12 Cities You Won't Be Able to Afford in 5 Years

Homes seem to be becoming increasingly expensive to purchase and own over time, considering factors such as rising home values and interest rates.

If you're thinking about retiring in a few years and you don't want help paying for your mortgage in retirement, you may want to reconsider buying a home in these areas.

According to Redfin housing trend data, the cost of buying a home in the following cities is likely to continue increasing significantly over the next five years.

In June of 2025, the median price for a home in Bakersfield was $422,250. That's up about 2.4% since last year, making it a competitive market overall.

Homes often sell within 34 days, and 348 homes were sold in the city in June alone.

Wisconsin may not be the first place you think of when it comes to high home values, but home prices are rising. 

The median sale price of a home in this city is $434,677, and the median sale price per square foot has grown by 6.4%, at $257.

With home prices up about 1.9% in June 2025, the Providence real estate market is another very competitive area.

Homes spend about 22 days on the market. With a median sale price of $540,000 and a price per square foot of $290, this is an area that's likely to see home prices grow to new heights.

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The housing market in Roswell is highly competitive, even though it tends to feel like a small city.

Still, with home prices down 1.3% in June of 2025 over the previous year, still, it's hard not to see this area becoming highly expensive within a few years. The median sale price of a home here is $656,500, which is already one of the most expensive regions in the U.S.

A Midwest town with lots to offer, Columbus is another hidden city with fast-growing home prices.

In fact, most homes in Columbus received an average of two offers and had a median sale price of $297,000 in June 2025. Over 983 homes were sold in June, up by about 2.4% last year.

In June 2025, the median price for a home in Charlotte was $435,500. That month, more than 1,176 homes were sold in the area, an increase of about 15% from a year ago.

The Charlotte housing market is very competitive, given that it is a desirable area. 

Orlando is known for everything from theme parks to hot summers, but it's also seeing a lot of demand in the real estate market. The median sale price of a home in June of 2025 was $403,500.

The price per square foot, $254, is up 0.8% from a year ago. And, the 413 homes sold in June show a 0.2% increase from last year.

Folsom, a community part of the Sacramento Metro area, is also a highly competitive place to live, with the median sale price of homes reaching $800,000. Home prices are up 10.3% compared to the same time last year. 

Over 59 homes were sold in this small community in the month of June alone.

The median sale price of a home in June 2025 in Philadelphia was $290,000. With 1,526 homes selling in June alone (an increase of 15.3% from the previous year), the home prices here are growing quickly, up 3.6% from 2024.

The median sold price of a home here was $215,500 in June 2025, which is up 7.8% from last year.

The price per square foot in Buffalo is $127, up 0.8% since last year. 

The median sale price for a home in Las Vegas was $459,000 in June of 2025. That's about 2% higher than the previous year.

The market saw an impressive 741 homes sold in June, indicating the very high demand.

Another competitive market is Knoxville, where home prices increased by about 6% from June 2024 to 2025. Approximately 262 homes were sold in June this year, representing a nearly 7% increase from the same month last year. 

The median sale price in this area is $348,000, which is lower than in many other places and may seem like a way to eliminate some money stress, but the area is increasing in demand. 

If you're hoping to keep costs as low as possible, you may want to rent to avoid costly home repairs and increasing interest rates.

Yet, with a few smart homeowner moves, you can still find competitively priced real estate markets throughout the U.S., especially if you're willing to look beyond the large and in-demand city.