MoneyGeek Analysis:
20 Growing US Counties Where Homeownership Is Still Affordable
Quality Verified
The rising cost of real estate has challenged many homebuyers in recent years. A 2021 survey found that about half of Americans (49%) considered the affordability of housing in their communities a major problem. In many places, homeownership is now unaffordable for locals and newcomers alike.
Fortunately, this isn’t true everywhere. MoneyGeek analyzed price appreciation since 2019 and homeownership costs as a percentage of median income to find 20 growing U.S. counties where housing is still affordable.
Key Findings:
- Clayton County, Georgia, and Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, top our list for growing communities with affordable housing. Located in the Greater Atlanta metro area, Clayton County home prices have appreciated 83.1% in the past three years; during the same period, Cumberland County homes in the Greater Harrisburg metro area appreciated 53.4%.
- More than half — 13 out of 20 — of the affordable and desirable places on our list are in the Southeastern U.S. Those counties pop up more in South Carolina than in any other state.
- Home prices as a percentage of income were lowest in Lexington County, South Carolina — in the Columbia metro area — at 34% of income. Hidalgo County, Texas, and Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, tied for the next two lowest at 38%.
- Most of the cities on this list are in tertiary real estate markets. Some of these smaller metro areas — like Hidalgo, Lubbock and Webb County in Texas — have median home prices that fall under $200,000. That’s 53% less than the median price of houses sold in the U.S. in Q1 2022.
- None of the median home prices on our list exceeded $272,000, which is 37% less than the national median home price of $428,700.
Growing US Counties Where Housing Is Still Affordable

To find our list of affordable, growing counties, MoneyGeek narrowed down counties with populations larger than 250,000 that experienced population growth above the national average. The analysis ranked these counties using two primary factors: home price appreciation since 2019 and homeownership costs as a percentage of median income.
View our breakdown of the top five counties on our list — as well as our complete ranking of the best 20 counties for homebuyers in the U.S — below.
Top 5 Growing Counties in the US Where Housing Is Still Affordable
You can find our top five most affordable real estate markets in the U.S. below, along with some key factors affecting their affordability.
Clayton County, Georgia
This suburban area of Atlanta boasts low costs of living and a small-town vibe while still having many of the same amenities as a major city.
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Increased housing inventory and employment opportunities are fueling diverse population growth in this greater Harrisburg metro area county; currently, Cumberland County is the fastest-growing county in Pennsylvania.
Lexington County, South Carolina
Migration and increased economic opportunity make this suburb of Columbia, South Carolina, affordable for families and young professionals.
Madison County, Alabama
This county is home to Huntsville, Alabama, which was ranked as the best place to live in 2022 by U.S. News. With homes that start at a lower price threshold, low costs of living and growing job opportunities, it’s no wonder that people are flocking to this Northern Alabama county.
Marion County, Florida
Strong commercial and residential growth and increased house construction contribute to the affordability and attractiveness of this county in the Ocala metro area.
