When it comes to buying a home, $300,000 will go further in some states than others.
Personal finance website GOBankingRates used real estate website Zillow's home price index to determine just how far that much money can go.
Some of the results — which peg the Northeast and West Coast as high cost and the heartland as more affordable — may not come as a shock, according to Cameron Huddleston, life and money columnist for GOBankingRates.
"What is a surprise is how much you're going to pay," Huddleston said.
That goes particularly when you compare the most expensive and least expensive areas. In West Virginia, the cheapest state, you can buy five times the square footage compared with Washington, D.C., the most expensive location.
10 states where $300K buys the least
| Rank | State | Median list price per square foot | Total square feet for $300K |
| 1 | District of Columbia | $516.40 | 581 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $510.29 | 588 |
| 3 | California | $298.95 | 1,004 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $240.81 | 1,246 |
| 5 | Colorado | $227.93 | 1,316 |
| 6 | Washington | $203.38 | 1,475 |
| 7 | Oregon | $203.04 | 1,478 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $195.24 | 1,537 |
| 9 | Montana | $183.28 | 1,637 |
| 10 | New York | $182.20 | 1,647 |
Source: Source: GOBankingRates
One surprise among the most expensive states is Montana, according to Huddleston, where an influx of residents who work on the oil fields has led to a housing shortage.
10 states where $300K buys the most
| Rank | State | Median list price per square foot | Total square feet for $300K |
| 1 | West Virginia | $89.62 | 3,347 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $91.17 | 3,290 |
| 3 | Arkansas | $93.41 | 3,212 |
| 4 | Indiana | $96.35 | 3,114 |
| 5 | Alabama | $96.68 | 3,103 |
| 6 | Ohio | $97.08 | 3,090 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $99.21 | 3,024 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $105.80 | 2,836 |
| 9 | Kansas | $105.94 | 2,832 |
| 10 | Missouri | $106.67 | 2,812 |
Source: Source: GOBankingRates
Those who work in expensive areas like the District of Columbia might want to consider commuting from areas of West Virginia that are within driving distance to the metro area, Huddleston said.
Another alternative to save money may be to live in a low-cost location and work remotely.
Barring those options, you can always take note of the low-cost locations for your golden years.
"Perhaps it's not in the cards for you now while you're working, but in retirement moving might be an option," Huddleston said.
The data used to compile the research was from Feb. 28.
