BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A growing Buffalo is looking more and more attractive from the outside with a booming housing and renting market, jobs flowing back to the region and a renewed energy not seen in years.

The thought is one shared by many national outlets, including Forbes, which released a ranking of cities by how affordable they are. They ranked Buffalo as the third most affordable city in the nation.

The Queen City topped every other northern city on the list of the 20 most affordable cities, including Cincinati, Dayton, Columbus, Detroit, Akron and more. However, Buffalo fell to Birmingham, Alabama and Knoxville, Tennessee.RELATED | Buffalo ranked third best food city in the U.S. 

What stood out to Forbes was the opportunity in the Buffalo-Niagara region, including the median family income of $63,900 and the median home sales price of $118,000. Groceries are cheaper than the national average by 7.1 percent and healthcare is a whopping 11.8 percent lower than the national average.

Many have seen a shift in Buffalo’s opportunity, and despite a decreasing New York population, Erie County grew last year.