Atlanta Beautiful Homes category interest

All the news about housing shortages and sky-high real estate prices may have convinced you that a large house is out of reach, but in several cities across the US, four- and five-bedroom houses are cheaper than the national average. (A four-bedroom house is typically $496,936, while the average home with five or more bedrooms is $704,098.) The places in question range from large cosmopolitan cities to smaller metro areas, but what they all have in common is a lot of inventory. “More affordable markets have a better supply-demand balance,” says Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert. “Balanced markets are where there are enough homes for those who want to live there and can afford them. That’s what keeps prices in check.” Here, 10 cities where you can pick up a big house for less, according to data from Zillow.

Buffalo, NY

Beyond its namesake wings and a beloved NFL team, Buffalo has also become well known for its affordable homes in recent years. The cost of the average four-bedroom houses is among the lowest on this list ($347,965), and interestingly, the typical five-bedroom home is only about $20K more. The city is surrounded by bucolic suburbs, including Southtowns, Orchard Park, East Aurora (which is where many of the Bills live, in case you’re looking for famous neighbors) as well as Amherst and Clarence which are closer to downtown. While Buffalo is definitely cold in winter—and the fourth snowiest city in the US—there are ski areas to keep you busy during those long winter months and the city’s location on Lake Erie makes it a desirable spot during the summer.

New Orleans, LA

In many ways, New Orleans is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, which caused numerous residents to leave the city and its surrounding areas almost 20 years ago. This is reflected in the typical housing costs, which are quite reasonable by national standards ($321,667 for four bedrooms and $456,790 for five bedrooms or more). But New Orleans remains a vibrant city that’s home to Mardi Gras, delicious Cajun cuisine, great live music, and interesting architecture. If you can overlook some of the city’s challenges, the time is ripe to pick up a well-priced Creole-style home and enjoy all that this laid-back area has to offer.

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh is a mid-size city with a small-town feel, yet it has all the things people love about major metropolitan areas—including professional sports and big universities like Carnegie Mellon and The University of Pittsburg—without the high prices. (The typical price for a four-bedroom home is $377,994, while five or more bedrooms will cost you $475,129). The "Burg" is known for its three rivers and over 400 bridges, and the surrounding suburbs are naturally beautiful and accented with rolling hills, lakes, and parks, providing endless recreational activities.

Houston, TX

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the houses. And since there’s a lot of building going on in Houston, prices for these large homes remain on the lower side. “Metro areas like Houston have room to grow because they’re not geographically constrained by the water or the mountains. Land is plentiful and there are fewer restrictions on building,” says Pendleton. Even with everything this major city has to offer—warm weather, plenty of jobs, five pro sports teams, no income taxes—four-bedroom houses fall well under the national average ($373,263), as do homes with five or more bedrooms ($575,236).

Atlanta, GA

According to Pendleton, large homes in Atlanta are relatively affordable for the same reasons as Houston: Lots of land, and lots of building. Prices are slightly higher in Atlanta than Houston (four-bedroom homes are $447,071 and five-plus bedroom homes are around $635,174), but Atlanta’s diverse neighborhoods, 3,000 acres of parkland, and lively food and entertainment scene make it worth the few extra bucks.

Minneapolis, MN

If you don’t mind cold weather, Minneapolis is an ideal place to live. The “Land of 10,000 Lakes” is a culturally rich city with many beautiful lakeside properties. Its most well-known suburb, Edina, has many larger homes on small lots, but as you move farther away from the city, to Wayzata and its surrounding towns, you’ll find lovely large homes on big pieces of property. The housing isn’t cheap, but at $453,710 for a 4-bedroom and $583,740 for five bedrooms or more, homes are less than the natural average, and you get a lot of value for your money.

Chicago, IL

Like Houston and Atlanta, Chicago’s prices for larger homes remain somewhat reasonable ($450,346 for 4-bedrooms and $599,175 for five or more) due to the metro area’s healthy supply of homes and robust residential development. The Windy City is perched on the shores of Lake Michigan and offers 26 miles of shoreline—plus it has renowned museums (most notably the Chicago Institute of Art), stunning architecture, and excellent food. Located in the middle of the country, it’s an excellent hub for travel to the rest of the US, so you can spend all of the money you saved on housing going on fabulous vacations.

Savannah, GA

You may recall from high school US history class that most of this charming coastal city burned down in two separate fires (one in 1796 and another 1820), but there are many beautiful 19th-century homes and plenty of new construction residences in family-friendly communities—all for a fraction of what you would pay two hours up the coast in Charleston. The average price for a four-bedroom falls just below the national average at $422,554, and five-plus bedroom homes are about $200K less than the average ($507,473).

Columbia, SC

Located smack in the middle of the state (referred to as the Midlands region), South Carolina’s capital has a bustling historic downtown and the University of South Carolina, which offer a wide variety of cultural and recreational activities. Columbia’s inland location keeps prices lower than what you’ll find in Charleston and Hilton Head—$331,626 for a four-bedroom house and $441,389 for five or more—but the weather is equally pleasant and the city’s three rivers are popular spots to fish and kayak. If you’re up for a day trip, the state’s beaches are a little over a two-hour drive away.

Jacksonville, FL

Florida real estate gets hotter every year, but the state’s capital—which lies up north, close to the Georgia border—remains affordable. (Four-bedroom homes are typically around $453,211 and homes with more than five bedrooms go for around $666,124.) Still, it has all of the amenities of other popular Florida cities: year-round warm weather, beautiful beaches and great golf (especially in affluent Ponte Vedra Beach), an NFL team (the Jacksonville Jaguars), and perhaps most important of all, no income tax.