With a historic low of 24% of home purchases last year made by first-time buyers, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the Best & Worst Cities for First-Time Home Buyers in 2025. Fortunately, several Metro Phoenix cities are among the best cities for first-time home buyers in 2025.
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Buying a home for the first time is an exciting and important milestone for many Americans. Their purchases make up a sizable chunk of the market, too. In 2024, a historic low of 24% of home purchases were made by first-time buyers, down from 32% the previous year.
“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,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst. “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.”
For people willing and able to invest in a house this year, the search for a first home requires careful consideration of a number of factors. Buyers must balance what they want and need with what they can afford. Often, people begin searching for their dream homes without a realistic idea of market prices, interest rates or even their eligibility to get a mortgage.
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. Potential buyers may want to narrow their search down to an area with a good reputation before getting into housing details.
To simplify the process, WalletHub compared 300 cities of varying sizes across 22 key indicators of market attractiveness, affordability and quality of life. Our data set ranges from cost of living to real-estate taxes to property-crime rate.
Best Places for First-Time Home Buyers
| Overall Rank | City | Total Score | Affordability Rank | Real-Estate Market Rank | Quality of Life Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palm Bay, FL | 67.24 | 118 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | Boise, ID | 64.73 | 61 | 8 | 27 |
| 3 | Tampa, FL | 64.41 | 170 | 5 | 6 |
| 4 | Surprise, AZ | 64.32 | 21 | 1 | 207 |
| 5 | Huntsville, AL | 63.79 | 36 | 35 | 43 |
| 6 | Gilbert, AZ | 63.5 | 34 | 17 | 85 |
| 7 | Cape Coral, FL | 63.43 | 145 | 4 | 20 |
| 8 | Orlando, FL | 63.01 | 159 | 7 | 17 |
| 9 | Lakeland, FL | 62.85 | 139 | 9 | 15 |
| 10 | Sunrise, FL | 61.82 | 153 | 22 | 13 |
| 11 | Chandler, AZ | 61.57 | 46 | 47 | 79 |
| 12 | Green Bay, WI | 61.23 | 44 | 145 | 10 |
| 13 | Peoria, AZ | 61.14 | 58 | 11 | 158 |
| 14 | Lincoln, NE | 60.97 | 91 | 93 | 18 |
| 15 | Boca Raton, FL | 60.6 | 206 | 12 | 1 |
| 16 | Thornton, CO | 60.55 | 117 | 56 | 23 |
| 17 | Clearwater, FL | 60.48 | 154 | 41 | 12 |
| 18 | Henderson, NV | 60.22 | 50 | 42 | 132 |
| 19 | Kenosha, WI | 60.21 | 43 | 180 | 8 |
| 20 | Madison, WI | 60.1 | 103 | 75 | 30 |
| 21 | Scottsdale, AZ | 59.88 | 146 | 15 | 65 |
| 22 | Raleigh, NC | 59.82 | 68 | 23 | 156 |
| 23 | Arvada, CO | 59.62 | 128 | 29 | 62 |
| 24 | Fort Wayne, IN | 59.61 | 7 | 114 | 131 |
| 25 | Pittsburgh, PA | 59.52 | 12 | 44 | 200 |
| 26 | Atlanta, GA | 59.37 | 84 | 13 | 170 |
| 27 | Yuma, AZ | 59.22 | 15 | 70 | 195 |
| 28 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 59.22 | 185 | 60 | 5 |
| 29 | Chesapeake, VA | 59.21 | 24 | 173 | 39 |
