The Most Affordable Garage Space in America
A new study by our garage door experts has exposed massive price differences for garage spaces across America, with Midwestern cities offering substantially more affordable options compared to coastal metropolitan areas.
By: Bryan | Published: July 23, 2025
Key Findings
- Toledo, Ohio, takes the crown as America’s most affordable city for garage space, with garage spaces costing an average of $101,326.
- The price difference between the most and least affordable cities is staggering, with Cambridge, Massachusetts, garage spaces costing 13 times more than those in Toledo.
- California dominated the expensive list with 23 cities ranking among the 30 worst for garage affordability nationwide.
Massive Garage Price Differences Revealed Across America
Our analysis used listing data from Realtor.com to determine which US cities have the largest garage parking spaces at the cheapest price. All US cities with a population greater than 100,000 were analyzed and a sample of up to 1,000 properties (including only those with garages) was taken from each city. For each city, the average listing price was divided by the average number of garage parking spaces to approximate a price-per-space.
Top 5 Most Affordable Cities for Garage Space
- Toledo, Ohio, comes out on top for garage affordability across the nation. Drivers seeking covered parking pay $101,326 per space on average. The city’s modest $230,171 average home price combined with a healthy 2.27 garage spaces per property creates this advantage.
- Santa Maria, California, surprisingly lands second place despite sitting in expensive California. Garage spaces here average just $115,933 each. This surprising value comes from properties boasting an incredible 6.34 garage spaces per home, spreading the $735,548 property cost across multiple parking spots.
- Warren, Michigan, takes third place with garage spaces priced at $121,068 on average. The city’s average property price of $226,146 coupled with 1.87 garage spaces per home contributes to its ranking.
- Rockford, Illinois, scores fourth place for affordability at $124,583 per garage space. Houses typically sell for around $252,081 with 2.02 garage spaces each.
- Lafayette, Louisiana, rounds out the top five at $130,145 per space. Lafayette stands as the only non-Midwest city breaking the top five cheapest locations but follows the same pattern of affordable property prices ($261,858) plus decent garage space allocation (2.01 spaces per property).
Other budget-friendly spots include Lansing, Michigan, ($145,038), Detroit, Michigan, ($145,347), Jackson, Mississippi, ($146,047), Killeen, Texas, ($146,558), and Springfield, Illinois, ($147,508). Michigan places three cities in the top ten while Illinois scores two, reinforcing the Midwest’s total dominance in parking space value.
America’s 10 Most Affordable Cities for Garage Space
| Rank | City | State | Average Garage Space Cost | Average Home Listing Price | Average Garage Spaces Per Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo | Ohio | $101,326 | $230,171 | 2.27 |
| 2 | Santa Maria | California | $115,933 | $735,548 | 6.34 |
| 3 | Warren | Michigan | $121,068 | $226,146 | 1.87 |
| 4 | Rockford | Illinois | $124,583 | $252,081 | 2.02 |
| 5 | Lafayette | Louisiana | $130,145 | $261,858 | 2.01 |
| 6 | Lansing | Michigan | $145,038 | $244,855 | 1.69 |
| 7 | Detroit | Michigan | $145,347 | $245,255 | 1.69 |
| 8 | Jackson | Mississippi | $146,047 | $296,619 | 2.03 |
| 9 | Killeen | Texas | $146,558 | $289,453 | 1.98 |
| 10 | Springfield | Illinois | $147,508 | $303,527 | 2.06 |
The Most Expensive Cities for Garage Space
- Cambridge, Massachusetts, ranks as America’s most expensive city for garage space, with an average cost of $1,318,306 per parking spot. Cambridge properties squeeze in 1.15 garage spaces per home on average which sends costs soaring despite already high property prices of $1,521,122.
- San Francisco, California, takes second place for expense with garage spaces at $1,143,183 each. The city’s notorious housing bubble ($1,579,672 average listing) coupled with tiny garage allocations (1.38 spaces per property) creates parking spots worth more than luxury homes in other states.
- Boston, Massachusetts, ranks third with parking spaces costing $1,130,277 each. Just like neighboring Cambridge, Boston has high property values ($1,510,898) with scarce parking space (1.34 spaces per property).
- Berkeley, California, sits fourth at $1,013,188 per garage spot. Berkeley follows the Bay Area formula with huge home prices ($1,519,783) plus limited garage space (1.50 per property).
- Bellevue, Washington, completes the top five priciest cities at $992,457 per garage space. Unlike other expensive cities, Bellevue offers a decent 2.12 garage spaces per property but the city’s significant average home price of $2,099,241, the highest among all cities examined, pushes costs.
The remaining most expensive locations include Sunnyvale, California, ($990,101), Irvine, California, ($971,979), Santa Clara, California, ($857,538), Boulder, Colorado, ($857,268), and Carlsbad, California ($845,692).
America’s Least Affordable Cities for Garage Space
| Rank | City | State | Average Garage Space Cost | Average Home Listing Price | Average Garage Spaces Per Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | Massachusetts | $1,318,306 | $1,521,122 | 1.15 |
| 2 | San Francisco | California | $1,143,183 | $1,579,672 | 1.38 |
| 3 | Boston | Massachusetts | $1,130,277 | $1,510,898 | 1.34 |
| 4 | Berkeley | California | $1,013,188 | $1,519,783 | 1.50 |
| 5 | Bellevue | Washington | $992,457 | $2,099,241 | 2.12 |
| 6 | Sunnyvale | California | $990,101 | $1,768,643 | 1.79 |
| 7 | Irvine | California | $971,979 | $1,953,733 | 2.01 |
| 8 | Santa Clara | California | $857,538 | $1,561,695 | 1.82 |
| 9 | Boulder | Colorado | $857,268 | $1,513,115 | 1.77 |
| 10 | Carlsbad | California | $845,692 | $1,793,665 | 2.12 |
Expert Analysis: Regional Patterns and Market Forces
“Clear regional patterns leap out from the garage space figures. Midwest cities typically charge around $150,000 per space while West Coast cities, particularly California, slam buyers much harder at over $600,000 per space.”
