• First-time homebuyers have had a hard time finding affordable homes.
• A ranking from Realtor.com shows the best cities in the US for first-time buyers.
• Smaller and suburban cities lead the list, and one region is nowhere to be found.

The current state of the housing market has made it challenging for first-time homebuyers, but a few cities around the US have easier markets than others.

The look of the first-time buyer has changed over the years, with the median age of the first-time buyer jumping to 38 in 2024 from 35 in 2023.

"When we think about first-time homebuyers, a lot of times we think young families and young professionals looking to get into the housing market for the first time," Realtor.com senior economist Joel Berner told Business Insider. "And that's still true. But the other thing that is true — and becoming more true — is it's folks who have been in that position for several years now are just finally able to get into it."

With sticky listing prices and mortgage rates predicted to remain unchanged in 2025, first-time homebuyers face additional challenges.

A newly released report from Realtor.com ranked the best markets for first-time homebuyers in 2025. Three Florida cities made the list and two cities in New York did as well, but no cities on the west coast made the list.

This wasn't all that surprising, as plenty of movers have vacated the west looking for more affordable parts of the country, and Berner noted affordability made up 25% of the weighted score.

"Affordability is the main story we talk about, and it's a big struggle with mortgage rates just hovering right under 7% right now — not really going to get a lot of relief on that front," Berner told Business Insider.

Small towns and suburban cities dominated the list, offering a good mix of relief in listing prices as well as high location scores — a metric used by Realtor.com that factors in nearby amenities like daycares, nightlife, and restaurants.

While most of the cities on the list have populations under 200,000 residents, Baltimore is an outlier, with affordable home prices and a population of 585,708, according to census data.

"I think if that median listing price were just a little bit higher, it wouldn't have been here," Berner said. "But because it's a very affordable market, it can compete with some of these smaller towns."

Here are the top 10 cities for first-time homebuyers, according to Realtor.com.

1. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Median listing price: $140,000

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 34.8

Price-to-income ratio: 2.6

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 20.6%

2. Rochester, New York

Median listing price: $129,900

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 21.2

Price-to-income ratio: 2.5

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 22.3%

3. Villas, Florida

Median listing price: $236,950

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 85.6

Price-to-income ratio: 3.4

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 14.1%

4. Lauderdale Lakes, Florida

Median listing price: $154,850

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 72.4

Price-to-income ratio: 2.7

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 11.2%

5. Altamonte Springs, Florida

Median listing price: $229,400

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 46.8

Price-to-income ratio: 3.6

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 19.4%

6. Lansing, Michigan

Median listing price: $135,000

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 42.3

Price-to-income ratio: 2.6

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 21.4%

7. North Little Rock, Arkansas

Median listing price: $160,000

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 38.5

Price-to-income ratio: 3.3

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 17.6%

8. Baltimore, Maryland

Median listing price: $210,000

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 51.6

Price-to-income ratio: 3.3

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 19.9%

9. Tonawanda, New York

Median listing price: $229,900

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 30.2

Price-to-income ratio: 2.9

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 14.2%

10. Wilmington, Delaware

Median listing price: $222,000

Home inventory per 1,000 households: 41.3

Price-to-income ratio: 4.1

Expected share of 25- to 34-year-old homeowners: 18.4%

• So many adults pressure kids to choose careers before their brains fully develop.
• As a former college teacher, I've seen how young adults lack the skills needed to make major life decisions.
• With my own kids, I'm encouraging exploration and responsibility. They can decide on a career later.

Ever since my four children were small, adults would predictably ask them, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Plenty of young ones want to be someone they deem heroic, like a firefighter, or something that sounds cool, like a magician. It's all fun and games, until it's not.

As a former college writing teacher, I'm so tired of adults demanding that kids "choose a career path" before their brains are even close to being fully developed. (Science says that's around age 25, in case you didn't know.) Rarely did my 18, 19, and 20-year-old students hone in on their forever future at their ages. They simply didn't have the life experience, self-awareness, and maturity to make such a major decision.

Two of my children are teens, and already, their schools are imploring them to start making some big life choices. I taught at the university level for a decade, and most of those young adults weren't ready to "pick and stick" yet, much less our high school and middle school kids.

Instead of asking kids what they want to be when they grow up and then spending years prodding and pressuring them into a lifetime of anxiety over their academic (and then career) choices and performance, we need to take a step back and try differently — and better. We adults are missing the forest for the trees. Here's what I'm doing with my teens instead.

Support kids in getting and maintaining a job

Many adults my age worked since we were pre-teens, we had jobs such as babysitting and mowing the lawn. These experiences were invaluable. Many kids today are so over-scheduled or catatonic (thanks, COVID), and they don't have the same job opportunities we did.

When your teen wants to work, find ways to help them accomplish this goal, including: applying for a job, learning the skills to perform well, arriving on time, having a strong work ethic, and communicating with their employer. When jobs don't work out, support your child then, too. Failure is a wonderful teacher.

Help children learn to manage their money

With a job comes money. A paycheck can bring about financial freedom or some serious issues. Letting your kids make mistakes with their money now is a gift. Showing your child how to save, how to be a savvy spender, and the importance of generosity will set them up for future success. Remember to also be a good role model with your own money since our kids are always watching.

Stop rescuing them at every turn

One of the worst things I saw parents do for their college students was rescue them at the drop of a hat. I had multiple parents call me to complain that their child was failing my class — and boldly claiming it was my fault. What I couldn't tell the parent, legally, were the real reasons their child was failing; their child was skipping class and not turning in required work.

What parents failed to realize is that they'd never taught their child basic skills: effective communication and age-appropriate responsibility (such as time management. These weren't bad kids. These were kids who lacked skills. Parents, there are times your kids need you to swoop in and help them, but most times, please know and allow that a challenge is an opportunity for the child to try things their way, then live and learn.

Say yes to safe exploration

From what I've seen, many millennial parents have the mindset that their child needs to pick one or two extracurricular activities and excel in them, no matter what, even if it's financially and time-draining, not to mention stressful for the kid.

Parents, it's perfectly fine for your child to want to explore many different types of activities and not be "the best" in any one of them. Trying a sport, for example, not liking it, and then wanting to discontinue participating doesn't make your child "a quitter." In fact, this is how they learn personal boundaries and to appreciate curiosity and courage.

Give responsibilities at home

Yes, I'm talking about (gasp) chores. Having daily, required tasks teaches your child teamwork, cleanliness, and responsibility. If we desire for our kids to become adults who can live on their own or with someone else, let's give them opportunities to practice what that means. Maybe it sounds silly in theory, but knowing how to sweep a floor, run a load of laundry, or take out the trash on the appropriate day is skill-building. I witnessed far too many college students who couldn't run a load of laundry, scramble an egg, or send a respectful, clear e-mail to me.

In time, kids will figure out their path

We push kids to choose what they want to be when they grow up but often fail to teach them how to be a grown up. Parents, now is the time to let kids have new experiences, make mistakes, and practice problem-solving skills — all while they have our support, guidance, and love.

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