The Top U.S. Cities To Buy Real Estate In

Investing in real estate takes a lot of research, planning, and financial savvy. The U.S. housing market has become a lot more competitive in recent years, so it's important to know which cities are worth the money. Here are the best cities to own property across the country that'll get anyone a good return on investment.

Phoenix, Arizona

New homes under construction in Phoenix, Arizona
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Many people are moving away from highly populated and costly cities to settle in Phoenix, Arizona. Within recent years there has been a shortage of homes, but an increasing number of real estate sales.

Investors who are worried about paying too much shouldn't worry in Phoenix because the median home price is $269,175.

ADVERTISEMENT

Lafayette, Indiana

ADVERTISEMENT
Train cars on rails passing through Lafayette, Indiana
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Lafayette, Indiana is one of the top choices for real estate investing in 2022. Their home values are mostly under $200,000 with a home value appreciation of 53 percent.

ADVERTISEMENT

The city has very low property tax rates and high rent to home value ratios, rental vacancy rates, and rent to income ratios.

ADVERTISEMENT

Portland, Maine

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
An aerial view of Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine
Gabe Souza/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Gabe Souza/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Those who are looking towards the east coast should consider investing in real estate in Portland, Maine. According to Realtor.com, the city has a predicted home price growth rate of 10 percent.

ADVERTISEMENT

Portland is known for its beautiful waterfront coastline and is a top summer tourist destination. U.S. News even ranked it as one of the top 10 places to live in America.

ADVERTISEMENT

Durham, North Carolina

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
chuck-givens-rz6jAofLz28-unsplash
Unsplash/Chuck Givens
Unsplash/Chuck Givens
ADVERTISEMENT

Durham, North Carolina is most famous for being the location of Duke, University, but it also has a great housing market.

ADVERTISEMENT

People have considered investing in real estate in Durham because of their solid economy and increasingly high rental demand. Their median home price is $256,993 with a growing population rate.

ADVERTISEMENT

Memphis, Tennessee

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
terrance-raper SW_Gv_JH2E-unsplash
Unsplash/Terrance R
Unsplash/Terrance R
ADVERTISEMENT

Not only does Memphis, Tennessee have a lively night scene, but they are also a top choice for real estate investment in 2022.

ADVERTISEMENT

A typical home in Memphis is valued at about $126,889 with a 71 percent home value appreciation. The city also has a high rent to home value ratio, rental vacancy rate, and rent to income ratio.

ADVERTISEMENT

Providence, Rhode Island

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Aerial view of Providence, Rhode Island
Eva Claire Hambach/Getty Images
Eva Claire Hambach/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Providence is the capital of Rhode Island and it happens to be its most populous city. This makes it a perfect place to buy real estate in 2022.

ADVERTISEMENT

The home prices have been growing at a high rate of 9.5 percent and the Rhode Island Association of Realtors found that many of the buyers are from out-of-state.

ADVERTISEMENT

Birmingham, Alabama

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Cityscape as seen from the Vulcan Statue, Birmingham, Alabama
Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images
Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the most populous and affordable cities in Alabama is Birmingham. Those who want to invest to rent out their property should consider buying in Birmingham.

ADVERTISEMENT

The city is home to several universities, which give it a large prospective renter pool. Also, the median home price is only about $64,840.

ADVERTISEMENT

Youngstown, Ohio

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Buildings stand in downtown Youngstown, Ohio
Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

While Youngstown, Ohio is a relatively small city, it's pretty close to other metropolitan areas including Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

ADVERTISEMENT

The home prices are some of the lowest in the country, but they have a high rate of appreciation. Youngstown is currently part of a rebirth with many new businesses being headquartered there.

ADVERTISEMENT

Salt Lake City, Utah

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-989586112
Tim De Waele/Getty Images
Tim De Waele/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah and is one of the best places for those who love taking part in outdoor activities.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to Realtor.com, home prices are expected to increase by 8.5 percent, so now is a perfect time to buy real estate. Also, their population is supposed to reach 1.7 million by 2056.

ADVERTISEMENT

Orlando, Florida

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-866532248
John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images
John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the top tourist destinations in the United States is Orlando, Florida. They have tons of amusement parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, so it makes sense that people would want some real estate there.

