When buying your first home, you want to choose a place you love — and also one you can afford.
To determine the best cities for first-time buyers, personal finance site SmartAsset evaluated U.S. cities with populations of 300,000 or more across seven metrics: value per square foot, number of mortgage lenders, loan funding rate, market volatility, home price fluctuations, housing affordability and homeowner stability.
The site used data from a number of sources, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Zillow, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Below, check out 10 cities where first-time buyers can find a combination of affordable homes, numerous mortgage lenders and thriving real estate markets.
10. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Average home value per square foot: $104.50
8. TIE: Raleigh, North Carolina
Average home value per square foot: $137.58
Raleigh, North Carolina
Sean Pavone | Getty Images
8. TIE: Tucson, Arizona
Average home value per square foot: $121.42
7. Columbus, Ohio
Average home value per square foot: $111.33
6. Dallas, Texas
Average home value per square foot: $137.75
Dallas, Texas
f11photo | Getty Images
5. Omaha, Nebraska
Average home value per square foot: $124.08
4. Cincinnati, Ohio
Average home value per square foot: $94.08
3. Arlington, Texas
Average home value per square foot: $111.42
Oklahoma City.
SunChan | E+ | Getty Images
2. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Average home value per square foot: $83.25
1. Fort Worth, Texas
Couple toasting over champagne in new home.
Twenty20
