Buying a home for the first time is an exciting and important milestone for many Americans. Their purchases make up a sizable chunk of the market, too. In 2022, 26% of home purchases were made by first-time buyers, down from 34% the previous year due in part to soaring prices.
For people willing and able to invest in a house this year, the search for a first home requires careful consideration of a number of factors. Buyers must balance what they want and need with what they can afford. Often, people begin searching for their dream homes without a realistic idea of market prices, interest rates or even their eligibility to get a mortgage.
Where a home is located is just as important as what features it has. If the neighborhood is unpleasant, it can sour the experience of a great home. Potential buyers may want to narrow their search down to an area with a good reputation before getting into housing details.
To simplify the process, WalletHub compared 300 cities of varying sizes across 22 key indicators of market attractiveness, affordability and quality of life. Our data set ranges from cost of living to real-estate taxes to property-crime rate.
Main Findings
Best Places for First-Time Home Buyers
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
- Most
- 1. Springfield, IL
- 2. Peoria, IL
- 3. Montgomery, AL
- 4. Detroit, MI
- 5. Flint, MI
- Least
- 238. Los Angeles, CA
- T-239. Glendale, CA
- T-239. Berkeley, CA
- T-239. Santa Monica, CA
- T-239. Santa Barbara, CA
- Lowest
- 1. Laredo, TX
- 2. Flint, MI
- 3. Erie, PA
- 4. Jackson, MS
- T-5. Oklahoma City, OK
- T-5. Toledo, OH
- Highest
- T-253. San Jose, CA
- T-253. New York, NY
- T-253. Honolulu, HI
- T-253. Santa Clara, CA
- T-253. Santa Barbara, CA
- T-253. Sunnyvale, CA
- Lowest
- 1. Honolulu, HI
- 2. Montgomery, AL
- 3. Colorado Springs, CO
- 4. Cambridge, MA
- 5. Denver, CO
- Highest
- 296. Rochester, NY
- 297. Bridgeport, CT
- 298. Elizabeth, NJ
- 299. Paterson, NJ
- 300. Waterbury, CT
- Highest
- T-1. Flint, MI
- T-1. Dayton, OH
- T-1. Detroit, MI
- 4. Cleveland, OH
- 5. Rochester, NY
- Lowest
- 296. Sunnyvale, CA
- 297. Santa Barbara, CA
- 298. San Francisco, CA
- 299. Berkeley, CA
- 300. Santa Monica, CA
- Highest
- 1. Miami Gardens, FL
- 2. Sunnyvale, CA
- 3. Stockton, CA
- 4. Richmond, CA
- 5. Vallejo, CA
- Lowest
- 296. Waterbury, CT
- 297. Peoria, IL
- 298. Jackson, MS
- 299. Rockford, IL
- 300. Hampton, VA
- Lowest
- 1. Port St. Lucie, FL
- 2. Sterling Heights, MI
- 3. Mission Viejo, CA
- 4. Santa Clarita, CA
- 5. Allen, TX
- Highest
- 294. Miami Beach, FL
- 295. St. Louis, MO
- 296. Birmingham, AL
- T-297. Springfield, MO
- T-297. Salt Lake City, UT
- Lowest
- 1. Baton Rouge, LA
- 2. Westminster, CO
- 3. New Orleans, LA
- T-4. Aurora, CO
- T-4. Lakewood, CO
- Highest
- T-239. Bridgeport, CT
- T-239. Stamford, CT
- T-241. Modesto, CA
- T-241. Honolulu, HI
- T-241. Stockton, CA
- T-241. Bakersfield, CA
Ranking by City Size
Rank (1=Best) | Large Cities (Score) | Rank (1=Best) | Midsize Cities (Score) | Rank (1=Best) | Small Cities (Score) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tampa, FL (64.44) | 1 | Cape Coral, FL (65.07) | 1 | Palm Bay, FL (66.55) |
2 | Orlando, FL (63.08) | 2 | Port St. Lucie, FL (63.36) | 2 | Surprise, AZ (62.53) |
