College towns are some of the most vibrant places on the planet. You’ll often find nightlife and great restaurants. And let’s not overlook the college sporting events! If you’re looking to immerse yourself in a bustling community, or perhaps you are leaning towards buying a home to rent out to a college co-ed, here are some of the most affordable college towns in the United States where you should look.
To determine the most affordable college towns, Moms Who Think reviewed five-year data on median household value and median household income from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey . Cities, towns, and Census-designated places were ranked based on the ratio of median home value to median household income. Only places with at least 10,000 residents where at least 15% of the population is enrolled in college or graduate school were considered.
50. Cape Girardeau, Missouri ©"Greetings from Cape Girardeau, Missouri - Large Letter Postcard" by Shook Photos is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $177,500 (3.4 times income) Median household income: $51,671 Total population: 39,795 49. Middletown, Connecticut ©"Middletown, Connecticut" by jjbers is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $257,800 (3.4 times income) Median household income: $75,120 Total population: 48,152 48. Waterville, Maine ©"Waterville Maine Town Square" by tiarescott is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $154,400 (3.4 times income) Median household income: $45,208 Total population: 15,785 47. Moorhead, Minnesota ©"Exit to Moorhead, Minnesota" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $234,300 (3.4 times income) Median household income: $68,680 Total population: 44,443 46. Winona, Minnesota ©"Winona, Minnesota skyline" by Wikideas1 is licensed under CC0 1.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $176,600 (3.4 times income) Median household income: $52,500 Total population: 26,083 45. Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania ©"Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $220,100 (3.3 times income) Median household income: $66,640 Total population: 11,805 44. Tahlequah, Oklahoma ©"Water park on the NSU campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma." by mrjacobwilson24 is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $163,300 (3.3 times income) Median household income: $49,444 Total population: 16,389 43. Duluth, Minnesota ©"Downtown Duluth, Minnesota Skyline (25406820466)" by Tony Webster from San Francisco, California is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $209,800 (3.3 times income) Median household income: $63,545 Total population: 86,772 42. Maryville, Missouri ©"Welcome to Missouri" by daveandlolo is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $162,100 (3.3 times income) Median household income: $49,144 Total population: 10,691 41. Stevens Point, Wisconsin ©"University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point / Old Main Hall" by royal_broil is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $176,400 (3.3 times income) Median household income: $53,611 Total population: 25,549 40. Champaign, Illinois ©"Champaign - University of Illinois Football" by roger4336 is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $191,200 (3.3 times income) Median household income: $58,273 Total population: 88,628 39. Glassboro, New Jersey ©"2020-07-12 10 38 40 View south along New Jersey State Route 700 (New Jersey Turnpike) at Exit 2 (U.S. Route 322, Swedesboro, Glassboro) in Woolwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey" by Famartin is licensed under BY-SA 4.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $256,900 (3.3 times income) Median household income: $78,518 Total population: 23,014 38. Kirksville, Missouri ©"20190919 54 Kirksville, Missori" by davidwilson1949 is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $133,100 (3.2 times income) Median household income: $41,089 Total population: 17,533 37. St. Peter, Minnesota ©"File:Gustavus Adolphus College in Winter, St. Peter, Minnesota (26819602508).jpg" by Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $217,400 (3.2 times income) Median household income: $67,255 Total population: 12,039 36. Troy, New York ©"Troy, New York" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $177,100 (3.2 times income) Median household income: $54,837 Total population: 51,268 35. Keene, New Hampshire ©"Old Stone Arch Bridge - Keene, New Hampshire" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $221,400 (3.2 times income) Median household income: $69,381 Total population: 22,907 34. Edwardsville, Illinois ©"Edwardsville, Illinois" by pasa47 is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $277,000 (3.2 times income) Median household income: $87,094 Total population: 26,622 33. Plattsburgh, New York ©"Plattsburgh, New York" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $172,900 (3.1 times income) Median household income: $55,049 Total population: 19,907 32. Kalamazoo, Michigan ©"Skydeck Restaurant Birdseye View of Downtown Kalamazoo Photo by Michigan Municipal League" by Michigan Municipal League (MML) is licensed under BY-ND 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $152,700 (3.1 times income) Median household income: $48,649 Total population: 73,342 31. Indiana, Pennsylvania ©"Greetings from Indiana, Pennsylvania, Amid the Rolling Hills of Pennsylvania - Large Letter Postcard" by Shook Photos is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $124,100 (3.1 times income) Median household income: $40,013 Total population: 14,082 30. Lubbock, Texas ©Nick Fox/Shutterstock.com
