If you have a roomy housing budget, you might be looking for a spacious home with lots of square footage for family and friends to spread out. Even with today’s housing prices, you can find affordable mansions across the U.S. without crossing the seven-figure mark. In fact, Texas alone boasts a dozen cities where mansions cost less than $1 million.
To determine where you can invest in a big property for a small price, GOBankingRates extrapolated the median list price per square foot in the 200 largest U.S. cities to create price estimates for mansions of 5,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet. The study discovered 47 cities where it takes less than $1 million to buy a home with 8,000 square feet if you’re looking for somewhere you can afford a mansion.
Last updated: Nov. 16, 2020
1. Dayton, Ohio
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $270,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $324,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $378,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $432,000
Ohio is a haven for low housing prices, and Dayton might be the best spot in the space. You can get the cheapest 8,000-square-foot mansion here if you’re looking to live big.
2. Syracuse, New York
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $280,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $336,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $392,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $448,000
In many places in America, a half-million dollars is the median home value. In this central New York haven, it can score you 8,000 glorious square feet of space.
3. Akron, Ohio
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $320,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $384,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $448,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $512,000
In Akron, not only are the more palatial options priced reasonably for their size, but the really affordable options are really cheap — the median home price is under $75,000.
4. Cleveland
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $320,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $384,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $448,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $512,000
Of course, if Akron isn’t your speed, you don’t have to go far to find the next city on the list. Northeastern Ohio is a hotbed for spacious living as Cleveland’s median price per square foot is just $64.
5. Rockford, Illinois
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $325,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $390,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $455,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $520,000
Rockford’s median list price of $100,000 in a market where homes are usually selling for $65 a square foot indicates that the typical house in Rockford is a decent size. But when a 5,000-square-foot house can be had for $325,000, that might not be such a reach for city residents.
6. Toledo, Ohio
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $330,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $396,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $462,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $528,000
Toledo is on the other side of the state from Cleveland and Akron, but it still features a median list price of $66 per square foot.
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7. Memphis, Tennessee
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $345,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $414,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $483,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $552,000
The local real estate prices in Memphis likely are music to the ears of homebuyers trying to find somewhere they can really stretch out. The median list price is $69 per square foot.
8. Birmingham, Alabama
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $350,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $420,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $490,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $560,000
While you would have to downsize slightly to a pair of 7,000-square-foot options, you can grab two mansions in Birmingham for less than $1 million.
9. Columbus, Georgia
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $375,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $450,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $525,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $600,000
Columbus is one town where $1 million isn’t enough to buy a mansion only. You’ll have a pretty hefty nest egg to go with the house.
10. Buffalo, New York
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $375,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $450,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $525,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $600,000
Western and Central New York appear to be havens for lower-priced homes — including the very large ones. You’ll have exactly $400,000 leftover from $1 million for whatever strikes your fancy, even after you’ve secured that 8,000-square-foot dream home.
11. Macon, Georgia
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $390,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $468,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $546,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $624,000
Macon’s median list price is less than $80 per square foot, so you definitely can secure more space than you might elsewhere. A $400,000 budget is enough for even a 5,000-square-foot home in Macon, one of four Georgia cities on the list.
12. Montgomery, Alabama
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $395,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $474,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $553,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $632,000
Not only is $1 million more than enough for a mansion in Montgomery, but even if you choose a larger property, you should have enough left to buy a boat with living quarters for a weekend or vacation retreat.
13. Augusta, Georgia
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $425,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $510,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $595,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $680,000
The median home price in Augusta comes to $139,900. Even if these mansions are out of your financial reach, a more modest dwelling in the area will cost you less here than in most places in the United States.
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14. Killeen, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $445,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $534,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $623,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $712,000
Killeen is one place where you won’t pay a lot extra for all of those extra rooms. The median list price per square foot is less than $90.
15. Brownsville, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $455,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $546,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $637,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $728,000
The second Texas locale on the list, Brownsville is another option for mansion shoppers in the Lone Star State. Buyers can move into even the biggest house on the block for less than $750,000.
16. Shreveport, Louisiana
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $475,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $570,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $665,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $760,000
With a median price of $95 per square foot, even a 10,000-square-foot mansion can be had for less than $1 million in Shreveport.
17. Mobile, Alabama
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $480,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $576,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $672,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $768,000
At $96 per square foot, homes in Mobile make sense for those shopping for both mansions and starter homes. The median list price is slightly less than $168,000.