20 Growing US Counties Where Housing Is Still Affordable
- 1. Clayton County, GeorgiaNearby Metro Area:Greater Atlanta
- 83.1%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $185,811Median Home Price
- 41%Home Costs as % of Income
- $30,502Median Income
- 2. Cumberland County, PennsylvaniaNearby Metro Area:Greater Harrisburg
- 53.4%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $257,744Median Home Price
- 44%Home Costs as % of Income
- $40,909Median Income
- 3. Lexington County, South CarolinaNearby Metro Area:Columbia
- 34.4%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $206,726Median Home Price
- 34%Home Costs as % of Income
- $36,899Median Income
- 4. Madison County, AlabamaNearby Metro Area:Huntsville
- 42.3%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $263,726Median Home Price
- 42%Home Costs as % of Income
- $38,327Median Income
- 5. Marion County, FloridaNearby Metro Area:Ocala
- 50.0%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $218,548Median Home Price
- 47%Home Costs as % of Income
- $30,606Median Income
- 6. Hidalgo County, TexasNearby Metro Area:McAllen
- 34.3%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $112,030Median Home Price
- 38%Home Costs as % of Income
- $22,506Median Income
- 7. Oklahoma County, OklahomaNearby Metro Area:Oklahoma City
- 30.0%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $200,321Median Home Price
- 38%Home Costs as % of Income
- $35,151Median Income
- 8. Benton County, ArkansasNearby Metro Area:Greater Fayetteville
- 41.0%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $270,864Median Home Price
- 46%Home Costs as % of Income
- $37,496Median Income
- 9. Escambia County, FloridaNearby Metro Area:Greater Pensacola
- 42.4%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $228,537Median Home Price
- 47%Home Costs as % of Income
- $30,751Median Income
- 10. Tulsa County, OklahomaNearby Metro Area:Tulsa
- 29.3%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $205,364Median Home Price
- 40%Home Costs as % of Income
- $34,896Median Income
- 11. Spartanburg County, South CarolinaNearby Metro Area:Spartanburg
- 28.5%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $205,940Median Home Price
- 40%Home Costs as % of Income
- $32,398Median Income
- 12. St. Tammany Parish, LouisianaNearby Metro Area:Greater New Orleans
- 38.6%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $271,488Median Home Price
- 47%Home Costs as % of Income
- $37,211Median Income
- 13. Pasco County, FloridaNearby Metro Area:Greater Tampa
- 40.1%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $261,644Median Home Price
- 49%Home Costs as % of Income
- $34,974Median Income
- 14. Lubbock County, TexasNearby Metro Area:Lubbock
- 37.3%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $186,302Median Home Price
- 47%Home Costs as % of Income
- $29,179Median Income
- 15. Forsyth County, North CarolinaNearby Metro Area:Winston-Salem
- 32.2%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $215,172Median Home Price
- 45%Home Costs as % of Income
- $31,769Median Income
- 16. Douglas County, NebraskaNearby Metro Area:Greater Omaha
- 29.9%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $231,908Median Home Price
- 44%Home Costs as % of Income
- $39,918Median Income
- 17. Greenville County, South CarolinaNearby Metro Area:Greater Greenville
- 31.8%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $268,888Median Home Price
- 47%Home Costs as % of Income
- $35,725Median Income
- 18. Richland County, South CarolinaNearby Metro Area:Columbia
- 25.3%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $215,917Median Home Price
- 45%Home Costs as % of Income
- $30,753Median Income
- 19. Webb County, TexasNearby Metro Area:Laredo
- 26.0%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $163,199Median Home Price
- 47%Home Costs as % of Income
- $27,185Median Income
- 20. Knox County, TennesseeNearby Metro Area:Knoxville
- 27.8%Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years
- $270,117Median Home Price
- 49%Home Costs as % of Income
- $34,383Median Income
Why Housing Is Affordable in Some Growing Areas but Not Others
In recent years, finding affordable real estate has become nearly impossible in many U.S. communities. The reasons for this shift in the housing market are complex. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated labor shortages and supply chain delays, which led to slower residential home construction. As a result, home prices skyrocketed, leading to higher mortgage payments and home insurance costs on newly purchased properties. Other factors contributing to high home prices and housing demands include increasing rates of remote work — driving people to move to larger homes — and historically low mortgage rates.
However, there is some good news amidst these challenges: home prices aren’t rising at the same rate everywhere. In many cases, housing affordability is influenced by an area’s cost of living. Tertiary markets hold a great deal of promise in that they may be growing in population and opportunity while still having relatively low costs of living. Tertiary markets usually have a population of less than 1 million and aren't as well known as secondary and primary markets. These places can be hidden gems in a trying housing market like what homebuyers are facing in 2022.
Expert Advice: How to Find an Affordable Place to Live
If you plan to buy a home in 2022, these four experts have advice and insights to help you understand the nuances of obtaining affordable housing.
- What makes some areas more affordable than others?
- What are your recommendations for homeseekers looking for affordable housing?
- What defines affordability in the housing market?
Methodology
MoneyGeek analyzed historical home prices, fair market rents and median mortgage payments from the National Association of Realtors, local property tax rates from SmartAsset and population growth and median earnings from the U.S. Census by county to find counties in the U.S. that are growing but still have affordable housing.
