Zillow’s Best Markets for First-Time Home Buyers in 2026
Key findings:
- Zillow identified the best markets for first-time buyers among the nation’s 50 largest metros by analyzing rent affordability, the share of affordable for-sale listings and proxies for competition among other buyers.
- Jacksonville ranks No. 1 for first-time home buyers in 2026, followed by Birmingham, San Antonio, Atlanta and Houston.
- Six of the top 10 markets are in the Sun Belt, where improving inventory and relative affordability make for better conditions for first-time buyers.
First-time buyers are still navigating a difficult housing market, but conditions are improving in some parts of the country. While affordability remains a major challenge, some metros stand out for giving renters a more realistic path to homeownership.
To identify where first-time buyers have the best shot, Zillow ranked the nation’s largest housing markets based on the conditions that matter most to households trying to buy their first home: rents taking up a smaller share of a household budget, affordable homes making up a larger share of listings and less competition for attainable homes from other buyers.
Zillow’s best markets for first-time home buyers in 2026:
- Jacksonville
- Birmingham
- San Antonio
- Atlanta
- Houston
- St Louis
- Detroit
- Raleigh
- Baltimore
- Louisville
What makes a market “best” for first-time buyers?
Zillow analyzed conditions across the 50 largest U.S. metros using four key measures that signal whether a market is more accessible for first-time buyers. This index emphasizes four themes:
1) More affordable rent today
Markets score higher when a new renter earning the median household income spends a smaller share of their income on rent. Lower rent burdens can make it easier for households to save for a down payment and cover upfront buying costs.
2) More homes within reach
The ranking incorporates the share of active for-sale listings that the median earner can comfortably afford, as of February 2026, assuming a standard mortgage payment threshold. A higher share means first-time buyers have a better chance of finding a home within budget.
3) Less competition for affordable listings
Zillow also measures the number of affordable listings relative to renter households. More attainable homes per renter suggests less competition for each listing and a better chance for first-time buyers to enter the market without facing intense bidding pressure.
4) More households in prime homebuying years
A larger share of households ages 29 to 43 signals that a metro has a large population in the life stage when first-time buying is most common. That can make a market more appealing for buyers looking to put down roots among their peers.
What the top markets have in common
Most of Zillow’s top 10 markets for first-time buyers in 2026 are in the Sun Belt and Midwest. These markets tend to offer a more favorable mix of affordable rent, attainable inventory and less competition for budget-conscious buyers.
Several Sun Belt metros rank highly because inventory conditions have improved, giving buyers more choices. Meanwhile, many Midwest metros continue to stand out because home values remain relatively accessible compared with incomes, helping keep more listings within reach of first-time buyers.
The highest-ranked markets generally do not excel on only one measure. Instead, they combine several advantages at once: a manageable rent burden, a relatively large share of affordable listings, and enough attainable supply to reduce pressure on entry-level buyers.
Zillow’s Best Markets for First-Time Home Buyers in 2026
- Jacksonville
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 36%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 23%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 48%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 5.9 per 100 renters
- Birmingham
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 33%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 21%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 56%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 6.2 per 100 renters
- San Antonio
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 36%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 20%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 47%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 4.5 per 100 renters
- Atlanta
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 37%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 22%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 45%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 4.3 per 100 renters
- Houston
