Where Can You Get the Most (and Least) Real Estate for $1 Million in the United States?

The pandemic has shed light on the importance of having a comfortable, desirable place to call home. Many Americans are seeking out the most affordable cities to buy a house and struggling to even find available real estate at any price. A CNN report sums up the reality of buying a home in the United States since the pandemic began: “For wannabe buyers, the shortage of homes on the market, combined with a surge of competition from other purchasers is setting off bidding wars, all-cash offers, and no end of sticker shock.” Home builder profits are soaring, and housing inventory is at a record low.

In addition to the fierce competition for buying a home, surging building material costs are jacking up real estate prices even further. Ninety-six percent of builders surveyed by the National Association of Home Builders reported that building materials are in short supply, especially lumber, and costs have risen by 66% since 2019.

In light of these challenges, many are wondering where the best places to buy a house are based on affordability and getting the most house for the money in the U.S. Rate.com conducted a study to showcase the U.S. cities where you can get the most house for $1 million:

Click the image to expand

Top 10 Cities Where You’ll Get the Most Square Feet for $1 Million

1. Flint, MI, real estate: 33,333.33 square feet for $1 million

2. Youngstown, OH, real estate: 27,027.03 square feet for $1 million

3. Detroit, MI, houses: 25,000 square feet square feet for $1 million

4. Gary, IN, houses: 22,727.27 square feet for $1 million

5. Danville, VA, real estate: 19,230.77 square feet for $1 million

6. Port Arthur, TX, real estate: 18,518.52 square feet for $1 million

7. Saginaw, MI, real estate: 18,181.82 square feet for $1 million

8. Birmingham, AL, real estate: 16,393.44 square feet for $1 million

9. Anderson, IN, real estate: 16,393.44 square feet for $1 million

10. Lima, OH, real estate: 14,925.37 square feet for $1 million

What about the least affordable U.S. cities for buying a home? It may come as no surprise that California real estate is the most expensive, but there are some unexpected cities on the list.

Top 10 Cities Where You’ll Get the Fewest Square Feet for $1 Million

1. Palo Alto, CA, real estate: 238.32 square feet for $1 million

2. New Rochelle, NY, real estate: 239.98 square feet for $1 million

3. Cupertino, CA, real estate: 286.78 square feet for $1 million

4. Santa Maria, CA, real estate: 418.41 square feet for $1 million

5. Minot, ND, real estate: 471.25 square feet for $1 million

6. Quincy, IL, real estate: 497.76 square feet for $1 million

7. Union City, CA, real estate: 524.11 square feet for $1 million

8. San Rafael, CA, real estate: 533.05 square feet for $1 million

9. Carlsbad, CA, real estate: 544.96 square feet for $1 million

10. Berkeley, CA, real estate: 562.43 square feet for $1 million

Provided by Rate.com Research.