Economics

Best, Worst Cities for First-Time Buyers in 2019

California may not be the place first-time buyers ought to be, according to a new Bankrate ranking of the 50 biggest U.S. metros based on affordability, job market, safety, and culture.
March 20, 2019

California may not be the place first-time buyers ought to be, according to a new Bankrate ranking of the 50 biggest U.S. metros based on affordability, job market, safety, and culture.

Six of the bottom 10 metros in the ranking were in California, and San Francisco was the worst, with high home prices, safety issues, and market tightness, CNBC reports. "This confirms what many of us already know about that market," says Adrian Garcia, data analyst at Bankrate. "This study sheds a light on places that maybe most younger or new families aren't considering."

Bankrate's data is based on existing residents, not where home buyers are moving. Bankrate's list was compiled from multiple data sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, the Gallup-Sharecare Wellbeing Index, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Attom Data Solutions and Realtor.com.

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