“The massive price differences show more than just property values at work. Construction styles and regional housing needs play huge roles too. Midwest homes prioritize garage space for brutal winter weather while coastal cities face space restrictions that transform garage parking into luxury items.”
“The massive price differences show more than just property values at work. Construction styles and regional housing needs play huge roles too. Midwest homes prioritize garage space for brutal winter weather while coastal cities face space restrictions that transform garage parking into luxury items.”
Complete Top 50 Cities With The Most Affordable Garage Space
| Rank | City | State | Average Garage Space Cost | Average Home Listing Price | Average Garage Spaces Per Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo | Ohio | $101,326 | $230,171 | 2.27 |
| 2 | Santa Maria | California | $115,933 | $735,548 | 6.34 |
| 3 | Warren | Michigan | $121,068 | $226,146 | 1.87 |
| 4 | Rockford | Illinois | $124,583 | $252,081 | 2.02 |
| 5 | Lafayette | Louisiana | $130,145 | $261,858 | 2.01 |
| 6 | Lansing | Michigan | $145,038 | $244,855 | 1.69 |
| 7 | Detroit | Michigan | $145,347 | $245,255 | 1.69 |
| 8 | Jackson | Mississippi | $146,047 | $296,619 | 2.03 |
| 9 | Killeen | Texas | $146,558 | $289,453 | 1.98 |
| 10 | Springfield | Illinois | $147,508 | $303,527 | 2.06 |
| 11 | Wichita Falls | Texas | $148,390 | $304,275 | 2.05 |
| 12 | Peoria | Illinois | $151,134 | $306,828 | 2.03 |
| 13 | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | $152,611 | $307,296 | 2.01 |
| 14 | Cleveland | Ohio | $152,886 | $272,251 | 1.78 |
| 15 | Davenport | Iowa | $156,198 | $285,257 | 1.83 |
| 16 | Akron | Ohio | $157,087 | $291,534 | 1.86 |
| 17 | Wichita | Kansas | $158,874 | $358,262 | 2.26 |
| 18 | Sioux Falls | South Dakota | $159,822 | $340,047 | 2.13 |
| 19 | Dayton | Ohio | $160,365 | $301,066 | 1.88 |
| 20 | Independence | Missouri | $161,342 | $291,483 | 1.81 |
| 21 | Rochester | New York | $161,513 | $275,170 | 1.70 |
| 22 | Yonkers | New York | $163,152 | $778,203 | 4.77 |
| 23 | Des Moines | Iowa | $165,867 | $307,448 | 1.85 |
| 24 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | $166,038 | $358,808 | 2.16 |
| 25 | Macon-Bibb | Georgia | $166,257 | $354,519 | 2.13 |
| 26 | Broken Arrow | Oklahoma | $167,220 | $389,624 | 2.33 |
| 27 | Beaumont | Texas | $167,413 | $359,012 | 2.14 |
| 28 | Fort Wayne | Indiana | $169,077 | $363,348 | 2.15 |
| 29 | El Paso | Texas | $169,976 | $323,976 | 1.91 |
| 30 | Kansas City | Kansas | $170,174 | $318,152 | 1.87 |
| 31 | Syracuse | New York | $171,271 | $280,931 | 1.64 |
| 32 | Lubbock | Texas | $171,863 | $342,352 | 1.99 |
| 33 | Conroe | Texas | $173,175 | $366,958 | 2.12 |
| 34 | Joliet | Illinois | $173,790 | $342,186 | 1.97 |
| 35 | Evansville | Indiana | $174,145 | $340,957 | 1.96 |
| 36 | Palm Bay | Florida | $177,296 | $352,466 | 1.99 |
| 37 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | $180,245 | $325,706 | 1.81 |
| 38 | Edinburg | Texas | $180,518 | $357,466 | 1.98 |
| 39 | Las Cruces | New Mexico | $180,777 | $440,298 | 2.44 |
| 40 | Pasadena | Texas | $181,093 | $344,284 | 1.90 |
| 41 | Abilene | Texas | $181,493 | $367,038 | 2.02 |
| 42 | Amarillo | Texas | $182,036 | $390,651 | 2.15 |
| 43 | Pueblo | Colorado | $182,382 | $381,268 | 2.09 |
| 44 | Topeka | Kansas | $183,200 | $380,492 | 2.08 |
| 45 | Hartford | Connecticut | $184,166 | $354,590 | 1.93 |
| 46 | Corpus Christi | Texas | $184,635 | $370,193 | 2.01 |
| 47 | Yuma | Arizona | $185,666 | $417,453 | 2.25 |
| 48 | Indianapolis | Indiana | $185,986 | $350,213 | 1.88 |
| 49 | Norman | Oklahoma | $186,250 | $445,369 | 2.39 |
| 50 | Wilmington | North Carolina | $187,236 | $753,321 | 4.02 |
Frequently Asked Questions About the Cost of Garage Space
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