NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Hint for house hunters: Learn to love wide open spaces. The most expensive cities in Coldwell Banker's Home Price Comparison Index cluster on the coasts, while the least expensive cities hug the heartland.

The index provides apples-to-apples comparisons of 342 U.S. markets, looking at the cost of a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, 2,200 square foot house with a two-car garage in a nice, middle-class neighborhood.

Read more about the index. The data in the table below is based on average sales prices of listings for that kind of home sold in the 12 months ended July 31, 2006. Click on state initials to get key stats on more cities.