To pinpoint the best place for affordable homes for outdoor enthusiast homeowners, Realtor.com surveyed the 150 largest metropolitan areas with median home prices below $300,000. The real estate website found while Denver and Salt Lake City are ideal cities for nature lovers, they aren’t necessarily affordable. Instead, Realtor.com’s data team looked at criteria surrounding outdoor activities, including bicycle friendliness, outdoor gear stores, campgrounds, and affordability. Their findings are below.
1. Spokane, Wash.
The housing market in Spokane is packed with single-family homes with one- and two-car garages and with some trees on the property, including this three-bedroom Craftsman priced at $249,900. The home has a one-car garage, raised garden beds, and a deck.
2. Bakersfield, Calif.
California has Redwood forests, cliff-lined beaches along the Pacific, and picturesque, vineyard-laced landscapes. But what ordinary humans can afford to buy homes in most of those achingly beautiful locales? That’s where suburban, inland Bakersfield—about two hours north of Los Angeles—comes in.
3. Tallahassee, Fla.
The Florida Panhandle is a hiker's paradise, where trailgoers will spot everything from coastal dune lakes to swamps packed with exotic wildlife. The biggest city in the panhandle is Tallahassee, just minutes from the start of the Apalachicola National Forest, a 630,000-acre retreat covered in pine trees and a local favorite for hiking, off-road biking, and riding four-wheelers. Spotting red-cockaded woodpeckers is an everyday occurrence here.
4. Kalamazoo, Mich.
Kalamazoo has the kind of outdoor fun and natural beauty that some might be surprised to find in a major Michigan city—and it's perfect for campers. Folks enjoy setting up their recreational vehicles and tents at the Kalamazoo RV Park and Campground. It boasts a number of ponds, lakes, and creeks nearby that are perfect for fishing.
5. Tucson, Ariz.
6. While jogging through Tucson neighborhoods, runners pass territorial-style (Greek Revival and Gothic details added to pueblo-style buildings) and Spanish-style homes dotted with mesquite trees and cacti. There are the staggering views of the nearby mountains to take in.
