For many Americans, buying your first home feels like a rite of passage. And while rising home prices and high mortgage rates may make it more difficult to put down roots, there are still favorable markets for first-time buyers that are close to major metropolitan areas like Washington, D.C., and Cleveland, Ohio.
A recent report from Realtor.com ranks the best markets for first-time homebuyers. To determine the top markets, the report analyzed over 10,000 locations within the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., giving each a score out of 10 based on the following components:
Realtor.com then determined the 10 highest-ranking markets with at least 500 active for-sale listings from December 2024 to November 2025.
Many of the markets from last year’s ranking performed well this year and remain good options for first-time buyers, including Granite City, Illinois, and Birmingham, Alabama, Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com, tells CNBC Make It.
“Affordability remains good, the amenities in the cities remain good and the fact that these prices are remaining attainable for younger owners or would-be owners is really impressive,” Berner says.
