iStock illustration

While the median monthly mortgage payments are declining in 12 of the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas, Greater Boston is continuing to see the median monthly mortgage payment increase, according to a new report from economists at brokerage and listings portal Redfin.

In the Boston area, the median monthly mortgage payment is $5,046, a 1.2 percent increase year-over-year. Providence, Rhode Island also saw the median monthly mortgage payment increase. Payments rose by 5.6 percent to $3,451.

The Rust Belt is currently the most affordable place to buy a home in the United States. Homebuyers in Detroit locked in the lowest monthly mortgage payments in the U.S. in March, with a median mortgage payment of $1,290. Next comes Pittsburgh ($1,685) and Cleveland ($1,687).

California is the most expensive place to buy a home, with the median monthly mortgage payment in the San Jose metro – Silicon Valley – being $10,825, the highest in the country. The San Francisco metro area also boasts a median monthly mortgage payment of $10,054.