As mortgage rates continue to reach new heights, options for first-time buyers are dwindling. Even starter homes — affordable properties that entice first-time homebuyers get their foot in the door — are jumping in price.
The inventory of starter homes has recently decreased across the country. Data from Realtor.com shows that the national starter home share dropped from 38.1% to 36.2% from August 2019 to 2026, but the price during that timeframe increased 30.8%, from about $260,000 to $340,000.
Realtor defines starter homes as homes listed at or below 80% of the median list price in that metro. A recent report from Realtor analyzing 8,300 ZIP codes in the largest 100 metros found that only 18.3% of those ZIP codes were starter-home dominant.
“Affordability is only part of the story. What matters as much is whether affordable homes are actually for sale in the places where buyers want and need to live,” Realtor senior economist Hannah Jones said. “For first-time buyers, the search is increasingly shaped by the geography of opportunity, not simply a metro’s headline price. Keeping homeownership within reach will require more entry-level homes at attainable price points.”
It could be a while before the housing market gets back to “normal,” but there are still areas that have more starter homes than others. Below are the top 20 metros — out of the 100 largest metro areas — that have increased their share of starter homes.
20. Las Vegas et al., NV
2026 starter home share: 29.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +0.4
Starter home price: $374,080
19. Los Angeles-Long Beach et al., CA
2026 starter home share: 36.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +0.6
Starter home price: $840,000
18. Worcester, MA
2026 starter home share: 30.9%
Point change (2019-2026): +0.6
Starter home price: $447,920
17. Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
2026 starter home share: 31.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +0.6
Starter home price: $399,200
16. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
2026 starter home share: 39.8%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.0
Starter home price: $220,000
15. San Francisco-Oakland et al., CA
2026 starter home share: 34.9%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.0
Starter home price: $719,200
14. Charlotte-Concord et al., NC-SC
2026 starter home share: 31.1%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.0
Starter home price: $340,000
13. St. Louis, MO-IL
2026 starter home share: 40.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.2
Starter home price: $232,000
12. Nashville-Davidson et al., TN
2026 starter home share: 32.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.2
Starter home price: $432,000
11. Kansas City, MO-KS
2026 starter home share: 37.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.4
Starter home price: $318,400
10. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
2026 starter home share: 31.9%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.5
Starter home price: $260,000
9. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
2026 starter home share: 32.7%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.7
Starter home price: $360,000
8. Raleigh-Cary, NC
2026 starter home share: 30.0%
Point change (2019-2026): +1.7
Starter home price: $360,000
7. Miami-Fort Lauderdale et al., FL
2026 starter home share: 39.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +2.2
Starter home price: $392,000
6. Urban Honolulu, HI
2026 starter home share: 39.5%
Point change (2019-2026): +2.4
Starter home price: $528,000
5. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
2026 starter home share: 31.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +2.5
Starter home price: $456,000
4. San Jose-Sunnyvale et al., CA
2026 starter home share: 37.6%
Point change (2019-2026): +2.9
Starter home price: $1,072,000
3. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
2026 starter home share: 35.1%
Point change (2019-2026): +3.7
Starter home price: $276,000
2. Portland-Vancouver et al., OR-WA
2026 starter home share: 32.0%
Point change (2019-2026): +4.0
Starter home price: $479,200
1. Boise City, ID
2026 starter home share: 31.4%
Point change (2019-2026): +4.7
Starter home price: $511,200
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