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Buying a home for the first time is an exciting and important milestone for many Americans, but achieving that milestone is getting more difficult as prices and interest rates continue to rise. Last year, first-time buyers made up just 21% of the market, compared to the historical average of 40%.
People willing and able to invest in a house this year must balance what they want and need with what they can afford. Often, people begin searching for their dream home without a realistic idea of market prices, interest rates or even their eligibility for a mortgage. In addition, 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.
To help first-time home buyers find the best locations, WalletHub compared 300 cities of varying sizes across 22 key indicators of market attractiveness, affordability and quality of life. Our data set ranges from the cost of living to real-estate taxes to the crime rate.
“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. 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.”
Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
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 each city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for each category.
- Most
- 1. Flint, MI
- 2. Detroit, MI
- 3. Springfield, IL
- 4. Peoria, IL
- 5. Toledo, OH
- Least
- 259. Berkeley, CA
- 260. Costa Mesa, CA
- 261. Glendale, CA
- T-262. Santa Monica, CA
- T-262. Santa Barbara, CA
- Lowest
- 1. Flint, MI
- 2. Oklahoma City, OK
- 3. Amarillo, TX
- T-4. Tulsa, OK
- T-4. Des Moines, IA
- Highest
- T-257. New York, NY
- T-257. Thousand Oaks, CA
- T-257. Santa Barbara, CA
- T-257. Santa Clara, CA
- T-257. Sunnyvale, CA
- Lowest
- 1. Honolulu, HI
- 2. Scottsdale, AZ
- 3. Colorado Springs, CO
- 4. Mesa, AZ
- 5. Montgomery, AL
- Highest
- 296. Peoria, IL
- 297. Waukegan, IL
- 298. Rockford, IL
- 299. Waterbury, CT
- 300. Paterson, NJ
- Highest
- T-1. Flint, MI
- T-1. Detroit, MI
- 3. Jackson, MS
- 4. Cleveland, OH
- 5. Dayton, OH
- Lowest
- 296. San Francisco, CA
- 297. Sunnyvale, CA
- 298. Santa Barbara, CA
- 299. Berkeley, CA
- 300. Santa Monica, CA
- Highest
- 1. Miami Gardens, FL
- 2. Boise, ID
- 3. Spokane, WA
- 4. Palm Bay, FL
- 5. Port St. Lucie, FL
- Lowest
- 296. Miami Beach, FL
- 297. Peoria, IL
- 298. Shreveport, LA
- 299. Jackson, MS
- 300. Stamford, CT
- Lowest
- 1. Port St. Lucie, FL
- 2. McKinney, TX
- 3. Vista, CA
- 4. Kenosha, WI
- 5. Surprise, AZ
- Highest
- 295. Tacoma, WA
- 296. St. Louis, MO
- T-297. Memphis, TN
- T-297. Oakland, CA
- T-297. Miami Beach, FL
- Lowest
- 1. Baton Rouge, LA
- 2. New Orleans, LA
- 3. Boise, ID
- 4. Reno, NV
- 5. Davenport, IA
- Highest
- T-237. Sacramento, CA
- T-237. Elk Grove, CA
- T-237. Roseville, CA
- T-240. Bakersfield, CA
- T-240. Honolulu, HI
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 (62.14) | 1 | Surprise, AZ (65.50) | 1 | Palm Bay, FL (65.94) |
| 2 | Orlando, FL (61.30) | 2 | Gilbert, AZ (62.62) | 2 | Yuma, AZ (61.85) |