3 | Henderson, NV (60.61) | 3 | Gilbert, AZ (62.08) | 3 | Lakeland, FL (60.19) |
4 | Virginia Beach, VA (59.68) | 4 | Boise, ID (61.70) | 4 | Thornton, CO (59.75) |
5 | Las Vegas, NV (59.23) | 5 | Chesapeake, VA (61.03) | 5 | Sunrise, FL (59.74) |
6 | Raleigh, NC (58.31) | 6 | Chandler, AZ (60.14) | 6 | Boca Raton, FL (59.38) |
7 | Atlanta, GA (58.24) | 7 | Peoria, AZ (59.55) | 7 | Green Bay, WI (59.05) |
8 | Mesa, AZ (56.99) | 8 | Reno, NV (59.24) | 8 | Roanoke, VA (58.78) |
9 | Pittsburgh, PA (56.95) | 9 | Scottsdale, AZ (58.36) | 9 | Cedar Rapids, IA (58.62) |
10 | Jacksonville, FL (56.88) | 10 | Cary, NC (57.65) | 10 | Greeley, CO (58.56) |
11 | Charlotte, NC (55.91) | 11 | Pembroke Pines, FL (57.52) | 11 | Arvada, CO (57.96) |
12 | Colorado Springs, CO (55.15) | 12 | Lincoln, NE (57.49) | 12 | Longmont, CO (57.90) |
13 | Lexington, KY (54.26) | 13 | Richmond, VA (57.35) | 13 | Murfreesboro, TN (57.58) |
14 | Phoenix, AZ (54.20) | 14 | Newport News, VA (57.25) | 14 | Clearwater, FL (57.24) |
15 | Nashville, TN (54.09) | 15 | St. Petersburg, FL (57.24) | 15 | Hampton, VA (57.07) |
16 | Aurora, CO (53.50) | 16 | North Las Vegas, NV (56.54) | 16 | Centennial, CO (56.76) |
17 | Louisville, KY (53.39) | 17 | McKinney, TX (55.98) | 17 | Yuma, AZ (56.65) |
18 | Austin, TX (52.97) | 18 | Madison, WI (55.87) | 18 | Davie, FL (56.59) |
19 | Columbus, OH (52.43) | 19 | Salt Lake City, UT (55.84) | 19 | Roseville, CA (56.59) |
20 | Denver, CO (52.26) | 20 | Norfolk, VA (55.83) | 20 | Miramar, FL (56.51) |
21 | Fort Worth, TX (52.07) | 21 | Des Moines, IA (55.61) | 21 | Charleston, SC (56.27) |
22 | Omaha, NE (51.13) | 22 | Elk Grove, CA (55.51) | 22 | Kenosha, WI (56.24) |
23 | Sacramento, CA (50.72) | 23 | Fort Collins, CO (55.37) | 23 | Broken Arrow, OK (55.86) |
24 | Minneapolis, MN (50.58) | 24 | Glendale, AZ (55.27) | 24 | Wilmington, NC (55.67) |
25 | Oklahoma City, OK (50.43) | 25 | Overland Park, KS (54.75) | 25 | Visalia, CA (54.95) |
26 | San Antonio, TX (50.38) | 26 | Grand Rapids, MI (54.74) | 26 | Erie, PA (54.82) |
27 | Tucson, AZ (50.34) | 27 | Frisco, TX (54.48) | 27 | West Palm Beach, FL (54.77) |
28 | Miami, FL (49.64) | 28 | Joliet, IL (54.37) | 28 | Naperville, IL (54.51) |
29 | Fresno, CA (49.64) | 29 | Vancouver, WA (54.22) | 29 | Warren, MI (54.41) |
30 | Philadelphia, PA (49.15) | 30 | Tallahassee, FL (54.18) | 30 | Roswell, GA (54.37) |
31 | El Paso, TX (48.80) | 31 | Buffalo, NY (53.97) | 31 | Denton, TX (54.35) |
32 | Detroit, MI (48.60) | 32 | Tempe, AZ (53.85) | 32 | Westminster, CO (54.23) |
33 | Tulsa, OK (48.45) | 33 | Durham, NC (53.70) | 33 | Springfield, IL (54.22) |
34 | Baltimore, MD (48.30) | 34 | Grand Prairie, TX (53.63) | 34 | Clovis, CA (54.18) |
35 | Bakersfield, CA (47.86) | 35 | Alexandria, VA (53.36) | 35 | Allen, TX (54.07) |
36 | Riverside, CA (47.63) | 36 | Plano, TX (52.86) | 36 | Hillsboro, OR (53.95) |
37 | Kansas City, MO (47.43) | 37 | Spokane, WA (52.46) | 37 | Allentown, PA (53.60) |
38 | Milwaukee, WI (47.41) | 38 | Augusta, GA (52.03) | 38 | Miami Gardens, FL (53.47) |
39 | Arlington, TX (47.13) | 39 | Aurora, IL (51.96) | 39 | Livonia, MI (53.43) |
40 | St. Paul, MN (46.84) | 40 | Huntsville, AL (51.95) | 40 | Yakima, WA (53.42) |
41 | Memphis, TN (46.77) | 41 | Winston-Salem, NC (51.76) | 41 | Dearborn, MI (53.13) |