| 30 | Murfreesboro, TN | 58.9 | 83 | 32 | 163 |
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 (64.41) | 1 | Boise, ID (64.73) | 1 | Palm Bay, FL (67.24) |
| 2 | Orlando, FL (63.01) | 2 | Huntsville, AL (63.79) | 2 | Surprise, AZ (64.32) |
| 3 | Henderson, NV (60.22) | 3 | Gilbert, AZ (63.50) | 3 | Lakeland, FL (62.85) |
| 4 | Raleigh, NC (59.82) | 4 | Cape Coral, FL (63.43) | 4 | Sunrise, FL (61.82) |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA (59.52) | 5 | Chandler, AZ (61.57) | 5 | Green Bay, WI (61.23) |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA (59.37) | 6 | Peoria, AZ (61.14) | 6 | Boca Raton, FL (60.60) |
| 7 | Jacksonville, FL (58.77) | 7 | Lincoln, NE (60.97) | 7 | Thornton, CO (60.55) |
| 8 | Mesa, AZ (58.75) | 8 | Madison, WI (60.10) | 8 | Clearwater, FL (60.48) |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV (58.45) | 9 | Scottsdale, AZ (59.88) | 9 | Kenosha, WI (60.21) |
| 10 | Colorado Springs, CO (58.38) | 10 | Fort Wayne, IN (59.61) | 10 | Arvada, CO (59.62) |
| 11 | Virginia Beach, VA (58.06) | 11 | Pembroke Pines, FL (59.22) | 11 | Yuma, AZ (59.22) |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ (56.82) | 12 | Chesapeake, VA (59.21) | 12 | Spokane Valley, WA (58.75) |
| 13 | Lexington, KY (56.38) | 13 | Murfreesboro, TN (58.90) | 13 | Springfield, IL (58.07) |
| 14 | Omaha, NE (56.31) | 14 | Port St. Lucie, FL (58.85) | 14 | Joliet, IL (57.94) |
| 15 | Charlotte, NC (56.29) | 15 | Cary, NC (58.66) | 15 | Longmont, CO (57.78) |
| 16 | Tucson, AZ (54.79) | 16 | Salt Lake City, UT (58.20) | 16 | Davie, FL (57.75) |
| 17 | Columbus, OH (54.41) | 17 | North Las Vegas, NV (58.08) | 17 | Yakima, WA (57.66) |
| 18 | Nashville, TN (54.09) | 18 | Spokane, WA (57.37) | 18 | Naperville, IL (57.30) |
| 19 | Austin, TX (53.72) | 19 | Charleston, SC (57.12) | 19 | Centennial, CO (57.29) |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN (53.55) | 20 | Reno, NV (56.84) | 20 | Broken Arrow, OK (57.28) |
| 21 | Cincinnati, OH (53.51) | 21 | St. Petersburg, FL (56.55) | 21 | Roanoke, VA (57.06) |
| 22 | Aurora, CO (53.13) | 22 | Durham, NC (56.26) | 22 | Elgin, IL (56.65) |
| 23 | Tulsa, OK (52.99) | 23 | Glendale, AZ (56.25) | 23 | West Palm Beach, FL (56.61) |
| 24 | Miami, FL (52.71) | 24 | Lancaster, CA (56.25) | 24 | Westminster, CO (56.49) |
| 25 | Oklahoma City, OK (52.63) | 25 | Richmond, VA (56.14) | 25 | Davenport, IA (56.38) |
| 26 | Baltimore, MD (52.39) | 26 | Fort Collins, CO (55.52) | 26 | Manchester, NH (55.89) |
| 27 | Fort Worth, TX (51.87) | 27 | McKinney, TX (55.29) | 27 | Sterling Heights, MI (55.83) |
| 28 | Milwaukee, WI (51.81) | 28 | Aurora, IL (55.24) | 28 | Miramar, FL (55.81) |
| 29 | Louisville, KY (51.72) | 29 | Tempe, AZ (55.17) | 29 | Pueblo, CO (55.67) |
| 30 | Denver, CO (51.64) | 30 | Roseville, CA (55.05) | 30 | Waukegan, IL (55.41) |
| 31 | El Paso, TX (50.07) | 31 | Norfolk, VA (54.83) | 31 | Hampton, VA (55.40) |
| 32 | Memphis, TN (50.00) | 32 | Newport News, VA (54.78) | 32 | High Point, NC (55.27) |
| 33 | Philadelphia, PA (49.64) | 33 | Des Moines, IA (54.76) | 33 | Greeley, CO (55.08) |
