Median income: $61,700
Affordability score: 90.4%
This medium-sized Midwestern city sits near the middle of America's manufacturing heartland and is an important aerospace industry player itself.
Its economic strength now derives mostly from service industries and technology, much of the latter produced at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, whose legacy of flight testing goes back to the early days of aviation.
A high median household income and $100,000 median home price boosted the metro area's affordability score in the last quarter.
A well-maintained brick ranch, like this one, in a good neighborhood lists for just $98,000. That's with three bedrooms, one bath and nearly 1,500 square feet of floor space. It includes a generous-sized family room.
Dayton's economy is being tested by a double-digit unemployment rate, but that has dropped a couple of percentage points during the past 12 months. That could be a sign of better times to come.
For further information: Trulia
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