The 11 Affordable States Where Buyers Can Avoid Going House-Poor—Led by a Heartland Champion

Eleven U.S. states, predominantly in the Midwest, offer greater housing affordability for median-income households in 2026, according to the Realtor.com® Housing Report Card. These states allow households to comfortably afford a median-priced home while adhering to the personal finance guideline of spending no more than 30% of gross monthly income on housing. The states identified are Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Missouri, Maryland, and Minnesota. The Realtor.com® Housing Report Card ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia on a 100-point scale, with equal weighting given to housing affordability and homebuilding activity. Affordability was assessed by measuring homeownership accessibility for typical earners, incorporating the REALTORS® Affordability Score. Homebuilding activity evaluated whether states produced sufficient new homes to meet demand. Iowa emerged as the leading state for affordability, with homebuyers needing to allocate only 25.4% of their income for the median home price of $282,886. Iowa secured the second position overall, receiving an A grade and the highest REALTORS® Affordability Score of 0.96 among all states. Les Sulgrove, a statewide housing analyst for Iowa Realtors, attributed the state's affordability to a stable market where median home prices have increased predictably and in alignment with local wages.