America's Best-Value ZIP Codes: High Scores, Low Prices (2026)
By Sharon Ben-Moshe · June 25, 2026
These US ZIP codes pair top safety and school scores with home prices far below their state median — the best value-per-dollar in the country.
The best-value ZIP codes in America combine strong safety and school scores — a high overall NeighborScore — with home prices well below their state median. Leading the list is Crisfield, Maryland (21817), which posts a 97 overall score and a 95 value score: the maximum on both the quality and the affordability scales at once.
How value is measured
NeighborScore's value score compares a ZIP's typical home price against its state median: the further below median, the higher the score, capped at 95. It is a pure affordability signal and is not part of the overall score. A high value score paired with a high overall score is the combination that matters — it means you are not trading away safety or schools to get an affordable price.
The top value ZIP codes
Crisfield, MD (21817) leads with a 97 overall and 95 value. Springfield, South Carolina (29146) is close behind at 97 overall and 92 value. A run of southwest Virginia towns follows — Clinchco (24226), Saltville (24370), and Dante (24237) all pair a 95 value score with overall scores of 93–94.
Still exceptional further down: Bayard, Iowa (50029) at 92 overall and 91 value, Victoria, Virginia (23974) at 91 overall and 92 value, and Kit Carson, Colorado (80825) at 90 overall with a 95 value score. Each delivers top-tier safety and schools at a fraction of its state's typical home price.
The catch with value scores
A low price reflects local demand, job markets, and amenities as much as it reflects a bargain. The value score tells you a home costs less than its state's typical home; it does not promise appreciation or rental demand. And a high value score on its own is not enough — plenty of cheap ZIPs hit 95 on value but fall short on safety or schools, which is exactly why the overall score matters. Treat these ZIPs as a starting point for deeper research, not a buy signal.
Frequently asked questions
Does a high value score mean cheap homes?
It means homes are inexpensive relative to the state median — affordable for the area, not necessarily cheap in absolute terms in high-cost states.
Does the value score affect the overall NeighborScore?
No. The overall score is built only from crime and schools. The value score is shown alongside it as a separate affordability signal, so an expensive ZIP is never penalized in its overall and a cheap one is never propped up.
How is the home-price data sourced?
Prices come from Zillow Research's ZIP-level home-value index, updated monthly.
Want the full methodology behind these numbers? Read how NeighborScore works. NeighborScore is a research tool — verify local market conditions before buying.
For a closer look at one high-value metro, see NeighborScore's ranking of Cleveland's best-value suburbs.
For a deeper look at the rent-vs-buy tradeoff, see NeighborScore's price-to-rent ratio breakdown for 8 U.S. ZIP codes.
For ZIP-level Memphis housing context, see NeighborScore’s Memphis home-value comparison.