42 | Seattle, WA (46.63) | 42 | Fort Wayne, IN (51.67) | 42 | Davenport, IA (53.11) |
43 | Portland, OR (45.91) | 43 | Lakewood, CO (51.64) | 43 | Elgin, IL (53.10) |
44 | Indianapolis, IN (45.82) | 44 | Knoxville, TN (51.36) | 44 | Spokane Valley, WA (53.03) |
45 | Cincinnati, OH (45.72) | 45 | Jersey City, NJ (51.32) | 45 | Victorville, CA (52.92) |
46 | Dallas, TX (45.01) | 46 | Akron, OH (51.28) | 46 | Pueblo, CO (52.74) |
47 | Corpus Christi, TX (44.89) | 47 | Fontana, CA (50.40) | 47 | Plantation, FL (52.53) |
48 | Cleveland, OH (44.68) | 48 | Rochester, NY (50.40) | 48 | High Point, NC (52.48) |
49 | St. Louis, MO (44.11) | 49 | Lancaster, CA (50.19) | 49 | Sterling Heights, MI (52.46) |
50 | Stockton, CA (44.07) | 50 | Palmdale, CA (50.12) | 50 | Gainesville, FL (52.14) |
51 | Anaheim, CA (43.46) | 51 | Hollywood, FL (49.95) | 51 | Portsmouth, VA (52.13) |
52 | Chicago, IL (43.44) | 52 | Montgomery, AL (49.78) | 52 | Peoria, IL (52.01) |
53 | Wichita, KS (43.40) | 53 | Hialeah, FL (49.74) | 53 | Murrieta, CA (51.98) |
54 | Santa Ana, CA (43.26) | 54 | Greensboro, NC (49.73) | 54 | Coral Springs, FL (51.95) |
55 | San Diego, CA (42.70) | 55 | Fayetteville, NC (49.51) | 55 | Flint, MI (51.90) |
56 | Houston, TX (42.69) | 56 | Toledo, OH (49.06) | 56 | Savannah, GA (51.66) |
57 | Boston, MA (42.33) | 57 | Columbus, GA (49.01) | 57 | Manchester, NH (51.46) |
58 | Newark, NJ (41.32) | 58 | Tacoma, WA (48.93) | 58 | Vacaville, CA (51.43) |
59 | San Jose, CA (41.27) | 59 | Birmingham, AL (48.52) | 59 | Norman, OK (51.18) |
60 | Albuquerque, NM (40.64) | 60 | Fort Lauderdale, FL (48.43) | 60 | Pompano Beach, FL (51.14) |
61 | Washington, DC (40.15) | 61 | Salem, OR (48.43) | 61 | Sandy Springs, GA (50.83) |
62 | Honolulu, HI (38.79) | 62 | Ontario, CA (48.26) | 62 | Richardson, TX (50.57) |
63 | New Orleans, LA (37.82) | 63 | Corona, CA (48.22) | 63 | Temecula, CA (50.48) |
64 | New York, NY (37.49) | 64 | Garland, TX (48.19) | 64 | Tuscaloosa, AL (49.89) |
65 | Long Beach, CA (36.35) | 65 | Moreno Valley, CA (48.01) | 65 | Athens-Clarke, GA (49.87) |
66 | Oakland, CA (33.07) | 66 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA (47.94) | 66 | Beaverton, OR (49.80) |
67 | San Francisco, CA (32.88) | 67 | Laredo, TX (47.90) | 67 | Waukegan, IL (49.73) |
68 | Los Angeles, CA (32.69) | 68 | Irving, TX (47.81) | 68 | Federal Way, WA (49.39) |
Info | 69 | Springfield, MA (47.62) | 69 | Dayton, OH (49.35) | |
Info | 70 | Irvine, CA (47.37) | 70 | Fort Smith, AR (49.31) | |
Info | 71 | Chula Vista, CA (47.16) | 71 | Carrollton, TX (49.20) | |
Info | 72 | Worcester, MA (47.13) | 72 | Rockford, IL (48.98) | |
Info | 73 | Little Rock, AR (47.12) | 73 | Albany, NY (48.52) | |
Info | 74 | Santa Clarita, CA (47.09) | 74 | Renton, WA (48.42) | |
Info | 75 | Modesto, CA (46.93) | 75 | Fairfield, CA (48.39) | |
Info | 76 | Amarillo, TX (46.68) | 76 | Everett, WA (48.33) | |
Info | 77 | Santa Rosa, CA (45.89) | 77 | Ann Arbor, MI (48.26) | |
Info | 78 | Providence, RI (45.67) | 78 | Chico, CA (48.18) | |
Info | 79 | Yonkers, NY (45.11) | 79 | Lowell, MA (47.60) | |
Info | 80 | San Bernardino, CA (44.17) | 80 | Mesquite, TX (47.52) | |
Info | 81 | Sunnyvale, CA (43.78) | 81 | Kent, WA (47.34) | |
