10 Best Places for First-Time Homebuyers in 2024
Purchasing a home has been especially difficult for first-time buyers in recent years thanks to rising prices, increasing mortgage rates and a lack of inventory. Although 2024 is anticipated to still be a challenging year, there are some great opportunities for first-time buyers, especially those with some flexibility on location.
Check Out: The Best Banks of 2024
More: Use This Checklist To See Whether Your Bank Is Costing You a Lot of Money
To find the best markets for first-time homebuyers, Realtor.com analyzed 2,738 cities across a number of factors including affordability, the share of 25- to 34-year-olds in the local population, availability of homes for sale, job opportunities, average commute time to work, amenities, and forecasted metro home sales and home price growth in 2024. Based on the analysis, these are the top 10 markets for first-time homebuyers in 2024.
10. Riviera Beach, Maryland
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 10.9%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 59.3
Median listing price: $264,079
Price-to-income ratio: 2.7
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 33
Pictured: Baltimore
Barbara Corcoran: ‘If You Buy a Home Now, It’s To Your Advantage’
Check Out: 7 Safest and Cheapest Cities To Live in Florida
9. Mattydale, New York
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 7.4%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 31.6
Median listing price: $138,450
Price-to-income ratio: 2.0
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 20
Pictured: Syracuse, New York
Grant Cardone: These Will Be the Top Places To Buy Real Estate Over the Next Decade
8. Moore, Oklahoma
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 9.7%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 43.6
Median listing price: $231,475
Price-to-income ratio: 3.2
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 26
Pictured: Oklahoma City
7. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 9.5%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 33.1
Median listing price: $260,000
Price-to-income ratio: 4.3
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 21
6. Cheektowaga, New York
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 7.2%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 26.6
Median listing price: $199,000
Price-to-income ratio: 3.1
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 21
Pictured: Buffalo, New York
Florida Retirees Are Fleeing: 7 Items That Are Simply Too Expensive in the Sunshine State
5. Council Bluffs, Iowa
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 6.4%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 37.6
Median listing price: $200,000
Price-to-income ratio: 3.0
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 21
4. Newington, Connecticut
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 6.6%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 37.8
Median listing price: $290,294
Price-to-income ratio: 3.4
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 23
Pictured: Hartford, Connecticut
3. Winterset, Iowa
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 7.3%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 47.8
Median listing price: $269,400
Price-to-income ratio: 4.0
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 23
Growing Up Poor: 8 Things I Never Waste Money On
2. Benton, Arkansas
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 7.6%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 50.2
Median listing price: $197,500
Price-to-income ratio: 3.0
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 25
Pictured: Bentonville, Arkansas
1. Irondequoit, New York
Forecasted 25- to 34-year-old population share: 8.2%
Inventory per 1,000 households: 34.1
Median listing price: $187,000
Price-to-income ratio: 2.5
Forecasted average travel time to work (minutes): 22
Pictured: Rochester, New York
All data is sourced from Realtor.com’s Best Markets for First-Time Homebuyers in 2024 and is accurate as of Jan. 16, 2024.
More From GOBankingRates
Use This Checklist To See Whether Your Bank is Costing You a Lot of Money
4 Signs You Will Need To Save an Extra $5,000 in 2024 -- and 3 Ways To Do It
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Best Places for First-Time Homebuyers in 2024