Border town near California ranked among the most affordable cities for homebuyers

California may be home to some of the country’s priciest real estate, but just across the border, one desert city is quietly becoming a haven for bargain-hunting homebuyers.

A new WalletHub study ranking the most affordable US cities for homebuyers found that no California metro cracked the top tier, while Yuma landed at number four overall nationwide.

The personal finance site analyzed 300 cities across metrics including home prices, maintenance costs, taxes, insurance, vacancy rates and cost of living to determine where Americans can still realistically afford to buy property in 2026.

The results painted a grim picture for the Golden State, with wealthy California enclaves like Santa Monica and Santa Barbara ranking as some of the least affordable places in the country to own a home. Meanwhile, Yuma is proving that the American Dream is still alive and well in the southwest.

Known more for its scorching summer heat and lettuce crops than its real estate market, Yuma’s high ranking is fueled by a combination of low property taxes and home prices that are more aligned with local paychecks.

Last month, the median sale price of a home in Yuma was $336K, according to Redfin. That number is up 13.0% from last year. The median sale price per square foot in Yuma is $206, reports Redfin.

The most affordable cities for homebuyers are dominated by the Rust Belt, with Flint and Detroit, Michigan, taking the two top spots. In Flint and Detroit, the median home price per square footage is $59.

Surprise, Arizona, rounded out the top three for affordability. The study found a staggering 10x difference in housing affordability between Flint and Santa Barbara.

“When deciding where to buy, home prices alone aren’t a good enough indicator of how affordable things will be,” WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said. You also have to consider how prices compare to incomes in the area, plus factor in things like the cost of living, maintenance expenses and taxes.”