Best and worst cities in the United States to buy your first home

Buying a house is a dream for many, but it can become really overwhelming.

Bankrate did a study analyzing the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.

We tell you about the best and worst cities in the United States to buy a home for the first time.

I WANT TO BUY A HOUSE! Buying your own home is a dream for many, but it can become really overwhelming, especially if it’s your first. We tell you about the best and worst cities in the United States to buy a home for the first time.

Each city has its advantages and disadvantages. Bankrate did a study called «Best Metros for First-Time Homebuyers of 2022» in which it analyzes the prices of houses in relation to local salaries, the supply and demand of the local real estate market, the crime rates, unemployment rates, and health and wellness status in the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas.

Best and worst cities in the United States to buy your first home

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Let’s start with the best. Topping the list is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which scored the best for affordability, tightness of the housing market, and safety, although it should be noted that it also has a high unemployment rate.

Next is Minneapolis which has a very low unemployment rate, putting it in sixth place on the list in terms of the labor market. It was also ranked among the top 15 cities in the country for wellness, culture, and safety.

Best cities

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Third on the list was Cincinnati, Ohio. It stands out for housing affordability and safety. Further back is Kansas City, the number one city for market tightness, which means houses sell fast and at less skewed prices.

In fifth place comes Buffalo which is the second largest city in the state of New York, and which ranked among the top 10 in terms of home affordability and the tightness of the real estate market, according to the El Diario.

The worst cities

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Now let’s talk about the opposite extreme, about those cities where it’s not such a good idea to buy a house. Among them is San Jose, California. Although they enjoy the best salaries in the country, where a head of family can earn more than $150,000 annually, that money doesn’t go very far because the real estate market is also the most expensive in the United States.

Riverside is not a good idea either because, although real estate prices improve when you move away from Los Angeles or San Diego, income is a problem. Also, long commutes could be an issue. Also down the list is Seattle, Washington, where housing is truly unaffordable even for high-earning young adults. The truth is that there are limited amounts of houses for sale and that makes prices go up.

Don’t move to these cities!

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Las Vegas also settled at the bottom of the list due to the increase in home prices and because the labor market recently suffered a severe blow as a result of the pandemic. In fact, unemployment rates are still high in the Las Vegas area.

Finally, city number 50, the one in the last place, is Los Angeles, California. Housing is very expensive and incomes are low. Yes, the city ranked among the best for wellness and culture, but that isn’t enough.