Rochester, New York, along with three other Northeast cities, made Realtor.com’s 2026 list of the 10 Best Markets for First-Time Homebuyers.

The Jan. 7 report also named Syracuse, New York, along with Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the best places for new home seekers to find bargains.

“Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial and lifestyle decisions you'll make, and where you buy can not only influence how soon you can take that step, it can shape the tradeoffs that homebuying requires,” Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale said in the report.

“The markets that rise to the top in 2026 pair comparatively attainable forecasted home prices with strong local amenities and a supportive economic backdrop. For first-time buyers, that combination can mean a more manageable path to homeownership.”

According to the report, Rochester’s median listing price is $139,000, while the median income of those in the range of 25–34 years old is $48,617. With a 6.25 percent mortgage rate, 10 percent down, and a 30-year fixed mortgage, new homeowners in this range would pay about 19 percent of their income on a mortgage payment.

In Syracuse, the median home price has risen to $169,900, and the median income for the same age bracket has increased to $51,436. Using the same mortgage scenario as above, these homeowners would spend about 22 percent of their income on a mortgage payment.

Other cities named in the Top 10 list include: Granite City, Illinois; Birmingham, Alabama; North Little Rock, Arkansas; Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis Park, Minnesota; and Garfield Heights, Ohio.

Of the top 10 locations, St. Louis Park had the highest median home price listing at $375,000, as well as the highest median income of $98,036. New homeowners there would spend more than 25 percent of their income on mortgage payments, given the same rates and down payment.

Granite City offered the lowest median home price at just $119,000, with a median income of $62,621. Homeowners would pay just a little more than 12 percent of their income on mortgage payments.

The report analyzed areas with at least 500 homes for sale, factoring in a mix of affordability and local amenities. While the Northeast offered the highest number of locations, the Midwest and South each contributed three in the top 10.

For the second year in a row, there were no Western regions named among the best potential markets for young homeowners. The report attributes this to higher home prices and disproportionate local incomes.

All of the 10 featured markets have homes with median listing prices well below the national average of $415,000, as reported by Realtor.com. Six of the 10 featured locations are also the principal city of their metro, indicating that affordability is not always linked to suburban areas.

“Truly affordable markets have become harder to find, especially for younger households,“ Realtor.com senior economist Joel Berner added in the report. ”The places that rise to the top in this ranking are notable precisely because they still offer a viable path to ownership for first-time buyers.”

Berner noted that smaller cities can often outperform suburban regions by offering more everyday conveniences such as shopping, day care, restaurants, and nightlife, as well as affordable prices. All of the featured locations also offer opportunities to buy a home while keeping mortgage payments under 30 percent of income.