Info | 82 | Fremont, CA (43.72) | 82 | Gresham, OR (47.07) | |
Info | 83 | Salinas, CA (43.40) | 83 | Brockton, MA (46.97) | |
Info | 84 | Eugene, OR (43.33) | 84 | Rialto, CA (46.30) | |
Info | 85 | Oceanside, CA (43.26) | 85 | North Charleston, SC (46.27) | |
Info | 86 | Paterson, NJ (42.86) | 86 | Bellevue, WA (45.98) | |
Info | 87 | Mobile, AL (42.74) | 87 | New Bedford, MA (45.94) | |
Info | 88 | Oxnard, CA (42.73) | 88 | Simi Valley, CA (45.79) | |
Info | 89 | Pomona, CA (42.56) | 89 | Lynn, MA (45.67) | |
Info | 90 | Garden Grove, CA (42.32) | 90 | Mission Viejo, CA (45.56) | |
Info | 91 | Hayward, CA (42.22) | 91 | Santa Maria, CA (45.48) | |
Info | 92 | Jackson, MS (42.02) | 92 | Antioch, CA (45.47) | |
Info | 93 | Escondido, CA (41.65) | 93 | West Covina, CA (45.25) | |
Info | 94 | Huntington Beach, CA (41.04) | 94 | Quincy, MA (45.17) | |
Info | 95 | Springfield, MO (40.86) | 95 | Fall River, MA (44.94) | |
Info | 96 | Baton Rouge, LA (39.24) | 96 | Stamford, CT (44.51) | |
Info | 97 | Shreveport, LA (38.20) | 97 | Carson, CA (43.95) | |
Info | 98 | Glendale, CA (36.32) | 98 | Norwalk, CA (43.80) | |
Info | 99 | Anchorage, AK (30.99) | 99 | Concord, CA (43.61) | |
Info | Info | 100 | Santa Clara, CA (43.45) | ||
Info | Info | 101 | Lansing, MI (43.37) | ||
Info | Info | 102 | Elizabeth, NJ (43.34) | ||
Info | Info | 103 | Vista, CA (43.31) | ||
Info | Info | 104 | Vallejo, CA (43.29) | ||
Info | Info | 105 | Thousand Oaks, CA (42.76) | ||
Info | Info | 106 | Orange, CA (42.74) | ||
Info | Info | 107 | Waterbury, CT (42.07) | ||
Info | Info | 108 | New Haven, CT (41.84) | ||
Info | Info | 109 | Miami Beach, FL (41.33) | ||
Info | Info | 110 | Downey, CA (41.20) | ||
Info | Info | 111 | Compton, CA (41.16) | ||
Info | Info | 112 | Bridgeport, CT (41.10) | ||
Info | Info | 113 | Cambridge, MA (41.06) | ||
Info | Info | 114 | Carlsbad, CA (40.89) | ||
Info | Info | 115 | Ventura, CA (40.79) | ||
Info | Info | 116 | Hartford, CT (40.73) | ||
Info | Info | 117 | Boulder, CO (40.56) | ||
Info | Info | 118 | Fullerton, CA (40.33) | ||
Info | Info | 119 | Torrance, CA (39.51) | ||
Info | Info | 120 | El Cajon, CA (38.76) | ||
Info | Info | 121 | South Gate, CA (38.65) | ||
Info | Info | 122 | Inglewood, CA (38.57) | ||
Info | Info | 123 | El Monte, CA (37.73) | ||
Info | Info | 124 | Pasadena, CA (37.32) | ||
Info | Info | 125 | Westminster, CA (37.08) | ||
Info | Info | 126 | Richmond, CA (36.74) | ||
Info | Info | 127 | Costa Mesa, CA (35.61) | ||
Info | Info | 128 | Daly City, CA (35.56) | ||
Info | Info | 129 | Burbank, CA (35.02) | ||
Info | Info | 130 | San Mateo, CA (34.82) | ||
Info | Info | 131 | Santa Barbara, CA (31.81) | ||
Info | Info | 132 | Santa Monica, CA (30.57) | ||
Info | Info | 133 | Berkeley, CA (26.32) |
Ask the Experts
Purchasing real estate for the first time can be a scary experience for many consumers. But it doesn’t have to be. For advice and insight, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:
- What should first-time home buyers consider when choosing a neighborhood?
- How do you know that you are financially ready to buy your first home?
- What do you recommend as the minimum down payment for a first-time home buyer?
- Will there be any long lasting effects of the current economic downturn that first-time buyers should consider?
