These cities in Ohio have more affordable homes available for sale than any other US metro, but they're still few and far between

• The US housing shortage makes it especially hard for middle-income buyers to purchase homes.
• Those buyers can afford to purchase less than a quarter of home listings nationwide, data show.

Despite a surge in new home construction, the US housing shortage rages on and it's hitting middle-income Americans the hardest.

Indeed, the real estate market is short of more than 300,000 home listings valued up to $256,000, the affordable price range for households earning a maximum of $75,000, according to an analysis from the National Association of Realtors and Realtor.com.

But there's some good news, at least in the data: There are still a few US metros where affordable homes remain available to middle-income buyers.

According to the NAR and Realtor.com analysis, among the 100 largest US metros, three areas from Ohio: Youngstown, Akron, and Toledo have the most affordable homes available for middle-income buyers. In Youngstown, buyers earning at least $75,000 can afford to purchase 72% of listings, while those in Akron and Toledo can afford to buy 61%, the data show.

In El Paso, Texas; Boise, Idaho; and Spokane, Washington — the areas with the fewest homes priced up to $256,000 — middle income buyers can afford less than 20% of listings. Nationwide, the percentage isn't much better.

The crux of the issue is that the real estate market is still suffering an extreme lack of available inventory after the homebuying bonanza of 2020 and 2021, and now also because homeowners don't want to sell and give up ultra low mortgage payments. hile the NAR and Realtor.com found pockets that offer more for homebuyers, those Ohio designations are coming at a surprise to local housing experts.

Ian Beniston, who has been the executive director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation for 14-years, said while there may be more affordable homes in the Youngstown area, it certainly does not feel that way.

"Youngstown is a weaker market in terms of home values," he said. "Since housing is much more affordable here at all times, your money can definitely go further here. However, as far as inventory, I would say that we're likely in a similar spot to most places right now."

Overall, the US housing market is short 6.5 million homes. Beniston's assessment shows just how acute the inventory shortage is because areas like his typically provide more opportunity, according to the NAR researchers.

In general, homes in the low- to mid-priced range should be more plentiful in "relatively more affordable areas," than in the expensive areas, the economists wrote in the report. But that's cold comfort to the Ohio cities.

"It still feels like we don't have enough inventory," Eric Cooper, an Akron-based real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, told Insider. "Sellers think they can squeeze you for every penny," We are very much in a seller's market, he said.

"Whether it's a home that's income restricted or it's listed at market rate, it's still receiving multiple offers, which is indicative to the supply limitation," Beniston said. "It's definitely a seller's market and that means it will continue to be tough for buyers to find a quality home."