10 Best Midwest Cities Where You Can Buy a Home for Under $250K in 2026
The Midwest remains a haven for affordable housing and an overall low cost of living as real estate becomes increasingly more expensive across the United States.
According to a new Livability study evaluating the top 100 best places to live in America, 10 Midwestern cities receiving mentions also boast home values under $250,000. The 10 cities are evenly scattered throughout the region. Illinois stands out for having the most metros (Bloomington, Champaign and Peoria) with reasonable home values.
In order of highest to lowest LivScore, see the 10 Midwest cities where buyers can purchase homes for under $250,000.
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Bloomington, Illinois
LivScore: 730
Population: 79,439
Median home value: $216,436
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
LivScore: 719
Population: 138,542
Median home value: $199,181
Appleton, Wisconsin
LivScore: 683
Population: 77,146
Median home value: $241,171
Champaign, Illinois
LivScore: 679
Population: 92,960
Median home value: $211,014
Peoria, Illinois
LivScore: 667
Population: 113,758
Median home value: $146,629
Wichita, Kansas
LivScore: 664
Population: 409,257
Median home value: $203,877
Springfield, Missouri
LivScore: 662
Population: 174,570
Median home value: $208,223
St. Louis
LivScore: 651
Population: 281,222
Median home value: $197,928
Des Moines, Iowa
LivScore: 647
Population: 216,695
Median home value: $211,651
Fort Wayne, Indiana
LivScore: 646
Population: 267,292
Median home value: $204,049
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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