| 34 | Fresno, CA (49.37) | 34 | Palmdale, CA (54.68) | 34 | Clovis, CA (55.06) |
| 35 | Detroit, MI (48.93) | 35 | Augusta, GA (54.45) | 35 | Wilmington, NC (55.02) |
| 36 | Minneapolis, MN (48.78) | 36 | Grand Rapids, MI (54.40) | 36 | Warren, MI (54.90) |
| 37 | Corpus Christi, TX (48.16) | 37 | Frisco, TX (54.07) | 37 | Cedar Rapids, IA (54.89) |
| 38 | Arlington, TX (48.11) | 38 | Winston-Salem, NC (54.07) | 38 | Roswell, GA (54.85) |
| 39 | San Antonio, TX (48.00) | 39 | Knoxville, TN (53.75) | 39 | Flint, MI (54.82) |
| 40 | Bakersfield, CA (47.97) | 40 | Buffalo, NY (53.31) | 40 | Victorville, CA (54.56) |
| 41 | Sacramento, CA (47.68) | T-41 | Elk Grove, CA (53.30) | 41 | Savannah, GA (54.46) |
| 42 | Seattle, WA (47.65) | T-41 | Overland Park, KS (53.27) | 42 | Visalia, CA (54.40) |
| 43 | Cleveland, OH (47.56) | 43 | Grand Prairie, TX (53.19) | 43 | Portsmouth, VA (54.37) |
| 44 | Riverside, CA (47.36) | 44 | Vancouver, WA (53.12) | 44 | Hillsboro, OR (54.03) |
| 45 | Kansas City, MO (47.26) | 45 | Tallahassee, FL (53.05) | 45 | Allentown, PA (54.00) |
| 46 | St. Paul, MN (46.65) | 46 | Little Rock, AR (52.54) | 46 | Murrieta, CA (53.86) |
| 47 | Chicago, IL (45.95) | 47 | Plano, TX (52.32) | 47 | Fort Smith, AR (53.78) |
| 48 | Portland, OR (45.85) | 48 | Hialeah, FL (52.31) | 48 | Plantation, FL (53.64) |
| 49 | Wichita, KS (45.49) | 49 | Toledo, OH (52.27) | 49 | Temecula, CA (53.44) |
| 50 | Stockton, CA (44.86) | 50 | Hollywood, FL (52.14) | 50 | Dearborn, MI (53.35) |
| 51 | Dallas, TX (44.22) | 51 | Birmingham, AL (52.12) | 51 | Coral Springs, FL (53.34) |
| 52 | Irvine, CA (44.03) | 52 | Columbus, GA (52.10) | 52 | Peoria, IL (53.31) |
| 53 | Honolulu, HI (43.92) | 53 | Lakewood, CO (51.95) | 53 | Rockford, IL (53.29) |
| 54 | Washington, DC (43.59) | 54 | Akron, OH (51.92) | 54 | Livonia, MI (53.26) |
| 55 | Santa Ana, CA (42.37) | 55 | Mobile, AL (51.90) | 55 | Miami Gardens, FL (53.08) |
| 56 | Houston, TX (42.36) | 56 | Salem, OR (51.81) | 56 | Pompano Beach, FL (53.04) |
| 57 | Albuquerque, NM (41.85) | 57 | Alexandria, VA (51.66) | 57 | Denton, TX (52.90) |
| 58 | Boston, MA (41.55) | 58 | Greensboro, NC (51.43) | 58 | North Charleston, SC (52.87) |
| 59 | Anaheim, CA (41.40) | 59 | Fort Lauderdale, FL (51.22) | 59 | Allen, TX (52.47) |
| 60 | San Diego, CA (41.21) | 60 | Fayetteville, NC (51.17) | 60 | Athens-Clarke, GA (52.28) |
| 61 | Newark, NJ (39.25) | 61 | Amarillo, TX (50.96) | 61 | Gainesville, FL (52.23) |
| 62 | New York, NY (38.97) | 62 | Montgomery, AL (50.12) | 62 | Vacaville, CA (51.58) |
| 63 | Long Beach, CA (38.82) | 63 | Rochester, NY (50.07) | 63 | Tuscaloosa, AL (51.52) |
| 64 | San Jose, CA (38.34) | 64 | Fontana, CA (49.99) | 64 | Erie, PA (51.48) |
| 65 | New Orleans, LA (35.24) | 65 | Moreno Valley, CA (49.96) | 65 | Beaverton, OR (51.26) |
| 66 | Los Angeles, CA (34.12) | 66 | Corona, CA (49.45) | 66 | Everett, WA (50.79) |
| 67 | San Francisco, CA (33.36) | 67 | Ontario, CA (49.38) | 67 | Norman, OK (50.57) |
| 68 | Oakland, CA (31.77) | 68 | Garland, TX (49.35) | 68 | Carrollton, TX (50.47) |
| 69 | Jersey City, NJ (48.71) | 69 | Sandy Springs, GA (50.44) | ||