| 3 | Mesa, AZ (59.79) | 3 | Peoria, AZ (61.41) | 3 | Green Bay, WI (60.41) |
| 4 | Virginia Beach, VA (58.57) | 4 | Boise, ID (61.35) | 4 | Kenosha, WI (59.64) |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV (58.56) | 5 | Chandler, AZ (61.33) | 5 | Boca Raton, FL (59.33) |
| 6 | Henderson, NV (58.32) | 6 | Murfreesboro, TN (61.09) | 6 | Lakeland, FL (59.10) |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA (58.10) | 7 | Cape Coral, FL (61.02) | 7 | Sunrise, FL (59.07) |
| 8 | Pittsburgh, PA (57.94) | 8 | Huntsville, AL (60.78) | 8 | Clearwater, FL (58.37) |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC (57.46) | 9 | Scottsdale, AZ (60.31) | 9 | Spokane Valley, WA (58.18) |
| 10 | Lexington, KY (56.81) | 10 | Chesapeake, VA (59.82) | 10 | Thornton, CO (58.17) |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ (56.59) | 11 | Madison, WI (59.41) | 11 | Yakima, WA (57.47) |
| 12 | Colorado Springs, CO (55.60) | 12 | Charleston, SC (59.26) | 12 | Arvada, CO (57.37) |
| 13 | Omaha, NE (55.58) | 13 | Lincoln, NE (58.58) | 13 | Broken Arrow, OK (57.34) |
| 14 | Jacksonville, FL (55.07) | 14 | Fort Wayne, IN (58.57) | 14 | Flint, MI (57.33) |
| 15 | Tucson, AZ (55.03) | 15 | Spokane, WA (57.77) | 15 | Portsmouth, VA (56.74) |
| 16 | Indianapolis, IN (54.73) | 16 | Joliet, IL (57.73) | 16 | Roanoke, VA (56.73) |
| 17 | Charlotte, NC (54.15) | 17 | Knoxville, TN (57.63) | 17 | Allentown, PA (56.19) |
| 18 | Columbus, OH (54.12) | 18 | Cary, NC (57.47) | 18 | Longmont, CO (55.84) |
| 19 | Nashville, TN (53.29) | 19 | Richmond, VA (57.45) | 19 | Hampton, VA (55.81) |
| 20 | Louisville, KY (53.06) | 20 | Salt Lake City, UT (57.09) | 20 | Pueblo, CO (55.43) |
| 21 | Cincinnati, OH (52.05) | 21 | Glendale, AZ (56.56) | 21 | Sterling Heights, MI (55.41) |
| 22 | Fort Worth, TX (51.58) | 22 | North Las Vegas, NV (56.52) | 22 | Elgin, IL (55.12) |
| 23 | Oklahoma City, OK (51.49) | 23 | Naperville, IL (56.51) | 23 | Centennial, CO (55.10) |
| 24 | Milwaukee, WI (51.41) | 24 | Reno, NV (56.32) | 24 | Davenport, IA (55.04) |
| 25 | Austin, TX (51.38) | 25 | Roseville, CA (56.04) | 25 | Clovis, CA (54.62) |
| 26 | Miami, FL (51.26) | 26 | Des Moines, IA (55.41) | T-26 | Savannah, GA (54.59) |
| 27 | Tulsa, OK (51.20) | 27 | Pembroke Pines, FL (55.38) | T-26 | Warren, MI (54.59) |
| 28 | Memphis, TN (50.55) | 28 | Newport News, VA (55.33) | 28 | Springfield, IL (54.51) |
| 29 | Greensboro, NC (50.30) | 29 | Tempe, AZ (55.24) | 29 | Greeley, CO (54.47) |
| 30 | Fresno, CA (50.04) | 30 | Port St. Lucie, FL (55.20) | 30 | Westminster, CO (54.33) |
| 31 | Bakersfield, CA (49.99) | 31 | McKinney, TX (54.94) | 31 | Visalia, CA (54.21) |
| 32 | Aurora, CO (49.92) | 32 | Norfolk, VA (54.64) | 32 | High Point, NC (54.14) |
| 33 | El Paso, TX (49.77) | 33 | Aurora, IL (54.32) | 33 | Davie, FL (54.10) |
| 34 | Wichita, KS (49.65) | 34 | Lancaster, CA (54.25) | 34 | Miramar, FL (54.03) |
| 35 | Sacramento, CA (49.43) | 35 | Fort Collins, CO (54.20) | 35 | Roswell, GA (53.98) |
