Here are America’s most and least expensive neighborhoods per square foot

House hunters frequently consider price per square foot when they’re shopping for real estate because the figure can provide value comparisons with other properties in the same area. 

But looking at a neighborhood’s average selling price on a square-foot basis can also shed some insight into where America’s priciest and cheapest real estate is located. 

A new report from home warranty company American Home Shield finds that the nation’s most expensive neighborhoods are located in California, Florida and New York, while the cheapest zip codes can be found in the Rust Belt and the South. While those cheaper locations might provide more affordable properties, they could come with some downsides, such as a lack of job opportunities or housing choices.

Still, buyers can save a lot of money by opting for a neighborhood with a lower per-square-foot sales price. The difference between the most expensive neighborhood and the least costly place to buy a home is $5,386 per square foot, AHS’ findings show. 

The most expensive American neighborhood: San Francisco’s South of Market, a zip code that’s home to tech giants such as Airbnb and Uber. South of Market’s median household income is about $104,440, higher than the median U.S. household income of about $75,000. 

Buying a property in South of Market will cost about $5,415 per square foot — or about $5.4 million for a 1,000-square-foot apartment. In the cheapest location, Homewood, Pennsylvania, that same-sized home would cost about $29,000.

On a national basis, the median price per square foot is about $222, according to Rocket Mortgage. That equates to a purchase price of $222,000 for a 1,000…