| 70 | Tacoma, WA (48.69) | 70 | Gresham, OR (50.04) | ||
| 71 | Bellevue, WA (48.45) | 71 | Renton, WA (49.95) | ||
| 72 | Modesto, CA (48.09) | 72 | Chico, CA (49.94) | ||
| 73 | Laredo, TX (47.92) | 73 | Dayton, OH (49.78) | ||
| 74 | Worcester, MA (47.83) | 74 | Richardson, TX (49.61) | ||
| T-75 | Santa Clarita, CA (47.71) | 75 | Federal Way, WA (48.70) | ||
| T-75 | Yonkers, NY (47.32) | 76 | Kent, WA (48.67) | ||
| 77 | Irving, TX (47.27) | 77 | Albany, NY (48.64) | ||
| 78 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA (47.22) | 78 | Waterbury, CT (47.65) | ||
| 79 | Springfield, MA (46.94) | 79 | Stamford, CT (47.51) | ||
| 80 | San Bernardino, CA (46.77) | 80 | Rialto, CA (47.45) | ||
| 81 | Eugene, OR (46.62) | 81 | Ann Arbor, MI (47.10) | ||
| 82 | Springfield, MO (46.53) | 82 | Simi Valley, CA (46.97) | ||
| 83 | Santa Rosa, CA (46.14) | 83 | Fairfield, CA (46.92) | ||
| 84 | Providence, RI (45.60) | 84 | Mission Viejo, CA (46.72) | ||
| 85 | Chula Vista, CA (44.91) | 85 | Santa Maria, CA (46.60) | ||
| 86 | Garden Grove, CA (43.35) | 86 | Mesquite, TX (46.47) | ||
| 87 | Salinas, CA (43.02) | 87 | Quincy, MA (46.45) | ||
| 88 | St. Louis, MO (42.95) | 88 | Lowell, MA (46.41) | ||
| 89 | Baton Rouge, LA (42.52) | 89 | Lansing, MI (46.12) | ||
| 90 | Sunnyvale, CA (42.48) | 90 | Norwalk, CA (46.11) | ||
| 91 | Paterson, NJ (41.87) | 91 | Brockton, MA (46.05) | ||
| 92 | Shreveport, LA (41.86) | 92 | Carson, CA (46.01) | ||
| 93 | Fremont, CA (41.67) | 93 | Antioch, CA (45.75) | ||
| 94 | Oxnard, CA (41.38) | 94 | New Bedford, MA (45.67) | ||
| 95 | Hayward, CA (40.84) | 95 | Hartford, CT (45.44) | ||
| 96 | Oceanside, CA (40.56) | 96 | Lynn, MA (45.41) | ||
| 97 | Huntington Beach, CA (40.53) | 97 | Fall River, MA (45.34) | ||
| 98 | Glendale, CA (37.27) | 98 | New Haven, CT (44.90) | ||
| 99 | Anchorage, AK (34.66) | 99 | West Covina, CA (44.87) | ||
| 100 | Boulder, CO (44.78) | ||||
| 101 | Pomona, CA (44.45) | ||||
| 102 | Jackson, MS (44.00) | ||||
| 103 | Vallejo, CA (43.69) | ||||
| 104 | Concord, CA (43.67) | ||||
| 105 | Ventura, CA (43.57) | ||||
| 106 | Bridgeport, CT (43.55) | ||||
| 107 | Orange, CA (43.51) | ||||
| 108 | Thousand Oaks, CA (43.30) | ||||
| 109 | Compton, CA (42.85) | ||||
| 110 | Escondido, CA (42.56) | ||||
| 111 | Vista, CA (41.69) | ||||
| 112 | Elizabeth, NJ (41.67) | ||||
| 113 | Carlsbad, CA (41.53) | ||||
| 114 | Santa Clara, CA (41.44) | ||||
| 115 | Downey, CA (40.28) | ||||
| 116 | Torrance, CA (40.22) | ||||
| 117 | South Gate, CA (40.05) | ||||
| 118 | El Cajon, CA (39.83) | ||||
| 119 | Inglewood, CA (39.66) | ||||
| 120 | Fullerton, CA (39.59) | ||||
| 121 | El Monte, CA (39.55) | ||||
| 122 | Miami Beach, FL (39.37) | ||||
| 123 | Cambridge, MA (39.12) | ||||
| 124 | Westminster, CA (38.22) | ||||
| 125 | Richmond, CA (38.15) | ||||
| 126 | Pasadena, CA (37.56) | ||||
| 127 | Burbank, CA (36.66) | ||||
| 128 | Daly City, CA (36.50) | ||||
| 129 | San Mateo, CA (35.53) | ||||
| 130 | Costa Mesa, CA (34.28) | ||||
| 131 | Santa Barbara, CA (33.41) | ||||
| 132 | Santa Monica, CA (30.90) | ||||
| 133 | Berkeley, CA (26.06) |
