The 10 best cities for first-time homebuyers — and 10 that are the worst
Cities were scored on 22 factors, from housing costs and weather to crime rates and school quality.
Most top cities for first-time buyers are in Florida, while most of the worst are in California.
Data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows there are fewer first-time homebuyers than ever in the market. The market share of first-time homebuyers decreased from 32% in 2023 to 24% in 2024 — the lowest share since NAR began tracking in 1981.
It's also taking longer for Americans to secure their first home. The median age of a first-time homebuyer increased from 35 in 2023 to 38 in 2024.
Still, it's not impossible to buy for the first time, and some cities have better conditions than others.
The personal-finance website WalletHub analyzed 300 US cities of all sizes across 22 metrics, grouped into three key categories: affordability, the local real estate market, and quality of life. Factoring in elements like housing costs, weather, crime rates, and school quality, the cities were ranked based on how well they support first-time homebuyers.
"Buying a home for the first time is a very stressful and difficult process, especially when housing prices are through the roof and interest rates have risen sharply in the past few years," WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said. "The best cities for first-time home buyers not only are affordable both in terms of buying a house and living there afterward, but they also have a lot of housing choices as well as low crime rates and good schools."
According to WalletHub, six of the best 10 cities for first-time homebuyers are in Florida, while all but one are in the South. California garnered the most cities at the bottom of the list.
Here are the 10 best cities for first-time homebuyers and the 10 worst, according to WalletHub.
9. Lakeland, Florida Population: 124,990Median household income: $60,947Median home-sale price: $315,000Real estate market rank: 9Affordability rank: 139Quality of life rank: 15
8. Orlando Population: 334,854Median household income: $69,268Median home-sale price: $403,500Real estate market rank: 7Affordability rank: 159Quality of life rank: 17
6. Gilbert, Arizona Population: 288,790Median household income: $121,351Median home-sale price: 593,500Real estate market rank: 17Affordability rank: 34Quality of life rank: 85
5. Huntsville, Alabama Population: 230,402Median household income: $70,778Median home-sale price: $343,000Real estate market rank: 35Affordability rank: 36Quality of life rank: 43
4. Surprise, Arizona Population: 167,564Median household income: $93,371Median home-sale price: $435,000Real estate market rank:Affordability rank: 1Quality of life rank: 207
10. San Mateo, California Population: 103,006Median household income: $152,669Median home-sale price: $1,725,000Real estate market rank: 261Affordability rank: 287Quality of life rank: 245
9. New Orleans Population: 362,701Median household income: $55,339Median home-sale price: $385,000Real estate market rank: 195Affordability rank: 213Quality of life rank: 295
Population: 289,600Median household income: $98,152Median home-sale price: $425,000Real estate market rank: 259Affordability rank: 152Quality of life rank: 298
7. Costa Mesa, California Population: 109,131Median household income: $110,073Median home-sale price: $1,640,000Real estate market rank: 230Affordability rank: 297Quality of life rank: 188
6. Los Angeles Population: 3,878,704Median household income: $80,366Median home-sale price: $1,124,000Real estate market rank: 255Affordability rank: 294Quality of life rank: 246
3. Oakland, California Population: 443,554Median household income: $97,369Median home-sale price: $868,000Real estate market rank: 275Affordability rank: 231Quality of life rank: 300
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