"In its analysis, the firm said it screened more than 10,000 Census-designated places in the largest 100 metro areas of the country, and chose from cities that had at least 500 active home listings in the last year. Its ranking also considered factors like housing availability, whether the city had a community of young people, the average estimated commute time, and affordability, which was weighted as one of the most important factors in Realtor.com's analysis."
"Affordability remains one of the largest barriers to Americans trying to break into the housing market for the first time. The 30-year mortgage rate clocked in at around 6.15% in the last week of 2025, according to data from Freddie Mac - still elevated compared to levels over the last decade, particularly during the pandemic, when many home loans were going for under 3%."
Realtor.com identified 10 U.S. cities that offer favorable conditions for first-time homebuyers, with Rochester, New York topping the 2026 list. The firm screened over 10,000 Census-designated places across the largest 100 metro areas and limited consideration to cities with at least 500 active home listings in the past year. Rankings weighed housing availability, presence of a young population, average estimated commute time, and affordability as a key factor. Affordability remains a major barrier amid elevated mortgage rates near 6.15% and a median U.S. home price around $410,800 in recent data.
Read at Business Insider
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