Median home value: $181,600 (3.1 times income) Median household income: $58,734 Total population: 258,190 29. Berea, Kentucky ©"Berea College - Kentucky" by US Department of State is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $167,200 (3.1 times income) Median household income: $54,481 Total population: 15,404 28. Bourbonnais, Illinois ©iStock.com/pabradyphoto
Median home value: $238,000 (3.1 times income) Median household income: $77,738 Total population: 18,125 27. Normal, Illinois ©"File:Sprague's Super Service in Normal, Illinois on Route 66..jpg" by William Wesen Appraiser is licensed under BY-SA 3.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $194,400 (3.0 times income) Median household income: $63,965 Total population: 52,920 26. Macomb, Illinois ©"Macomb, Illinois" by Roadgeek Adam is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $103,800 (3.0 times income) Median household income: $35,064 Total population: 15,207 25. Meadville, Pennsylvania ©"Meadville, Pennsylvania" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $136,200 (3.0 times income) Median household income: $46,157 Total population: 12,929 24. Huntington, West Virginia ©"U.S. 52 Crossing Ohio, River, Huntington, West Virginia and Cheapeake, Ohio" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $114,800 (2.9 times income) Median household income: $39,066 Total population: 46,637 23. Canyon, Texas ©iStock.com/leekris
Median home value: $198,600 (2.9 times income) Median household income: $67,631 Total population: 15,089 22. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ©"Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" by Javcon117* is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $171,800 (2.9 times income) Median household income: $60,187 Total population: 303,843 21. Williamsport, Pennsylvania ©"Greetings from Williamsport, Pennsylvania - Large Letter Postcard" by Shook Photos is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $136,400 (2.8 times income) Median household income: $48,388 Total population: 27,755 20. Binghamton, New York ©"Binghamton New York ~ Phelps Mansion Museum ~ Historical Mansion" by Onasill ~ Bill - 78.8M is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $117,400 (2.8 times income) Median household income: $42,031 Total population: 47,617 19. Pella, Iowa ©gustavofrazao/iStock via Getty Images
Median home value: $240,100 (2.8 times income) Median household income: $86,025 Total population: 10,556 18. Oneonta, New York ©"Oneonta, New York" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $170,900 (2.7 times income) Median household income: $62,188 Total population: 14,097 17. Syracuse, New York ©littlenySTOCK/Shutterstock.com
Median home value: $117,900 (2.7 times income) Median household income: $43,584 Total population: 146,134 16. Waverly, Iowa ©"Waverly iowa" by Billwhittaker (talk) is licensed under BY-SA 3.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $211,000 (2.7 times income) Median household income: $78,278 Total population: 10,399 15. Marshall, Missouri ©"Marshall, Missouri (2016)" by David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $137,100 (2.6 times income) Median household income: $52,171 Total population: 13,687 14. Carnot-Moon, Pennsylvania ©PeterHermesFurian/ via Getty Images
Median home value: $231,900 (2.6 times income) Median household income: $89,573 Total population: 13,345 13. Charleston, Illinois
Median home value: $122,700 (2.6 times income) Median household income: $47,533 Total population: 17,795 12. Tiffin, Ohio ©"Bascom, Ohio as viewed from Tiffin Street" by Photo by and ©2008 Dustin M. Ramsey (Kralizec!) is licensed under BY-SA 2.5. - Original / License
Median home value: $123,600 (2.5 times income) Median household income: $48,869 Total population: 17,894 11. Emporia, Kansas ©SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
Median home value: $125,200 (2.5 times income) Median household income: $49,661 Total population: 24,118 10. Portales, New Mexico ©"Greyhound Stadium Portales New Mexico 2023 (Quintin Soloviev)" by Quintin Soloviev is licensed under BY 4.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $124,000 (2.5 times income) Median household income: $49,313 Total population: 12,085 9. Brent, Florida ©gguy44/iStock via Getty Images
Median home value: $106,500 (2.4 times income) Median household income: $44,053 Total population: 22,969 4. University Heights, Ohio ©"Rodman Hall, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH" by w_lemay is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $209,800 (2.3 times income) Median household income: $91,960 Total population: 13,649 3. Atchison, Kansas ©"McInteer Villa - Atchison, Kansas" by US Department of State is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $113,900 (2.3 times income) Median household income: $50,344 Total population: 10,834 2. Muncie, Indiana ©"Greetings from Ball State Teachers' College, Muncie, Indiana - Large Letter Postcard" by Shook Photos is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $88,000 (2.2 times income) Median household income: $40,309 Total population: 65,167 1. Geneva, New York ©"20150828 116 Geneva, New York" by davidwilson1949 is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Median home value: $123,100 (1.9 times income) Median household income: $63,602 Total population: 12,670
The image featured at the top of this post is ©yuriyt/Shutterstock.com.
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