Counties identified as recently unaffordable in the list above met the following criteria:
- Populations larger than 250,000
- Population growth greater than the average population growth in the country
- A 2019 ratio of income-to-mortgage expenses that was less than 60%
- House price appreciation since 2019 that was greater than 25%
- Monthly homeownership costs less than 50% of the median income in the county
To order the list of places, we combined the following factors into a score:
- Price appreciation since 2019: double weight
- Homeownership costs as % of median income
Full Data Set
The data points presented are defined as follows:
- Nearby Metro Area: The metropolitan statistical area where each county is located.
- Median Income: The median income in the county.
- Median Home Price: The median home price in the county.
- Monthly Homeownership Cost: The median monthly homeownership cost in the county.
- Home Costs as % of Income: Housing costs in the county divided by the median income in the county, multiplied by 100.
- Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years: House price appreciation in the county from 2019 to 2021.
- Own/Rent Ratio: The number of people who own homes divided by the number of people who rent in the county.
Rank | County | Nearby Metro Area | Median Income | Median Home Price | Monthly Homeownership Cost | Home Costs as % of Income | Home Price Appreciation in the Last 3 Years | Own/Rent Ratio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Clayton County, Georgia | Greater Atlanta | $30,502 | $185,811 | $1,031 | 41% | 83.1% | 0.8 |
2 | Cumberland County, Pennsylvania | Greater Harrisburg | $40,909 | $257,744 | $1,488 | 44% | 53.4% | 1.4 |
3 | Lexington County, South Carolina | Columbia | $36,899 | $206,726 | $1,061 | 34% | 34.4% | 1.1 |
4 | Madison County, Alabama | Huntsville | $38,327 | $263,726 | $1,332 | 42% | 42.3% | 1.5 |
5 | Marion County, Florida | Ocala | $30,606 | $218,548 | $1,193 | 47% | 50.0% | 1.2 |
6 | Hidalgo County, Texas | McAllen | $22,506 | $112,030 | $714 | 38% | 34.3% | 0.9 |
7 | Oklahoma County, Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | $35,151 | $200,321 | $1,112 | 38% | 30.0% | 1.2 |
8 | Benton County, Arkansas | Greater Fayetteville | $37,496 | $270,864 | $1,433 | 46% | 41.0% | 1.7 |
9 | Escambia County, Florida | Greater Pensacola | $30,751 | $228,537 | $1,217 | 47% | 42.4% | 1.2 |
10 | Tulsa County, Oklahoma | Tulsa | $34,896 | $205,364 | $1,152 | 40% | 29.3% | 1.2 |
11 | Spartanburg County, South Carolina | Spartanburg | $32,398 | $205,940 | $1,070 | 40% | 28.5% | 1.2 |
12 | St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana | Greater New Orleans | $37,211 | $271,488 | $1,450 | 47% | 38.6% | 1.3 |
13 | Pasco County, Florida | Greater Tampa | $34,974 | $261,644 | $1,417 | 49% | 40.1% | 1.1 |
14 | Lubbock County, Texas | Lubbock | $29,179 | $186,302 | $1,146 | 47% | 37.3% | 1.2 |
15 | Forsyth County, North Carolina | Winston-Salem | $31,769 | $215,172 | $1,180 | 45% | 32.2% | 1.5 |
16 | Douglas County, Nebraska | Greater Omaha | $39,918 | $231,908 | $1,477 | 44% | 29.9% | 1.5 |
17 | Greenville County, South Carolina | Greater Greenville | $35,725 | $268,888 | $1,410 | 47% | 31.8% | 1.4 |
18 | Richland County, South Carolina | Columbia | $30,753 | $215,917 | $1,150 | 45% | 25.3% | 1.2 |
19 | Webb County, Texas | Laredo | $27,185 | $163,199 | $1,060 | 47% | 26.0% | 1.1 |
20 | Knox County, Tennessee | Knoxville | $34,383 | $270,117 | $1,411 | 49% | 27.8% | 1.4 |
About the Author

sources
- FRED Economic Data. "Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States." Accessed June 2, 2022.
- National Association of Realtors. "County Median Home Prices and Monthly Mortgage Payment." Accessed June 2, 2022.
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