These cities in Texas are among the best in US for first-time homebuyers, report says

If you’re a first-time homebuyer looking for the right city to call home, look no further than the Lone Star State.

Several Texas cities ranked among the best in America for first-time homebuyers, according to a report from personal finance website SmartAsset.

Garland ranked highest on the list, earning the No. 8 spot. Frisco and Irving ranked 11th and 12th, respectively.

Grand Rapids, Michigan, topped the list and the following cities rounded out the top five: Henderson, Nevada; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Boise, Idaho; and Fort Wayne, Indiana.

To determine the best 40 cities for first-time buyers, SmartAsset compared 185 of the largest cities in the U.S. across 12 key metrics categorized into four groups: home market favorability, affordability, livability and employment.

Garland’s highest ranking was No. 3 in the employment category, which looks at unemployment rates and the five-year change in median household income. It also ranked well — 13th — for home market favorability, which considers foreclosure rates, price-to-rent ratios and five-year home value appreciation, the report said.

Frisco and Irving each saw their highest scores in the employment category. Frisco also scored well in affordability, which looks at factors such as down payment-to-income ratio and housing costs as a percentage of income. Irving’s second-highest score was in home market favorability.

Several other Texas cities also made the top 40.

Arlington ranked 18th on the list followed by Pasadena and Plano at No. 23 and 24, respectively. Each had their highest scores in the employment category.

Corpus Christi nabbed the No. 26 spot, with affordability being its highest score. McKinney was just behind at No. 27 and its highest score was in the home market favorability category.

Amarillo ranked 33rd, scoring highest in affordability and Brownsville earned the No. 37 spot. Its highest score was in livability, which considers the violent crime rate, average commute time and the concentration of restaurants.

El Paso was the last Texas city on the list, ranking 39th. It also saw its highest score in the livability category.

This story was originally published October 20, 2020 at 2:54 PM.