- Given that 8 out of 10 millennials say they regret buying a home in the last year, do you consider 2023 to be a good year to buy a home?
- How can federal, state and local policymakers responsibly and effectively increase home affordability, particularly for first time homebuyers?
Ask the Experts
Methodology
To determine the most favorable housing markets for first-time home buyers, WalletHub compared a sample of 300 U.S. cities (varying in size) across three key dimensions: 1) Affordability, 2) Real-Estate Market and 3) Quality of Life.
We evaluated those dimensions using 22 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for first-time home buyers. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only.
Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area. Each city was categorized according to the following population-size guidelines:
- Large cities: More than 300,000 people
- Midsize cities: 150,000 to 300,000 people
- Small cities: Fewer than 150,000 people
Affordability – Total Points: 33.33
- Housing Affordability: Triple Weight (~14.28 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Median House Price / Median Annual Household Income. - Average Cost of Homeowner’s Insurance*: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
- Cost of Living: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
- Cost per Square Foot: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
Note: This metric measures specifically the median list price per average home square footage. - Real-Estate Tax Rate: Full Weight (~4.76 Points)
Real-Estate Market – Total Points: 33.33
- Rent-to-Price-Ratio: Double Weight (~5.56 Points)
- Median Days on the Market: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
- Active Listings per Capita: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
- Median Home-Price Appreciation: Double Weight (~5.56 Points)
- Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
- Share of Housing Units Built between 2010 and 2021: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
- Building-Permit Activity: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of unit permits pulled per 1,000 residents. - Mortgage Lenders per Capita: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
- Real Estate Agents per Capita: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
- Homeownership Rate for Millennials: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
Quality of Life – Total Points: 33.33
- Weather: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking. - Quality of School System*: Double Weight (~8.33 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Best & Worst School Systems” ranking. - Driver-Friendliness: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities to Drive in” ranking. - Job Market: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Jobs” ranking. - Total Home-Energy Cost: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
- Violent-Crime Rate: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
- Property-Crime Rate: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Insurance Information Institute, The National Association of Realtors, ATTOM, a property data provider, and WalletHub research.
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