JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville is the best large U.S. housing market for first-time homebuyers this spring, according to a new analysis released by Zillow.
The report ranks Jacksonville No. 1 among the nation’s 50 largest metro areas, citing improving affordability, rising inventory and less competition compared with other major markets. Birmingham, Alabama, San Antonio, Atlanta, and Houston round out the top five.
But for many renters and would-be homebuyers, breaking into the housing market still feels out of reach as rising costs and limited options continue to strain budgets.
The ranking may come as a surprise to some residents who say affordability has been a growing concern in recent years.
“It quickly became unaffordable,” one resident said. Others echoed similar frustrations, saying “prices skyrocketed” and “we just couldn’t make the numbers work.”
Still, local real estate professionals say the ranking reflects improving conditions in the market.
“It doesn’t [surprise me],” said Andrew “Fletch” Fletcher of Moxii Pro Realty. “There’s a lot of positive things about Florida.”
Fletch points to a balance between home prices, demand and growing inventory as key factors driving Jacksonville’s top ranking.
“Forty-eight percent of median households can afford to buy in Jacksonville,” Fletch said. “What that says is there’s a nice balance between the demand and the price of the properties. And with the inventory being a little higher, that gives buyers more choices.”
He added that Jacksonville’s size and diversity of housing options also play a role.
“It’s such a big city that there’s something for everyone here,” Fletcher said.
The experience is already playing out for some buyers. Geovanni Cestano recently purchased his first home on Jacksonville’s Southside after hesitating for several years.
“I find that the houses are very good deals,” Cestano said. “At least the houses that I looked at were very good deals because of their price point and location. They’re all pretty much at prime locations here in Jacksonville.”
Zillow’s analysis ranks the 50 largest U.S. metro areas based on four key factors: rent affordability, the share of homes within reach for median-income buyers, the level of competition for those homes and the number of residents in prime homebuying years.
Affordability remains a major driver, especially for first-time buyers trying to save for a down payment. But increased inventory is also helping ease competition.
“When there’s more choices, your leverage points get stronger as a first-time homebuyer,” Fletcher said. “There’s way more competition as a home seller to be attractive to a homebuyer.”
He added that financing programs and incentives are also helping buyers stretch their budgets.
“There’s a bunch of different things that are available to first-time home buyers to get them into the affordability range so they can buy a little more than they could if they were in major competition with cash buyers,” Fletcher said.
Even with those improvements, challenges remain. Mortgage rates and still-elevated home prices continue to limit affordability, particularly for buyers with lower incomes.
For buyers in top-ranked markets like Jacksonville, Zillow suggests taking advantage of increased negotiating power as more inventory and less competition can open the door to better pricing and terms. Sellers, meanwhile, are encouraged to price homes realistically as affordability remains a key constraint for many first-time purchasers.
| Metropolitan Area | Rent Burden: Share of Median Household Income Spent on Typical Rent | Affordable Listings for Median-Income Household (February 2026)* | Affordable Listings Per 100 Renter Households | Share of Population Ages 29–43 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville, FL | 23.1% | 47.8% | 5.9 | 36.3% |
| Birmingham, AL | 21.1% | 55.6% | 6.2 | 32.9% |
| San Antonio, TX | 20.2% | 47.4% | 4.5 | 36.4% |
| Atlanta, GA | 22.3% | 45.2% | 4.3 | 37.4% |
| Houston, TX | 22.7% | 40.2% | 3.1 | 39.7% |
| St. Louis, MO | 19.5% | 67.7% | 3.6 | 33.3% |
| Detroit, MI | 21.8% | 64.8% | 4.2 | 32.8% |
| Raleigh, NC | 18.4% | 48.0% | 2.7 | 35.9% |
| Baltimore, MD | 21.5% | 61.8% | 3.0 | 34.5% |
| Louisville, KY | 20.9% | 54.1% | 3.8 | 33.8% |
| Indianapolis, IN | 21.3% | 57.6% | 3.7 | 33.4% |
| Austin, TX | 17.9% | 30.4% | 1.9 | 39.1% |
| Washington, DC | 21.1% | 49.2% | 1.8 | 37.6% |
| Denver, CO | 19.4% | 33.2% | 2.1 | 38.8% |
| Charlotte, NC | 22.6% | 41.0% | 3.0 | 37.4% |
| Dallas, TX | 19.9% | 38.2% | 2.6 | 36.9% |
| Memphis, TN | 23.8% | 46.4% | 3.3 | 35.9% |
| Orlando, FL | 27.0% | 29.0% | 2.7 | 39.8% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 23.3% | 53.9% | 2.1 | 35.3% |
| Phoenix, AZ | 21.8% | 33.0% | 3.6 | 35.2% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 21.1% | 62.9% | 4.1 | 29.4% |
| Kansas City, MO | 20.1% | 56.1% | 3.2 | 31.6% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 19.4% | 53.7% | 3.1 | 31.5% |
| Cincinnati, OH | 21.5% | 60.8% | 3.2 | 31.2% |
| Tampa, FL | 28.6% | 32.4% | 4.5 | 36.3% |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 18.1% | 29.8% | 1.6 | 37.1% |
| Seattle, WA | 22.1% | 21.5% | 0.6 | 41.3% |
| Columbus, OH | 20.3% | 47.7% | 1.8 | 34.3% |
| Buffalo, NY | 21.6% | 70.9% | 1.7 | 31.2% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 21.1% | 40.3% | 4.3 | 31.1% |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 24.6% | 39.9% | 2.5 | 34.6% |
| San Jose, CA | 23.2% | 14.0% | 0.2 | 41.7% |
| Portland, OR | 20.4% | 24.9% | 1.1 | 37.1% |
| Cleveland, OH | 22.6% | 55.6% | 2.8 | 30.4% |
| Chicago, IL | 26.8% | 43.5% | 1.7 | 35.9% |
| Las Vegas, NV | 24.5% | 28.0% | 2.5 | 35.8% |
| Richmond, VA | 22.8% | 38.4% | 1.4 | 35.3% |
| Nashville, TN | 22.8% | 29.0% | 2.3 | 34.6% |
| Milwaukee, WI | 21.8% | 50.3% | 1.8 | 31.8% |
| Miami, FL | 37.3% | 29.6% | 5.0 | 34.4% |
| San Francisco, CA | 25.9% | 20.1% | 0.4 | 38.4% |
| New Orleans, LA | 28.8% | 22.9% | 2.2 | 35.7% |
| Riverside, CA | 30.9% | 16.6% | 1.3 | 38.2% |
| Sacramento, CA | 25.4% | 17.0% | 0.7 | 35.8% |
| San Diego, CA | 29.8% | 11.3% | 0.3 | 39.1% |
| Hartford, CT | 22.8% | 42.0% | 1.1 | 30.0% |
| Boston, MA | 29.7% | 19.5% | 0.5 | 34.5% |
| Los Angeles, CA | 33.9% | 5.6% | 0.1 | 36.3% |
| Providence, RI | 29.1% | 11.6% | 0.3 | 31.6% |
| New York, NY | 37.1% | 16.3% | 0.5 | 33.3% |
*A listing is considered affordable if the monthly mortgage payment (including estimates for taxes, maintenance and insurance) would take up no more than 30% of median household income, assuming a 20% down payment.