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 40%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 23%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 40%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 3.1 per 100 renters
- St. Louis
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 33%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 20%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 68%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 3.6 per 100 renters
- Detroit
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 33%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 22%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 65%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 4.2 per 100 renters
- Raleigh
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 36%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 18%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 48%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 2.7 per 100 renters
- Baltimore
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 34%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 21%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 62%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 3.0 per 100 renters
- Louisville
- Home-buying-age households as a share of total households: 34%
- Percentage of median household income spent on rent: 21%
- Affordable listings as a share of total for-sale inventory: 54%
- Affordable listings-to-renter household ratio: 3.8 per 100 renters
| Metropolitan Area | Rent Burden: Share of Median Household Income Spent on Typical Rent | Affordable Listings for Median-Income Household (February 2026)* | Affordable Listings Per 100 Renter Households | Share of Population Ages 29–43 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 23.1% | 47.8% | 5.9 | 36.3% |
| Birmingham, AL | 21.1% | 55.6% | 6.2 | 32.9% |
| San Antonio, TX | 20.2% | 47.4% | 4.5 | 36.4% |
| Atlanta, GA | 22.3% | 45.2% | 4.3 | 37.4% |
| Houston, TX | 22.7% | 40.2% | 3.1 | 39.7% |
| St. Louis, MO | 19.5% | 67.7% | 3.6 | 33.3% |
| Detroit, MI | 21.8% | 64.8% | 4.2 | 32.8% |
| Raleigh, NC | 18.4% | 48.0% | 2.7 | 35.9% |
| Baltimore, MD | 21.5% | 61.8% | 3.0 | 34.5% |
| Louisville, KY | 20.9% | 54.1% | 3.8 | 33.8% |
| Indianapolis, IN | 21.3% | 57.6% | 3.7 | 33.4% |
| Austin, TX | 17.9% | 30.4% | 1.9 | 39.1% |
| Washington, DC | 21.1% | 49.2% | 1.8 | 37.6% |
| Denver, CO | 19.4% | 33.2% | 2.1 | 38.8% |
| Charlotte, NC | 22.6% | 41.0% | 3.0 | 37.4% |
| Dallas, TX | 19.9% | 38.2% | 2.6 | 36.9% |
| Memphis, TN | 23.8% | 46.4% | 3.3 | 35.9% |
| Orlando, FL | 27.0% | 29.0% | 2.7 | 39.8% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 23.3% | 53.9% | 2.1 | 35.3% |
| Phoenix, AZ | 21.8% | 33.0% | 3.6 | 35.2% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 21.1% | 62.9% | 4.1 | 29.4% |
| Kansas City, MO | 20.1% | 56.1% | 3.2 | 31.6% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 19.4% | 53.7% | 3.1 | 31.5% |
| Cincinnati, OH | 21.5% | 60.8% | 3.2 | 31.2% |
| Tampa, FL | 28.6% | 32.4% | 4.5 | 36.3% |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 18.1% | 29.8% | 1.6 | 37.1% |
| Seattle, WA | 22.1% | 21.5% | 0.6 | 41.3% |
| Columbus, OH | 20.3% | 47.7% | 1.8 | 34.3% |
| Buffalo, NY | 21.6% | 70.9% | 1.7 | 31.2% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 21.1% | 40.3% | 4.3 | 31.1% |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 24.6% | 39.9% | 2.5 | 34.6% |
| San Jose, CA | 23.2% | 14.0% | 0.2 | 41.7% |
| Portland, OR | 20.4% | 24.9% | 1.1 | 37.1% |
| Cleveland, OH | 22.6% | 55.6% | 2.8 | 30.4% |
| Chicago, IL | 26.8% | 43.5% | 1.7 | 35.9% |
| Las Vegas, NV | 24.5% | 28.0% | 2.5 | 35.8% |
| Richmond, VA | 22.8% | 38.4% | 1.4 | 35.3% |
| Nashville, TN | 22.8% | 29.0% | 2.3 | 34.6% |
| Milwaukee, WI | 21.8% | 50.3% | 1.8 | 31.8% |
| Miami, FL | 37.3% | 29.6% | 5.0 | 34.4% |
| San Francisco, CA | 25.9% | 20.1% | 0.4 | 38.4% |
| New Orleans, LA | 28.8% | 22.9% | 2.2 | 35.7% |
| Riverside, CA | 30.9% | 16.6% | 1.3 | 38.2% |
| Sacramento, CA | 25.4% | 17.0% | 0.7 | 35.8% |
| San Diego, CA | 29.8% | 11.3% | 0.3 | 39.1% |
| Hartford, CT | 22.8% | 42.0% | 1.1 | 30.0% |
| Boston, MA | 29.7% | 19.5% | 0.5 | 34.5% |
| Los Angeles, CA | 33.9% | 5.6% | 0.1 | 36.3% |
| Providence, RI | 29.1% | 11.6% | 0.3 | 31.6% |
| New York, NY | 37.1% | 16.3% | 0.5 | 33.3% |
*A listing is considered affordable if the monthly mortgage payment (including estimates for taxes, maintenance and insurance) would take up no more than 30% of median household income, assuming a 20% down payment.
The post Zillow’s Best Markets for First-Time Home Buyers in 2026 appeared first on Zillow Research.
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