18. Columbia, South Carolina
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $480,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $576,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $672,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $768,000
You can buy a median-priced home in Columbia for under $200,000 — the median list price averages out to $96 per square foot — so it’s no surprise that spending two or three times that much will translate into a pretty sizable home for your family.
19. Fort Wayne, Indiana
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $495,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $594,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $693,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $792,000
That price tag of just under $800,000 might seem low for a house of 8,000 square feet, but that is nearly five times the median list price of $165,900 in this Indiana city.
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20. McAllen, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $495,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $594,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $693,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $792,000
McAllen is the final city on this list that can claim an average price of less than $100 per square foot. That also means it’s the last one where you can still get two 5,000-square-foot houses with $1 million.
21. Springfield, Missouri
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $505,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $606,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $707,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $808,000
If you wanted to spring for just an average home in this Missouri locale, the median price is $161,900. The typical home sells for $101 a square foot, so a 5,000-square-foot estate costs slightly more than $500,000.
22. Fayetteville, North Carolina
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $505,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $606,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $707,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $808,000
At $101 per square foot, Fayetteville offers premium affordability to those shopping for either a mansion or a modest family home. While you can buy 8,000 square feet for just over $800,000, the median home price there is only $151,000.
23. Tulsa, Oklahoma
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $505,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $606,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $707,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $808,000
Tulsa is one city where you can afford to purchase some elbow room. Sure, the median home comes in at $189,000, but at $101 per square foot, who wouldn’t be thinking about getting something considerably larger?
24. El Paso, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $510,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $612,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $714,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $816,000
El Paso offers an interesting place to live with affordable prices. Located across the border from Juarez, Mexico, El Paso has a median home price of $187,950.
25. Lubbock, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $520,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $624,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $728,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $832,000
Lubbock — home to Texas Tech University — has plenty of options for young professors looking to put down roots. Homes there have a median price of $104 per square foot, and the median price for the area comes to $199,000.
26. Milwaukee
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $520,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $624,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $728,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $832,000
The median home in America’s traditional brewing capital will cost you under $125,000 — selling at $104 per square foot. That means an 8,000-square-foot house near Lake Michigan could wind up costing you a lot less than you might think it would.
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27. Jackson, Mississippi
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $525,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $630,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $735,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $840,000
Space is cheap in Jackson — $105 per square foot, to be more specific — so while you could buy the average home there for a mere $115,500, you might be thinking of shopping for something a lot bigger.
28. Indianapolis
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $530,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $636,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $742,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $848,000
Central Indiana is a paradise for home shoppers, with the Indianapolis housing market showing a median selling price of $106 per square foot. The median home in Indiana’s capital city costs about $170,000.
29. Amarillo, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $530,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $636,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $742,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $848,000
One of 12 Texas cities to make the list, Amarillo has a median home cost of $187,500. However, when you can get up to 7,000 square feet without spending $750,000, you might plan on looking for something bigger and better than the norm.
30. Kansas City, Kansas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $535,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $642,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $749,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $856,000
While it’s across the river from the more famous Kansas City in Missouri, this Kansas City offers a significantly cheaper living experience. Prices here average $107 per square foot, meaning $1 million will get you an 8,000-square-foot mansion with nearly $150,000 left to put in the bank.
31. Warren, Michigan
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $535,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $642,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $749,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $856,000
The median home price in Warren is an affordable $115,000, which might make it extremely tempting to go for something very modest and spend your money elsewhere. Still, at $107 per square foot, it’s hard not to at least look at something bigger.
32. Little Rock, Arkansas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $550,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $660,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $770,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $880,000
Little Rock’s median list price works out to $110 per square foot, with the typical home going for a little under $220,000 in the state capital.
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33. Greensboro, North Carolina
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $550,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $660,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $770,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $880,000
Also with a median price of $110 per square foot, Greensboro is one of three North Carolina locations where you can buy a big house at a price that isn’t too big. And if you’re not looking to spend, the median home in Greensboro is priced at about $190,000.
34. Waco, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $550,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $660,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $770,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $880,000
Any Baylor University alums thinking it would be nice to buy season tickets to campus sporting events should know that they’ll have money to spare for a hot dog and a soda at the game if they live in Waco. The median home price is under $200,000 if something smaller than a mansion meets your needs.
35. Huntsville, Alabama
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $555,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $666,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $777,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $888,000
You’ll likely spend about $110 per square foot of space you buy in Huntsville, so securing something rather large won’t necessarily require being a millionaire.
