Fort Wayne Beats Coastal Hotspots: $200K Homes Spark Bidding Wars in America's #1 Market

A home for under $200k, the ability to live comfortably on a single income, or the ability to save for retirement while making less than $100k annually might seem like an American Dream long gone. But in America’s heartland and even the East Coast, certain housing markets are heating up as the American dream finds new life.

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While homebuyers have long dreamed of California’s sunny appeal or the East Coast's seasonal charms, sky-high home prices can mean saving for more than a decade before you can afford a home. 

Instead, savvy home shoppers are concentrating on the country's heartland. And the number one market? According to a Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Housing Market Ranking, it’s Fort Wayne, IN. The mid-sized city in Northeast Indiana, 18 miles west of Ohio, 50 miles south of Michigan, and within a 300-mile radius of Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Milwaukee, is known by the nickname Summit City.

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Homes priced under $200,000 are in high demand and sell quickly. They usually have several offers and could even see bidding wars. But if you could pay even $250,000, you’d be above the $235,101 average home price in Fort Wayne.

Housing market rankings take into account more than just home prices. They also look at the overall economy, amenities, and the real estate market. When you move somewhere, the community, amenities, schools, and wider economy are essential to consider.

Taken together, these areas have a combination of strong homebuyer demand, quick home sales, and significant price growth over the last year, with economies and amenities likely to sustain this growth.

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Fort Wayne also offers excellent employment opportunities with major employers and a low unemployment rate of just 3.3%, lower than the national rate of 4.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Major employers include regional health care, e-commerce, and an auto assembly plant. 

Fort Wayne ranks highly for affordability, short commutes, safe communities, and a low cost of living. But it’s not alone on the list. While many of the top 20 are in the Midwest, the rural East Coast makes an impressive showing in states like Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan. 

Manchester, New Hampshire, takes the #4 spot. It has an unemployment rate of 2.5% and a median home price of just under $600k. But New Hampshire also has no state income tax, and Manchester is just over an hour from Boston, making an easy commute for a lucrative Boston career. 

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Burlington, Vermont, is number six on the list, with an ultralow unemployment rate of just 1.7%. Median home prices are higher than the national average, at $559,000, but the charming community, proximity to major East Coast cities, and lower cost of living make it a great choice.

Other cities that rank on the East Coast are Springfield and Worcester in Massachusetts, Portland, Maine and Hickory, North Carolina. 

The rest of the top five spots are in the Midwest. Canton and Akron, Ohio, take the #2 and #3 spots, while South Bend, Michigan, round out the top five. Unsurprisingly, the Midwest cities all have median home prices well under the national average. 

In Canton or Akron, you can buy a home for a median price of just $255k and $265k, respectively. Proximity to larger cities, beautiful state and national parks, and safe communities make these Ohio towns a place to build your American dream.

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