First Time Home Buyers

WalletHub - With just 21% of home purchases last year made by first-time buyers, compared to the historical average of 40%, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on the Best & Worst Cities for First-Time Home Buyers in 2026, to identify where people stand to save the most money and enjoy the best living conditions.

WalletHub took the pulse of real estate in 300 cities of varying sizes using 22 key metrics. The data set ranges from housing affordability to the real-estate tax rate to the crime rate.
 

Best Cities for First-Time Home Buyers				Worst Cities for First-Time Home Buyers
1. Palm Bay, FL 2. Surprise, AZ 3. Gilbert, AZ 4. Tampa, FL 5. Yuma, AZ 6. Peoria, AZ 7. Boise, ID 8. Chandler, AZ 9. Orlando, FL 10. Murfreesboro, TN			291. Glendale, CA 292. San Mateo, CA 293. Los Angeles, CA 294. Costa Mesa, CA 295. San Francisco, CA 296. Anchorage, AK 297. Oakland, CA 298. Santa Barbara, CA 299. Santa Monica, CA 300. Berkeley, CA

Best vs. Worst

• Flint, Michigan, has the most affordable housing (median house price divided by median annual household income), which is 9.8 times cheaper than in Santa Barbara, California, the city with the least affordable housing.
   
• Honolulu has the lowest real-estate tax rate, which is nine times lower than in Paterson, New Jersey, the city with the highest.
   
• Flint, Michigan, has the highest rent-to-price ratio, which is 12.5 times higher than in Santa Monica, California, the city with the lowest.
   
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has the lowest total home-energy cost per month, which is 4.8 times lower than in Honolulu, the city with the highest.

To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit: