Neither Pricey Nor Cheap: Coldwell Banker List of Most Expensive and Affordable Markets Skips Texas Entirely

I guess it’s good to be in the middle of the pack sometimes, especially when it comes to making lists that label cities and towns as “Most Expensive” or “Most Affordable” real estate markets. It’s a lot like dating, right? You don’t want to come off as too easy, or seem too prude, either, when you’re meeting someone for the first time.

Well, Dallas doesn’t have that problem, and neither does Austin, Houston, or San Antonio. In fact, no Texas towns made Coldwell Banker’s “apples-to-apples” comparison of more than 1,900 towns in their Home Listing Report. The report, which compares similarly sized four-bedroom, two-bath homes across the nation shows where potential homebuyers will pay the most, and the least, for what they get.

This year’s report has Malibu coming in first as the most expensive place to find a four-bedroom home at $2,155,900, not a shock to anyone familiar with the exclusive beach community that is practically littered with celebrities. What’s really interesting is that the top five most expensive cities are all in California — Newport Beach, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and San Francisco. In fact, only three towns outside of California managed to squeak into the top 10 — Stone Harbor, NJ, at No. 6; Orono, Minn., at No. 8; and Weston, Mass. at No. 9.

Coming in as the most affordable is Cleveland, Ohio, where you can find a good family home for just $63,729. The “Most Affordable” list is a bit more diverse than the “Most Expensive” list, with Ohio, Michigan, New York, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, and Illinois, having more than one city on the list.

Are you shocked that this report skipped Texas altogether, with no mention of how pricey Austin is getting for single-family homes?