Most Affordable Towns

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Depew, New York
Median family income: $56,786
Median home price (2006): $90,149
Quiet Depew is another Buffalo suburb known for nasty winters and low-cost housing. In this old railroad town it's not unheard of to find older homes selling for around $50,000, with very few properties over the $400,000 mark.

Irmo, South Carolina
Median family income: $74,920
Median home price (2006): $119,003
This suburb of state capital, Columbia, features scenic Lake Murray, a solid travel system and great schools -- just the kind of place where real estate prices should soar. Yet costs remain reasonable, with a fair number of bargains below $150,000. The high end, though, can get pretty high, with properties listed at $500,000 and up.

Corning, New York
Median family income: $52,152
Median home price (2006): $83,198
Glass manufacturer Corning Inc. serves as the economic bedrock for this southwest New York community known also for the elaborate Rockwell Museum of Western Art. Opportunities abound for the housing bargain hunter, with many fine homes listed below $75,000 and few over $400,000.

Lancaster, New York
Median family income: $61,781
Median home price (2006): $98,883
The town of Lancaster and the smaller adjacent village by the same name have been talking about merging, but until then this upstate community stands on its own as an affordable housing center. Single-family homes start under $100,000 and run to the half-million-dollar range -- still far lower than in many other regions in the state.

Bellevue, Ohio
Median family income: $55,104
Median home price (2006): $91,322
This little sliver of a city somehow manages to span four counties, perhaps accounting for the wild variations in home prices. A small single can run you as low as $35,000, but the larger homes in newer developments will set you back close to $600,000.

Gates-North Gates, New York
Median family income: $59,960
Median home price (2006): $99,612
Part of the larger town of Gates, this upstate community is near a number of major corporate headquarters including Eastman Kodak and Bausch & Lomb. Despite such well-heeled neighbors, the Gates area remains a place where you can easily find a great home in the $100,000 range.

Cheektowaga, New York
Median family income: $53,039
Median home price (2006): $88,239
Yet another place to go house-hunting in the Buffalo region, Cheektowaga is the largest of the suburbs with a population approaching 100,000. The town features hundreds of multi-dwelling units that go for $90,000 and under as well as an amazing array of single-family houses priced below $75,000.

Cheviot, Ohio
Median family income: $54,611
Median home price (2006): $92,038
This small Cincinnati suburb has houses priced to sell. A handful of available luxury homes will set you back about $500,000, but the lower end finds a slew of handsomely maintained homes for well under six figures.

Boardman, Ohio
Median family income: $61,012
Median home price (2006): $103,175
Part of that up-and-coming Pittsburgh-Northeast Ohio region, the sprawling town is known mostly for farming and its banner crop of athletes, which include former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar. On the real estate scene, an array of cute single-family homes goes for under $100,000, with an abundance of fixer-uppers for half that price. There are also quality higher-end properties available around this charming town.

Lincoln Park, Michigan
Median family income: $56,912
Median home price (2006): $96,579
Residents of this Detroit suburb generally work in the city at one of the automotive plants, with industry in town virtually non-existent. Housing prices run the gamut, with most under $150,000 and very little above $250,000.

Melvindale, Michigan
Median family income: $53,156
Median home price (2006): $90,302
A Detroit suburb with precious little of its own industry, there are lots of homes available in Melvindale for under $100,000. Even $150,000 gets pricey here, with the most expensive homes topping out at under $300,000.

Storm Lake, Iowa
Median family income: $50,455
Median home price (2006): $85,830
Home of Buena Vista University, Storm Lake is an ethnically diverse community rich with housing bargains. There are a handful of homes in the $500,000 range, but you can get plenty of house for under $70,000.

Garfield Heights, Ohio
Median family income: $54,166
Median home price (2006): $93,116
This Cleveland suburb recently witnessed the completion of the $200 million CitiView Center, a mega-complex to house shopping, a hotel and office space. Property values are still reasonable though, with an amazingly rich selection of real estate, at least half of it priced under $150,000 and only a sliver of more than 1,700 listings priced over $250,000.

Kokomo, Indiana
Median family income: $50,355
Median home price (2006): $87,148
Slow-moving Kokomo is home to a DaimlerChrysler plant and Delphi Corp. world headquarters. Its real estate market, though, remains tame, with most listings coming in below $250,000 and more than half well below $100,000. Not the Kokomo Island of which the Beach Boys sang, but definitely an oasis for home shoppers on limited budgets.

Harper Woods, Michigan
Median family income: $63,770
Median home price (2006): $110,486
This small city split off from a larger township 55 years ago and has made its identity, as the name implies, as a rural counterpart to its more industrialized neighbors in the Detroit area. Co-ops and condos might be the biggest bargain in town, with most starting around $40,000. Single-family homes are available as well for under $100,000 where even the high end doesn't get much higher than $200,000.

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