It’s no secret that it’s a challenging period to purchase a home, especially for the first time. Between high interest rates and the shortage of affordable housing in some U.S. cities, many people have completely given up on their homeownership dream. However, there’s hope for first-time buyers.
Zillow just released its list of the best cities for first-time homebuyers in 2026, and it turns out that the Sun Belt and Midwest are the best regions to kick off a search right now. Jacksonville tops Zillow’s list, while Birmingham, San Antonio, Atlanta, and Houston follow. According to Zillow, the Sun Belt region is one to watch due to improvements in housing inventory, while Midwestern properties are generally more reasonable for first-time buyers. Raleigh, which was named one of the best city destinations as part of Good Housekeeping’s 2026 Travel Awards, also made the lineup.
“First-time buyers are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel,” said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow. “Affordability is still a challenge, but rising incomes, stabilizing prices and improving inventory are creating real opportunities in parts of the country. In the strongest markets for first-time buyers, they’ll find more choices, less competition and a clearer path to homeownership than they’ve had in years.”
Take a look below at Zillow’s complete list of top cities for first-time homebuyers in 2026:
- Jacksonville
- Birmingham
- San Antonio
- Atlanta
- Houston
- St. Louis
- Detroit
- Raleigh
- Baltimore
- Louisville
Given the varied housing market conditions across the country, Zillow’s rankings take the following factors into consideration:
- Rent affordability
- Number of affordable for-sale listings, keeping median-income households in mind
- Amount of affordable listings on the market in relation to the number of renters
- Number of households headed by people between 29 - 43