36. Laredo, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $560,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $672,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $784,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $896,000
You would still have just over $100,000 left from a $1 million budget even after purchasing a whopping 8,000-square-foot home in Laredo. That’s the reality of buying a home in a city where property sells at $112 per square foot.
37. Pasadena, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $560,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $672,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $784,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $896,000
At $112 per square foot, you’ll be able to nab 8,000 square feet of space for less than $900,000. However, if you’re familiar with the sky-high home prices in the more famous Pasadena near Los Angeles, you might feel like a median home price of just under $180,000 is too good to pass up.
38. Wichita, Kansas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $570,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $684,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $798,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $912,000
Wichita has a median home price of $165,000, so you have some affordable options. At $114 per square foot, though, you might decide to look for a home you can grow into.
39. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $570,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $684,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $798,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $912,000
You can buy a median-priced house in Winston-Salem for under $200,000, but if you’re dreaming of buying something more majestic, take look at what’s available. With a median cost of $114 per square foot for Winston-Salem houses, you might find your forever home.
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40. Oklahoma City
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $580,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $696,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $812,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $928,000
In Oklahoma City, the state’s capital, you have a chance to score something quite large without clearing that $1 million mark. At $116 per square foot, there’s a chance to spread out some. But if you prefer something that isn’t too extravagant, the median selling price for a house is just over $200,000.
41. Mesquite, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $585,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $702,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $819,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $936,000
You probably have heard the old expression “everything’s bigger in Texas,” and this study appears to suggest that taking that mindset to buying a home in the Lone Star State could make some sense. In Mesquite, the typical home sells for less than $200,000 with prices that translate to $117 per square foot.
42. Grand Prairie, Texas
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $590,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $708,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $826,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $944,000
Grand Prairie might be just the place to buy your grand mansion. If your budget is $1 million, you should have enough money for an 8,000-square-foot home and a pretty nice ride to park in the driveway, too.
43. Clarksville, Tennessee
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $595,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $714,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $833,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $952,000
The last city to check in at less than $120 a square foot, Clarksville has a median home price of just under $235,000. However, when you can acquire a mansion for less than $1 million, you might not be thinking of buying just the average house.
44. St. Louis
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $615,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $738,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $861,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $984,000
Sometimes buying a really spacious home means giving up the benefits of living near a major urban center, but cities such as St. Louis and Milwaukee seem to show that you can enjoy city life without having to settle for a cramped apartment.
45. Hampton, Virginia
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $615,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $738,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $861,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $984,000
No, not the Hamptons. The chance of finding an 8,000-square-foot house for less than $1 million in those tony New York communities is slim to nil. In Hampton, Virginia, though, you’re likely to pay $123 per square foot for a home.
46. Savannah, Georgia
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $620,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $744,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $868,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $992,000
While $1 million would get you an 8,000-square-foot mansion in Savannah with enough left to cover your move, it should be noted that it would buy you four median-priced homes in the city.
47. San Antonio
Price of a 5,000-square-foot mansion: $620,000
Price of a 6,000-square-foot mansion: $744,000
Price of a 7,000-square-foot mansion: $868,000
Price of an 8,000-square-foot mansion: $992,000
The list ends — fittingly — with another Texas city. While Ohio can boast having all four of its communities land in the top six spots on the list, Texas wins on sheer quantity with its dozen mansion-affordable cities. And in the case of San Antonio, it’s a city of more than 1 million people, meaning you won’t lack for things to do or new friends to meet.
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Methodology: GOBankingRates analyzed the top 200 U.S. cities in terms of population as sourced from the 2018 American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, to find where in the United States it’s possible to buy a mansion for less than $1 million. GOBankingRates used Zillow’s definition of a mansion from its “Residential Home Types” definition page, which defines a mansion as “a very large house; somewhere between 5,000 and 8,000 square feet.” The study used Zillow’s January 2020 median list price per square foot, which then was multiplied by square footage to find the cost of 5,000-, 6,000-, 7,000- and 8,000-square-foot mansions in each city. Only cities where mansions cost under $1 million at 5,000 square feet through 8,000 square feet were included in the final ranking. GOBankingRates also used January 2020 median list prices for each city, sourced from Zillow. All data used to conduct this study was compiled and verified on Aug. 10, 2020.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 47 Places Where You Can Buy a Mansion for Under $1 Million
