TEMPLE, Texas — Gen Z veterans are flocking to Texas. In particular, Central Texas, according to Veterans United Home Loans.
A report, published on Nov. 13, ranks the Killeen-Temple-Fort Cavazos as no. 12 in the top "15 hottest homebuying cities for Gen Z Veterans."
There are five Texas-based cities listed including Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (no. 1), San Antonio (no. 2), Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown (no. 5) and El Paso (no. 6).
The surge in real estate purchasing
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has seen a continuous rise in purchase loans over the last three years.
An analysis of VA data by Veterans United Home Loans revealed a 22% increase between fiscal years 2023 to 2024, marking Gen Z veterans as the only age demographic to see an annual increase in VA property acquisition. In total, Gen Z covered a record 12 percent of VA purchase loans nationwide in 2024, which triples the market share from 2021.
“Generation Z veterans are ready to step into the spotlight and start making waves in the housing market, signaling a transformative impact in the years ahead,” Vice President of Mortgage Insight at Veterans United Chris Birk said.
“[Generation Z veterans'] significant uptick in VA loan utilization not only highlights their resilience but also underscores the enduring value of the VA loan benefit in helping younger veterans achieve the American dream of homeownership," Birk continued.
According to the article, "VA loans help buyers purchase without a down payment or the need for great credit, which are two major hurdles for many younger prospective buyers."
The VA loan program has supported homebuying for generations of veterans and service members for the past 80 years.
Recently, Gen Z veterans have bought homes in non-traditional markets away from the typical military-dense communities.
You can see the list of the top 15 cities featuring Gen Z veterans' homebuying here.
Most cities by state
- Texas (5)
- Florida (2)
- California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado, Georgia, Arizona, Tennessee-Kentucky, DC-area