| 36 | Detroit, MI (49.26) | 36 | Grand Rapids, MI (54.20) | T-36 | North Charleston, SC (53.93) |
| 37 | Corpus Christi, TX (49.12) | 37 | Vancouver, WA (53.98) | T-36 | Athens-Clarke, GA (53.93) |
| 38 | Denver, CO (49.12) | 38 | Overland Park, KS (53.88) | 38 | West Palm Beach, FL (53.74) |
| 39 | Irvine, CA (49.01) | 39 | Mobile, AL (53.60) | 39 | Manchester, NH (53.69) |
| 40 | Riverside, CA (48.70) | 40 | Elk Grove, CA (53.51) | 40 | Cedar Rapids, IA (53.68) |
| 41 | Arlington, TX (48.58) | 41 | Winston-Salem, NC (53.24) | 41 | Wilmington, NC (53.53) |
| 42 | Philadelphia, PA (48.10) | 42 | Augusta, GA (53.05) | 42 | Dearborn, MI (52.98) |
| 43 | Baltimore, MD (48.00) | 43 | Plano, TX (52.91) | 43 | Livonia, MI (52.92) |
| 44 | Minneapolis, MN (47.25) | 44 | Buffalo, NY (52.80) | 44 | Hillsboro, OR (52.83) |
| 45 | Seattle, WA (47.11) | 45 | Grand Prairie, TX (52.74) | 45 | Murrieta, CA (52.74) |
| 46 | San Antonio, TX (46.87) | 46 | Denton, TX (52.62) | 46 | Miami Gardens, FL (52.45) |
| 47 | Cleveland, OH (46.81) | 47 | Birmingham, AL (52.48) | 47 | Victorville, CA (52.41) |
| 48 | Kansas City, MO (46.54) | 48 | St. Petersburg, FL (52.14) | 48 | Temecula, CA (52.35) |
| 49 | Chicago, IL (45.78) | 49 | Rochester, NY (52.13) | 49 | Erie, PA (52.31) |
| 50 | Dallas, TX (44.84) | 50 | Montgomery, AL (52.06) | 50 | Vacaville, CA (52.22) |
| 51 | St. Paul, MN (44.63) | 51 | Alexandria, VA (51.97) | 51 | Rockford, IL (52.21) |
| 52 | Stockton, CA (44.10) | 52 | Frisco, TX (51.36) | 52 | Pompano Beach, FL (52.18) |
| 53 | Washington, DC (44.05) | 53 | Durham, NC (51.35) | 53 | Plantation, FL (52.17) |
| 54 | Portland, OR (44.01) | 54 | Palmdale, CA (51.24) | 54 | Gainesville, FL (52.16) |
| 55 | Santa Ana, CA (43.90) | 55 | Tallahassee, FL (51.13) | 55 | Everett, WA (52.05) |
| 56 | Albuquerque, NM (43.74) | 56 | Little Rock, AR (50.76) | 56 | Waukegan, IL (51.91) |
| 57 | Anaheim, CA (43.62) | 57 | Worcester, MA (50.68) | 57 | Fort Smith, AR (51.90) |
| 58 | Honolulu, HI (43.46) | 58 | Moreno Valley, CA (50.61) | 58 | Coral Springs, FL (51.19) |
| 59 | San Diego, CA (43.19) | 59 | Akron, OH (50.47) | 59 | Tuscaloosa, AL (51.15) |
| 60 | Boston, MA (42.07) | 60 | Fontana, CA (50.41) | 60 | Sandy Springs, GA (50.92) |
| 61 | Houston, TX (40.89) | 61 | Fayetteville, NC (50.40) | 61 | Peoria, IL (50.53) |
| 62 | Long Beach, CA (40.69) | 62 | Amarillo, TX (50.25) | 62 | Allen, TX (50.52) |
| 63 | San Jose, CA (40.49) | 63 | Salem, OR (50.17) | 63 | Renton, WA (50.43) |
| 64 | Newark, NJ (39.46) | 64 | Corona, CA (50.16) | 64 | Norman, OK (50.19) |
| 65 | New York, NY (37.71) | 65 | Hollywood, FL (50.04) | 65 | Albany, NY (49.44) |
| 66 | New Orleans, LA (36.97) | 66 | Toledo, OH (49.98) | 66 | Kent, WA (49.37) |
| 67 | Los Angeles, CA (35.76) | 67 | Columbus, GA (49.29) | 67 | Richardson, TX (49.21) |
| 68 | San Francisco, CA (34.62) | 68 | Fort Lauderdale, FL (49.10) | 68 | Federal Way, WA (49.19) |
| 69 | Oakland, CA (32.87) | 69 | Garland, TX (48.99) | 69 | Beaverton, OR (49.10) |
