KILLEEN, Texas — Looking to buy your first home? If so, a new study says Killeen, TX may be the best place to start.
A ranking by the financial advising site SmartAsset lists Killeen as the best housing market in the nation for first-time homebuyers, with multiple other Texas cities close behind.
SmartAsset ranked 185 different metro areas across the United States, basing their rankings on factors such as affordability, growth potential, competition and social factors.
Not only does Killeen top the list for new homebuyers, but two more Texas towns also round out the top three, with Wichita Falls and McAllen coming in at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. Waco and Brownsville also made the top 10, with Waco coming in at No. 6, and Brownsville reaching No. 8.
SmartAsset lists the median sales price of a home in Killeen at $252,833, with a 1-year growth forecast of 7.4%. The median income for the area is listed at $63,458.
On the other end of the spectrum, the ranking listed California, Oregon and Massachusetts as having some of the worst markets in the nation for new homebuyers. Markets such as Napa, Oxnard, San Jose and Chico, Ca; Medford and Portland, OR; and Boston and Springfield, MA were listed as particularly expensive compared to the median wages in the markets.
Other key findings from the ranking, Illinois was named by SmartAsset as having some of the most affordable housing markets in the country, especially in the areas of Springfield, Peoria, Decatur and Rockford. Home values in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina were projected to have the highest growth over the coming year.
To see the full ranking, or for more information on the criteria and findings, visit this link.
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