Unexpected City in Central Texas Holds the Number One Position for U.S. First-Time Homebuyers

Home buyers looking to live outside of the City could turn their attention 70 miles north of Austin: Killeen has the best housing market in the country for first-time buyers, according to a new study by SmartAsset.

Killeen provides the three qualities potential homeowners prioritize the most: affordability, low competition and growth potential, the report says. Median home prices there were sitting under $253,000 at the end of May, and the city has a one-year growth forecast of 7.4 percent.

"A home purchase can serve as a building block for the homeowner’s financial life – and the circumstances of the local market can make or break the deal," the report's author says. "First-time homebuyers may look for a less competitive market to have a better chance of getting a realistic offer accepted. They also need affordability to position themselves to grow their equity and a community within which to build a network."

Killeen is best known for its close proximity to Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), the third-largest military base in the country. SmartAsset says the Killeen-Temple-Fort Cavazos metro area also boasts a "reasonably young population," and cites the median income of a resident at $63,458.

Killeen's No. 1 ranking in 2023 is a major improvement over its No. 89 ranking in SmartAsset's 2022 report.

Texas cities dominated the top 10 in the report, with Waco, about 60 miles northeast of Killeen, earning No. 6 (Waco did not appear in the 2022 report). Other Texas housing markets that earned high-ranking spots include Wichita Falls (No. 2) in North Texas, and two Rio Grande Valley cities: McAllen (No. 3), and Brownsville (No. 8).

The top 10 best places for first time homebuyers are:

No. 1 – Killeen, Texas

No. 2 – Wichita Falls, Texas

No. 3 – McAllen, Texas

No. 4 – St. Joseph, Missouri

No. 5 – Cape Coral, Florida

No. 6 – Waco, Texas

No. 7 – Huntsville, Alabama

No. 8 – Brownsville, Texas

No. 9 – Green Bay, Wisconsin

No. 10 – Jackson, Tennessee

SmartAsset's study ranked 185 metro areas based on their affordability, growth potential, housing competition, and population.