According to the survey, the most affordable cities were (in order) Flint, Mich., Detroit, Mich., Surprise, Ariz., Yuma, Ariz., Akron, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pa., Memphis, Tenn., Augusta, Ga., Indianapolis, Ind., and Cleveland, Ohio. Best versus worst takeaways from the survey were:Flint, Mich. has the most affordable housing (median house price divided by median annual household income) which is 9.8 times cheaper than in Santa Barbara, Calif., the city with the least affordable housing. The most affordable cities, like Flint and Detroit, Mich. with Surprise, Ariz., having low costs across several of these different metrics. “Flint, Mich. is the most affordable city to buy a home in 2026, boasting the lowest cost of living index in the country and the most affordable home prices relative to residents’ income. For more stories on affordable housing, visit our sister publicationThe Title Report's Housing Inventory & Attainability Watch library.