Affordable prices, strong local amenities, and steady economic backdrops put Rochester, Harrisburg and Granite City at the top of this year's list

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 7, 2026  /PRNewswire/ -- Realtor.com^® today released The Best Markets for First-Time Homebuyers in 2026, identifying the top places where young Americans can put down roots with a mix of affordability, abundant for-sale inventory, local amenities and solid metro-level housing forecasts and economic outlooks. This year's ranking highlights a truth for many first-time buyers: the best opportunities are often found in markets that balance attainable home prices with everyday livability. In 2026 that balance is concentrated in the eastern half of the country.

The top 10 markets for first-time homebuyers in 2026, in rank order, are: 1) Rochester, N.Y. 2) Harrisburg, Pa. 3) Granite City, Ill. 4) Birmingham, Ala. 5) North Little Rock, Ark. 6) Syracuse, N.Y. 7) Baltimore, Md. 8) St. Louis Park, Minn. 9) Pittsburgh, Pa. 10) Garfield Heights, Ohio.

"Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial and lifestyle decisions you'll make, and where you buy can not only influence how soon you can take that step, it can shape the tradeoffs that homebuying requires," said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com^®. "The markets that rise to the top in 2026 pair comparatively attainable forecasted home prices with strong local amenities and a supportive economic backdrop. For first-time buyers, that combination can mean a more manageable path to homeownership. All without giving up the neighborhood features that make a place feel like home."

First-time buyers can still find affordability, but it's the exception, not the norm
While renting has become more affordable in many markets and the path to homeownership remains challenging amid elevated home prices and mortgage rates, the places that rank highest in this year's analysis tend to offer a rare affordability advantage: in all 10 featured markets, the median-priced listed home is affordable to the median-earning 25- to 34-year-old under the 30% "payment share of income" rule, assuming a 6.25% mortgage rate, a 30-year fixed mortgage and a 10% down payment.

Across the broader universe of more than ten thousand places evaluated, affordability is harder to come by. Only 35.2% of places in the analysis meet that 30% affordability standard at local median prices and incomes. That challenge is underscored by the fact that, even after recent improvements, the typical U.S. household still needs seven years to save for a down payment, roughly double the pre-pandemic averages.

Familiar places return and the geography stays decidedly east
Four markets from last year's 2025 Best Markets for First-Time Homebuyers ranking remain in the top 10 for 2026, underscoring the staying power of markets that consistently offer strong amenities and affordability relative to nearby alternatives. Rochester and Harrisburg swap the top two spots, while North Little Rock rises and Baltimore climbs within the list. Meanwhile, several Florida markets that appeared last year fell out of the top 10, reflecting softer metro-level price and sales projections in the annual forecast.

For the second year in a row, the West is absent from the top 10, driven in part by higher home prices that aren't matched by proportionately higher local incomes, alongside stronger post-pandemic inventory recovery that can temper appreciation expectations. With the exception of Baltimore, this year's top markets are located in the eastern half of the country but not on the coast, offering first-time buyers a blend of attainable home prices and livability.

Urban advantages show up in the 2026 list
A common assumption is that first-time buyers must look to the suburbs or the outskirts to find an affordable home. The 2026 ranking challenges that narrative: six of the 10 featured places are the principal city of their metro. Because the methodology accounts for amenities such as shopping, day care, restaurants, grocery stores and nightlife — as well as commute times — centrally located markets can outperform suburban peers by offering more "everyday convenience" without requiring a tradeoff on price.

Affordable pockets in otherwise pricier regions
Each of the 10 featured markets has a median listing price below the national median and below its metro median, reinforcing that these are affordable pockets within relatively attainable metros. Price gaps vary widely, from Pittsburgh, where the median price is only slightly below the metro median, to Granite City, where prices are far lower than the broader St. Louis metro.

"Truly affordable markets have become harder to find, especially for younger households," said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com^®. "The places that rise to the top in this ranking are notable precisely because they still offer a viable path to ownership for first-time buyers."

Place-Based Ranking Metrics

How affordable are these markets for young buyers?
Assuming a 6.25% mortgage rate, 10% down, and a 30-year fixed mortgage, here is the estimated share of income a 25- to 34-year-old median earner would spend on the median listed home:

Market Affordability

Methodology
This year, the candidate list of places was filtered to expose only areas with at least 500 homes for sale. The inventory of homes for sale and local median listing prices are from Realtor.com^® December 2024 to November 2025 listing data and are reported at the Census-Designated Place level. The population, household count, household income, and average commute time data were sourced from 2025 and 2026 Claritas estimates based on U.S. Census Bureau data. Population and household count numbers, household incomes, and average commute times are at the city/place level. The stated forecasted unemployment rates are Moody's Analytics projections of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics for each city/place's surrounding metro area. Location scores for each place were aggregated from property-level assessments made by Local Logic in the third quarter of 2025 pertaining to the availability of shopping, day cares, restaurants, grocery stores, and nightlife near each known property in the place.

Local Logic is a leading location intelligence company using over 100 billion data points to power smarter real estate decisions. Trusted by 50 million users each month across 8,000-plus websites, Local Logic helps consumers, investors, and governments optimize neighborhoods, developments, and cities. Learn more at locallogic.co.

Affordability estimates are based on mortgage payments before taxes and insurance, assuming a 10% down payment and a 6.25% mortgage rate. The 2026 sales and price forecasts are  Realtor.com^® projections for each city/place's surrounding metro area as detailed in our 2026 Housing Forecast and Top Housing Markets for 2026 reports.

About Realtor.com^®
Realtor.com^® pioneered online real estate and has been at the forefront for over 25 years, connecting buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 site trusted by real estate professionals, Realtor.com^® is a valued partner, delivering consumer connections and a robust suite of marketing tools to support business growth. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc.

Media contact: Emily Do, press@realtor.com

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SOURCE Realtor.com