5 Metro Phoenix Cities Among 25 Best For First-Time Home Buyers | Living In Phoenix Arizona - Natan Jacobs Real Estate Group | Multifamily Real Estate Brokerage

5 Metro Phoenix Cities Among 25 Best For First-Time Home Buyers | Living In Phoenix Arizona

5 METRO PHOENIX CITIES AMONG 25 BEST FOR FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS

LIVING IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA

5 Metro Phoenix Cities Among 25 Best For First-Time Home Buyers

 

By AZBigMedia, azbigmedia.com | July 15, 2025

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.

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.

Source: WalletHub

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
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of each city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for each category.

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)

– more at azbigmedia.com

 

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