San Antonio Named One of the Best Large U.S. Cities for First-Time Homebuyers

by Tre Serrano

If you're buying your first home in San Antonio, you're not alone—and you're in the right place.

A new WalletHub study just ranked San Antonio as the 39th best large city in the U.S. for first-time homebuyers. While the local real estate market is still finding its footing, this recognition highlights the city’s continued appeal to new homeowners. Among large Texas cities, San Antonio also ranked No. 6, beating out Houston and Dallas.

Why San Antonio Stands Out

WalletHub’s rankings analyzed 300 U.S. cities based on 22 metrics including:

Affordability
Quality of life
Real estate activity
Millennial homeownership rates
Listings per capita

While San Antonio didn’t make the top 10 overall, it performed strongly in the real estate category (No. 61), thanks to a high volume of available listings and consistent market activity.

Challenges Still Exist

San Antonio saw lower scores in affordability (No. 218) and quality of life (No. 216), signaling there’s still room for improvement—especially as prices climb and interest rates remain high. According to SABOR's latest report, home sales remained nearly flat in June, but median prices continue to rise.

And while sellers aren’t seeing major profits, first-time buyers are still active, especially with more inventory and new construction in the pipeline.

Fast Facts:

Median list price: $291,667 (Zillow Home Value Index, May 2025)
New home construction rate: 8th highest in the U.S.
National stat: Only 24% of homes sold this year were to first-time buyers, down from 32% in 2023