| Info | 70 | Lakewood, CO (48.66) | 70 | Waterbury, CT (48.92) | |
| Info | 71 | Springfield, MA (48.61) | 71 | Dayton, OH (48.87) | |
| Info | 72 | Hialeah, FL (48.58) | 72 | Gresham, OR (48.63) | |
| Info | 73 | Providence, RI (48.47) | 73 | Chico, CA (48.47) | |
| Info | 74 | Ontario, CA (48.46) | 74 | Rialto, CA (48.24) | |
| Info | 75 | Irving, TX (48.41) | 75 | Carrollton, TX (48.01) | |
| Info | 76 | Tacoma, WA (48.39) | 76 | Simi Valley, CA (47.83) | |
| Info | 77 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA (48.17) | 77 | Brockton, MA (47.78) | |
| Info | 78 | Jersey City, NJ (47.93) | 78 | Mesquite, TX (47.58) | |
| Info | 79 | San Bernardino, CA (47.79) | 79 | Lowell, MA (46.94) | |
| Info | 80 | Laredo, TX (47.73) | 80 | Hartford, CT (46.86) | |
| Info | 81 | Bellevue, WA (47.65) | 81 | Quincy, MA (46.84) | |
| Info | 82 | Santa Clarita, CA (47.03) | 82 | Lansing, MI (46.82) | |
| Info | 83 | Modesto, CA (46.89) | 83 | Fairfield, CA (46.73) | |
| Info | 84 | Chula Vista, CA (46.45) | 84 | Fall River, MA (46.54) | |
| Info | 85 | Eugene, OR (46.17) | 85 | New Bedford, MA (46.37) | |
| Info | 86 | Yonkers, NY (45.71) | 86 | Stamford, CT (46.35) | |
| Info | 87 | Springfield, MO (45.42) | 87 | Mission Viejo, CA (46.08) | |
| Info | 88 | Fremont, CA (44.53) | 88 | Lynn, MA (46.04) | |
| Info | 89 | Santa Rosa, CA (44.49) | 89 | Ann Arbor, MI (46.00) | |
| Info | 90 | St. Louis, MO (43.17) | 90 | Thousand Oaks, CA (45.97) | |
| Info | 91 | Oceanside, CA (42.72) | 91 | Bridgeport, CT (45.83) | |
| Info | 92 | Oxnard, CA (42.68) | 92 | Carson, CA (45.67) | |
| Info | 93 | Salinas, CA (42.53) | 93 | Antioch, CA (45.50) | |
| Info | 94 | Sunnyvale, CA (42.24) | 94 | Santa Maria, CA (45.46) | |
| Info | 95 | Baton Rouge, LA (42.07) | 95 | New Haven, CT (45.39) | |
| Info | 96 | Hayward, CA (41.99) | 96 | Jackson, MS (45.27) | |
| Info | 97 | Garden Grove, CA (41.86) | 97 | West Covina, CA (44.74) | |
| Info | 98 | Paterson, NJ (41.34) | 98 | Boulder, CO (44.52) | |
| Info | 99 | Huntington Beach, CA (41.06) | 99 | Ventura, CA (44.44) | |
| Info | 100 | Shreveport, LA (38.81) | 100 | Escondido, CA (44.25) | |
| Info | 101 | Glendale, CA (36.55) | 101 | Norwalk, CA (43.86) | |
| Info | 102 | Anchorage, AK (33.06) | 102 | Concord, CA (43.74) | |
| Info | Info | 103 | Vista, CA (43.72) | ||
| Info | Info | 104 | Orange, CA (43.70) | ||
| Info | Info | 105 | Vallejo, CA (43.41) | ||
| Info | Info | 106 | Elizabeth, NJ (43.08) | ||
| Info | Info | 107 | South Gate, CA (42.55) | ||
| Info | Info | 108 | Pomona, CA (42.25) | ||
| Info | Info | 109 | Carlsbad, CA (41.76) | ||
| Info | Info | 110 | Compton, CA (41.45) | ||
| Info | Info | 111 | Downey, CA (41.26) | ||
| Info | Info | 112 | Fullerton, CA (40.83) | ||
| Info | Info | 113 | Torrance, CA (40.69) | ||
| Info | Info | 114 | Inglewood, CA (40.28) | ||
| Info | Info | 115 | El Cajon, CA (40.10) | ||
| Info | Info | 116 | Cambridge, MA (39.77) | ||
| Info | Info | 117 | Santa Clara, CA (39.70) | ||
| Info | Info | 118 | El Monte, CA (39.50) | ||
