Starter homes are getting harder to find. These 20 cities are bucking the trend.
The share of starter homes has been falling in the US. But some cities are bucking that trend. Here are the best cities for starter homes.
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- The market for starter homes is decreasing, but some cities still have plenty available.
- A report from Realtor.com shows that fewer than a quarter of large metro areas are starter-home-dominant.
- The number of starter homes is falling nationally, but it's increasing in some cities.
As mortgage rates continue to reach new heights, options for first-time buyers are dwindling. Even starter homes — affordable properties that entice first-time homebuyers get their foot in the door — are jumping in price.
The inventory of starter homes has recently decreased across the country. Data from Realtor.com shows that the national starter home share dropped from 38.1% to 36.2% from August 2019 to 2026, but the price during that timeframe increased 30.8%, from about $260,000 to $340,000.
Realtor defines starter homes as homes listed at or below 80% of the median list price in that metro. A recent report from Realtor analyzing 8,300 ZIP codes in the largest 100 metros found that only 18.3% of those ZIP codes were starter-home dominant.
"Affordability is only part of the story. What matters as much is whether affordable homes are actually for sale in the places where buyers want and need to live," Realtor senior economist Hannah Jones said. "For first-time buyers, the search is increasingly shaped by the geography of opportunity, not simply a metro's headline price. Keeping homeownership within reach will require more entry-level homes at attainable price points."
It could be a while before the housing market gets back to "normal," but there are still areas that have more starter homes than others. Below are the top 20 metros — out of the 100 largest metro areas — that have increased their share of starter homes.
20. Las Vegas et al., NVEric Lo/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 29.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +0.4
Starter home price: $374,080
19. Los Angeles-Long Beach et al., CARon and Patty Thomas/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 36.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +0.6
Starter home price: $840,000
18. Worcester, MADenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 30.9%
Point change (2019-2026): +0.6
Starter home price: $447,920
17. Spokane-Spokane Valley, WAChrisBoswell/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 31.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +0.6
Starter home price: $399,200
16. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIPhoto by Mike Kline (notkalvin)/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 39.8%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.0
Starter home price: $220,000
15. San Francisco-Oakland et al., CAAlexander Spatari/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 34.9%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.0
Starter home price: $719,200
14. Charlotte-Concord et al., NC-SCbenedek/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 31.1%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.0
Starter home price: $340,000
13. St. Louis, MO-ILPerry Spring/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 40.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.2
Starter home price: $232,000
12. Nashville-Davidson et al., TNdigidreamgrafix/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 32.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.2
Starter home price: $432,000
11. Kansas City, MO-KShalbergman/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 37.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.4
Starter home price: $318,400
10. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXJohn Coletti/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 31.9%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.5
Starter home price: $260,000
9. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TXhalbergman/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 32.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.7
Starter home price: $360,000
8. Raleigh-Cary, NCUltima_Gaina/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 30.0%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.7
Starter home price: $360,000
7. Miami-Fort Lauderdale et al., FLfrankpeters/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 39.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +2.2
Starter home price: $392,000
6. Urban Honolulu, HIArt Wager/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 39.5%
Point change (2019-2026): +2.4
Starter home price: $528,000
5. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, COJacob Boomsma/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 31.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +2.5
Starter home price: $456,000
4. San Jose-Sunnyvale et al., CAhalbergman/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 37.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +2.9
Starter home price: $1,072,000
3. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IASean Pavone/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 35.1%
Point change (2019-2026): +3.7
Starter home price: $276,000
2. Portland-Vancouver et al., OR-WABruceBlock/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 32.0%
Point change (2019-2026): +4.0
Starter home price: $479,200
1. Boise City, IDFly View Productions/Getty Images
2026 starter home share: 31.4%
Point change (2019-2026): +4.7
Starter home price: $511,200
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