$400,000 homes are the norm nationally. In these 5 college towns, they’re under $120,000

If you want to live somewhere where you can cheer on a college sports team—and actually afford a home—then a new ranking may give you some ideas for relocating. Hint: Prepare for cold winters or hot summers. That’s because the most affordable college towns in the U.S. are largely located in the South and the Midwest, where the median asking price is less than $120,000, according to a new ranking from Realtor.com. The economists from the Austin-based real estate site examined the cities and towns across the U.S. that are home to an NCAA Division 1 university with at least 15 homes on the market, then ranked those 231 markets by the 2025 median asking price. While you may picture quintessential college towns that revolve around the local higher education institution, Realtor.com identified “affordability bastions” in five places that might not immediately come to mind: Detroit, Michigan—home to the University of Detroit Mercy Jackson, Mississippi—home to Jackson State University Pine Bluff, Arkansas—home to the University of Arkansas Macomb, Illinois—home to Western Illinois University Peoria, Illinois—home to Bradley University Whereas the median listing price nationwide exceeded $…