| Info | Info | 119 | Miami Beach, FL (38.99) | ||
| Info | Info | 120 | Daly City, CA (38.79) | ||
| Info | Info | 121 | Richmond, CA (38.66) | ||
| Info | Info | 122 | Burbank, CA (38.23) | ||
| Info | Info | 123 | Pasadena, CA (37.87) | ||
| Info | Info | 124 | Westminster, CA (37.63) | ||
| Info | Info | 125 | San Mateo, CA (36.31) | ||
| Info | Info | 126 | Costa Mesa, CA (34.65) | ||
| Info | Info | 127 | Santa Barbara, CA (31.65) | ||
| Info | Info | 128 | Santa Monica, CA (29.62) | ||
| Info | Info | 129 | Berkeley, CA (27.97) |
In-Depth Look at the Best Cities for First-Time Home Buyers
Palm Bay, FL
Palm Bay, FL, is the best city for first-time home buyers. It’s among the leading cities in the country when it comes to active home listings per capita and new building permits per capita, so there are plenty of older and brand-new homes to choose from. In addition, while it’s a stereotype that millennials struggle to buy homes, Palm Bay has the fourth-highest millennial home-ownership rate.
Palm Bay residents can also look forward to their homes growing in value, as the city has the fourth-highest home appreciation rate in the country. Homes in the city were worth 107% more in 2024 than they were in 2018.
Palm Bay’s low property-crime rate is another attractive feature, especially for people looking for a safe and secure place to live.
Palm Bay also isn’t the only Florida city that’s great for first-time home buyers – three of the top 10 cities are in Florida, including one of the top three.
Surprise, AZ
Surprise, AZ, is the second-best city for first-time home buyers, boasting an extremely high number of new building permits per capita and the 11th-highest active home listings per capita. It also has a high number of real estate agents per capita, which helps ensure that people are able to find good houses for their needs and makes the process go more smoothly.
In addition, Surprise is a good place to live because it has a low crime rate. It has the 10th-lowest violent crime rate and fifth-lowest property crime rate in the country out of the 300 cities in this study.
To top things off, Surprise has the 18th-highest home price appreciation rate in the country, with values growing by roughly 93% between 2018 and 2024.
Gilbert, AZ
Gilbert, AZ, is the third-best city for first-time home buyers, and like the other top cities, it stands out for having a large number of new building permits and the seventh-lowest real estate tax rate. Gilbert also has the 18th-highest millennial homeownership rate in the country, at 46%.
In addition, Gilbert has a pretty strong job market, making it an attractive place for career growth. Gilbert is a safe city, too. It has the 10th-lowest property crime rate and the 15th-lowest violent crime rate in the country.
Finally, Gilbert has the 42nd-highest home price appreciation in the country, with homes worth 85% more in 2024 than they were in 2018.
The methodology can be found on the full version of the article on WalletHub.
