Most Competitive U.S. Housing Markets

Fifteen cities are home to the most competitive buyer conditions in the nation, most of which are located in the tech job-rich West.

The study by LendingTree assesses buyer credit score, median home price, and average down payment. The findings offered a surprise, as the most competitive market wasn't the most expensive in the study. Denver, the toughest market for buyers, has a median home price of $459,900, per Zillow data, running at about the middle of the pack in dollar terms. Fifty-six percent of buyers in Denver have good or excellent credit, and the average down payment is 16 percent, CNBC reports.

Other competitive cities are even cheaper: St. Louis, Missouri, with a median home price of $145,000, comes in at No. 6. And Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a median home price of $124,000, earns the No. 10 spot. That means that, even in a more affordable housing market, it can still be challenging to buy a home.

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