburbs alphabetically, taking into account cost of living, violent crime, school test scores, and median home prices.

The following are the top 25 Midwest and Southern suburbs that made BusinessWeek Online’s list, along with their proximity to big cities and their median home prices. Locales are listed alphabetically.

Most Affordable Midwest Cities
1. Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, Wis. (89.3 miles to Milwaukee): $119,500
2. Columbia, Mo. (145.5 miles to St. Louis): $269,000
3. Coralville, Iowa (4 miles to Iowa City): $239,800
4. DeForest, Wis. (12.3 miles to Madison): $274,900
5. Elkhorn, Neb. (15.6 miles to Omaha): $298,000
6. Evendale, Ohio (9.2 miles to Cincinnati): $259,900
7. Fargo, N.D. (276.7 miles to Minneapolis): $199,000
8. Green Bay, Wis. (101.1 miles to Milwaukee): $229,900
9. Hilliard, Ohio (10.8 miles to Columbus): $195,000
10. Hudsonville, Mich. (16.5 miles to Grand Rapids): $214,900
11. Lake Zurich, Ill. (37.2 miles to Chicago): $659,900
12. Lakeville, Minn. (18.9 miles to Minneapolis): $402,300
13. Lawrence, Kan. (48.6 miles to Kansas City): $284,900
14. Maumee, Ohio (8.5 miles to Toledo): $234,700
15. Noblesville, Ind. (19.9 miles to Indianapolis): $185,000
16. Rapid City, S.D.: $239,500
17. Rochester, Minn. (77.9 miles to St. Paul): $373,000
18. Shawnee, Kan. (15.1 miles to Kansas City): $300,000
19. Sheboygan, Wis. (50.8 miles to Milwaukee): $329,000
20. St. Charles, Mo. (21.6 miles to St. Louis): $249,800
21. Waukesha, Wis. (19.6 miles to Milwaukee): $209,500
22. Wausau, Wis. (131.5 miles to Madison): $149,900
23. West Des Moines, Iowa (9 miles to Des Moines): $349,000
24. West Lafayette, Ind. (69.2 miles to Indianapolis): $195,000
25. Wichita, Kan.: $127,900

Most Affordable Southern Cities
1. Abilene, Texas (176 miles to Fort Worth): $175,500
2. Broken Arrow, Okla. (12 miles to Tulsa): $194,900
3. Cary, N.C. (11 miles to Raleigh): $242,300
4. Charlottesville, Va. (118 to Washington, D.C.): $304,300
5. Farragut, Tenn. (17 miles to Knoxville): $224,900
6. Flower Mound-Lewisville, Texas (26 miles to Dallas): $249,900
7. Franklin, Tenn. (17 miles to Nashville): $243,600
8. Greer, S.C. (12.5 miles to Greenville): $184,900
9. Hixson, Tenn. (nine miles to Chattanooga): $145,400
10. Hollywood Park, Texas (10 miles to San Antonio): $208,000
11. Irmo, S.C. (13 miles to Columbia): $174,800
12. Lexington, Ky.: $156,000
13. Madison, Ala. (10 miles to Huntsville): $171,400
14. Matthews, N.C. (10 miles to Charlotte): $205,200
15. Orange Park, Fla. (11 miles to Jacksonville): $234,200
16. Richmond, Va.: $289,500
17. Roanoke, Va. (83 miles to Greensboro, N.C.): $219,000
18. Rogers, Ark. (18 miles to Fayetteville): $313,500
19. Roswell, Ga. (19 miles to Atlanta): $304,000
20. Tyler, Texas (100 miles to Garland): $159,000
21. Valrico, Fla. (15 miles to Tampa): $265,000
22. West Austin, Texas: $479,400
23. West Mobile, Ala. (143 miles to New Orleans): $151,500
24. Weston, Fla. (11 miles to Fort Lauderdale): $420,000
25. Winchester, Va. (81 miles to Washington, D.C.): $242,800

Source: BusinessWeek Online, Maya Roney (05/16/2007)