Home ownership has long been a fundamental part of the American Dream and a milestone of adulthood. Even more, buying a home has historically been a pathway to the middle class for a number of Americans with many counting their primary residence as their most valuable asset. Stagnant wages, student debt, and rising home prices have made the prospect of home ownership distant for many young Americans, however. Indeed, millennials are increasingly becoming a generation of renters— especially in big cities where rents are skyrocketing with no signs of slowing down. Still, it’s a big country, and there are plenty of places around the United States where people under 30 can afford to buy their first homes.
The National Association of Realtors conducted an analysis of employment gains, population trends, income levels and housing conditions in the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the United States. It looked at the median household income, qualifying income for first-time homebuyers, and another of other factors to determine which cities are best for millennial homebuyers. The NAR found that these 10 cities are great investments: