Ohio cities hold steady in WalletHub’s 2026 list of Most Affordable U.S. markets for homebuyers

For the second year in a row, Flint, Michigan, ranks as the nation’s most affordable city for homebuyers in WalletHub’s 2026 report, followed closely by Detroit, according to the personal finance site’s annual study of 300 cities released this week.

However, Ohio cities also demonstrated notable stability in the rankings, which are based on metrics including home prices relative to income, cost per square foot, taxes, insurance, maintenance, rent-to-price ratios, vacancy rates and inventory, highlighting persistent bargains in Rust Belt markets.

Akron held at No. 5, Cleveland at No. 10, Toledo at No. 18 and Dayton at No. 19. Columbus remained at No. 27 in both 2025 and 2026 reports. The consistency underscores structural advantages in smaller and midsize Midwest markets, where excess housing supply from past industrial declines keeps prices low.

For comparison, Flint earned a score of 79.50, driven by the lowest cost-of-living index and highly affordable home prices versus local incomes. Detroit placed second at 74.71, with median home values roughly twice the median household income. While Michigan’s cities have held among the nation’s lowest ratios,

Yet experts caution that raw affordability can mask deeper challenges. The WalletHub analysis does not factor in inflation, crime rates, employment opportunities, school quality or long-term property appreciation.

Many top-ranked cities face elevated violent crime compared to national averages, and some struggle with job growth outside of manufacturing, health care and domestic out-migration.

In a market dominated by supply and demand, prospective buyers are advised to weigh neighborhood-level data in order to protect their investment.

While WalletHub notes that buying remains cheaper than renting in many top cities due to favorable ratios, overall affordability appears to be a tradeoff that’s impacted equally by desirability and demand,  or the lack thereof.

“When deciding where to buy a home, home prices alone aren’t a good enough indicator of how affordable things will be,” Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said on the site. “You also have to consider how the average price compares to a typical income in the area, plus things like the overall cost of living and the costs of maintenance and taxes. The most affordable cities, like Flint, MI, Detroit, and Surprise, AZ, have low costs across several of these different metrics.”