10 US Towns Where Homes Are Still Under $100,000 — And What's Wrong With Each One

aTen American towns where the typical home is still under $100,000 — and, for every one of them, the honest reason it is that cheap. Every list like this gets the same comments: you didn't mention the water, the taxes, the hospital, what that town is actually known for. So this one covers all of it. For each town you get the typical home value, the property tax you can expect, where the water comes from, what work is actually there, and the catch — stated plainly, whether it is a crime rate, a flood map, a missing hospital or a wage figure. THE TEN — most expensive to cheapest #10 Portsmouth, OH — $95,000 · two hospitals and a university hold the payroll; the town has been shrinking for fifty years #9 Oil City, PA — $90,017 · where the oil industry began; the headquarters left, the winters did not #8 Keokuk, IA — $84,272 · Mississippi river town with a hospital; check the flood maps and the insurance #7 Parsons, KS — $82,205 · railroad town that lost the railroad; median household income about $41,000 #6 Selma, AL — $77,678 · the lowest property taxes in the country, and real poverty to go with them #5 Sharon, PA — $73,611 · steel valley on the Ohio line; old houses, long winters, modest wages #4 Pine Bluff, AR — $73,267 · university, hospital and arsenal — and one of the highest violent crime rates in the US #3 Anadarko, OK — $71,706 · capital of three tribal nations; no hospital in town, nearest is 20 miles #2 Coffeyville, KS — $67,218 · still makes things; a third of the city flooded in 2007 — pull the flood map #1 Clarksdale, MS — $48,793 · where the blues began; the cheapest homes on the list and a thin economy CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 1:20 How this list was built 2:14 #10 Portsmouth, Ohio 4:55 #9 Oil City, Pennsylvania 7:13 #8 Keokuk, Iowa 9:30 #7 Parsons, Kansas 11:58 #6 Selma, Alabama 14:19 #5 Sharon, Pennsylvania 16:40 #4 Pine Bluff, Arkansas 19:15 #3 Anadarko, Oklahoma 21:48 #2 Coffeyville, Kansas 24:18 #1 Clarksdale, Mississippi 26:55 Why all ten are cheap 27:53 All ten, one more time 28:44 Before you go HOW THIS LIST WAS BUILT Prices are the Zillow Home Value Index for July 2026 — the typical value for the whole town, not one listing. Only towns that still function as towns made the list: a hospital in town or minutes away, a pharmacy, a grocery store and a school district. Populations are from the 2020 census; income and poverty figures from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Property taxes are estimates at each state's typical effective rate — your bill depends on the county, the assessment and any senior exemption you qualify for. Maps: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Footage and photos: Pexels. Music: "Ambient Dance" by Zeropage (CC BY); "Ambient Voyager" by Zeropage (CC BY); "Ambient India" by Zeropage (CC BY); "Meio Ambiente" by NeLaS (CC BY); "Plathe (Beatless Ambient Mix)" by POA (CC BY); "Lemon Scented (Lemony Fresh Ambient Mix)" by POA (CC BY); "Ambient Voyager by Zero Page" by MascoHotel - Varios Artistas (CC BY) This video is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not financial, legal, tax or real estate advice. Prices change. Before you buy anywhere on this list: visit, drive the street, talk to the neighbours, pull the flood map, ask what the water and insurance cost, and find out where the nearest emergency room is. For real estate agents: we feature listings with full credit and a direct link, at no cost — [email protected] #cheaphouses #smalltownamerica #realestate #affordablehousing #retirement #costofliving #homesunder100k