ADVERTISEMENT

Those who are anxious about investing should know that Orlando has been one of the best long-term places to get real estate over the last 10 years.

ADVERTISEMENT

Detroit, Michigan

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
An aerial view of Detroit, Michigan
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Detroit is the largest city in Michigan and remains the center of the United States automotive industry. Their home prices average to be about $58,213 with a home value appreciation of 103 percent.

ADVERTISEMENT

The city also has a high rent to income ratio, rent to home value ratio, and rental vacancy rate.

ADVERTISEMENT

Worcester, Massachusetts

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
homes in the snow in Worcester, Massachusetts
Cloris Ying/Unsplash
Cloris Ying/Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

Just about 50 miles from Boston is the quaint city of Worcester, Massachusetts. It was given the nickname "Heart of the Commonwealth" because of its central location.

ADVERTISEMENT

People should consider buying real estate in Worcester because the home prices are set to grow about 8.2 percent and it's the second most populated city in Massachusetts.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dallas, Texas

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
the downtown area of Dallas, Texas
Keith Hill/Unsplash
Keith Hill/Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

Those looking to invest in the American Southwest should look no further than Dallas, Texas. There are more homes to choose from and the rental rates are higher than average.

ADVERTISEMENT

Something that should get new buyers excited is that the Dallas population is expected to double over the next 15 years.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pueblo, Colorado

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
a street in downtown Pueblo, Colorado
Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the largest steel-manufacturing towns in America is Pueblo, Colorado. There are tons of fun things to do such as art galleries, museums, and physical activities in nature.

ADVERTISEMENT

Investors should know that the home value appreciation rate in Pueblo is about 80 percent with homes valued at around $263,343.

ADVERTISEMENT

Atlanta, Georgia

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1237052124
Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Atlanta, Georgia has become increasingly popular over the last decade or so. The population has increased by 14 percent and there are many employment options available.

ADVERTISEMENT

This city has one of the top rental markets in the United States and many of the properties have been renovated. Also, Atlanta's economy happens to be eighth in the nation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Buffalo, New York

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A view across the Niagara River shows the Buffalo, New York skyline
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

After New York City, the largest city in New York is Buffalo. Their home values are relatively low at about $195,767 and they have a high rate of appreciation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Buffalo is a great option for those looking to buy real estate in 2022 with high rent to home values and rent to income ratios.

ADVERTISEMENT

Las Vegas, Nevada

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
aerial view of The strip at night on Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas, Nevada
Robert Mora/Getty Images
Robert Mora/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

It's a no-brainer that Las Vegas, Nevada would be a perfect place to buy real estate in 2022. Las Vegas has been a popular tourist attraction for decades and they have a pretty affordable housing market.

ADVERTISEMENT

The average townhouse or condo is about $200,000 with prices expected to increase by 11 percent.

ADVERTISEMENT

Spokane, Washington

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Washington Water Power building at night in Spokane, Washington
Clayton/Unsplash
Clayton/Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

While Spokane, Washington has a relatively small population, the real estate market has been booming. According to Zillow, Spokane's housing market has been doing better than Seattle's.

ADVERTISEMENT

There are so many things to do with over 87 parks, aquatic centers, and trendy shops. Also, owners of both single-family homes and rental properties are seeing a good return on investment.

ADVERTISEMENT

Chicago, Illinois

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1236267253
Joel Lerner/Xinhua via Getty Images
Joel Lerner/Xinhua via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Chicago, Illinois is the third-largest metropolitan city in the United States with a demanding housing market. The large population and economy make it a suitable place to buy real estate in 2022.

ADVERTISEMENT

Since over half of the Chicago population rents, it would be an excellent choice for a high return on investment.

ADVERTISEMENT

Boise, Idaho

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The downtown Boise skyline in Boise, Idaho
Joe Jaszewski/Getty Images
Joe Jaszewski/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

One city that is proving to be a top choice for a long-term real estate investment is Boise, Idaho. The population and job growth are more than triple of the national average.

ADVERTISEMENT

While there is high appreciation, home values are expected to increase because there is a strong demand for housing.