<p><a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-cities-where-young-americans-can-still-afford-a-home/#google_vignette">Visual Capitalist's Pallavi Rao </a>ranks the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas by the <strong>share of adults under 30</strong> who have a mortgage, painting a clear picture of where today’s twentysomethings can realistically afford a home.</p>

<p><a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Young-Americans-Buying-Homes_WEB.jpg?itok=VcmZzlf5" data-link-option="0" href="/s3/files/inline-images/Young-Americans-Buying-Homes_WEB.jpg?itok=VcmZzlf5"><picture><img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="81c8ceb6-bad9-44ba-bef2-38ac93013eb1" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="652" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://zh-dev-046fffa0-2095-430f-bd04-a687fe941952.storage.googleapis.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Young-Americans-Buying-Homes_WEB.jpg?itok=VcmZzlf5" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /></picture></a></p>

<p><em>Data for this visualization comes from <a href="https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/under-30-homeowners-study/">LendingTree</a>. They analyzed 32,000 anonymized fourth-quarter 2024 credit reports of adults under 30 in the 50 largest U.S. metros to create this ranking. Please see their methodology section for more details.</em></p>

<h2>The American Dream is Still Within Reach In These Cities</h2>

<p>At 9.4%, <strong>Nashville</strong> claims the highest share of under-30 mortgage holders in the country.</p>

<table class="tablepress tablepress-id-6414" id="tablepress-6414"><thead><tr class="row-1"><th class="column-1">Rank</th>
			<th class="column-2">City</th>
			<th class="column-3">State</th>
			<th class="column-4">Share of Americans Under 30 With Mortgages</th>
		</tr></thead><tbody class="row-striping row-hover"><tr class="row-2"><td class="column-1">1</td>
			<td class="column-2">Nashville</td>
			<td class="column-3">Tennessee</td>
			<td class="column-4">9.4%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-3"><td class="column-1">2</td>
			<td class="column-2">Indianapolis</td>
			<td class="column-3">Indiana</td>
			<td class="column-4">8.4%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-4"><td class="column-1">3</td>
			<td class="column-2">Pittsburgh</td>
			<td class="column-3">Pennsylvania</td>
			<td class="column-4">7.0%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-5"><td class="column-1">4</td>
			<td class="column-2">Cincinnati</td>
			<td class="column-3">Ohio</td>
			<td class="column-4">6.5%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-6"><td class="column-1">5</td>
			<td class="column-2">Louisville</td>
			<td class="column-3">Kentucky</td>
			<td class="column-4">5.8%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-7"><td class="column-1">6</td>
			<td class="column-2">Oklahoma City</td>
			<td class="column-3">Oklahoma</td>
			<td class="column-4">5.7%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-8"><td class="column-1">7</td>
			<td class="column-2">San Antonio</td>
			<td class="column-3">Texas</td>
			<td class="column-4">5.3%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-9"><td class="column-1">8</td>
			<td class="column-2">Hartford</td>
			<td class="column-3">Connecticut</td>
			<td class="column-4">5.0%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-10"><td class="column-1">9</td>
			<td class="column-2">Virginia Beach</td>
			<td class="column-3">Virginia</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.9%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-11"><td class="column-1">10</td>
			<td class="column-2">Buffalo</td>
			<td class="column-3">New York</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.7%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-12"><td class="column-1">10</td>
			<td class="column-2">Salt Lake City</td>
			<td class="column-3">Utah</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.7%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-13"><td class="column-1">12</td>
			<td class="column-2">Raleigh</td>
			<td class="column-3">North Carolina</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.6%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-14"><td class="column-1">13</td>
			<td class="column-2">Detroit</td>
			<td class="column-3">Michigan</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.5%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-15"><td class="column-1">14</td>
			<td class="column-2">Minneapolis</td>
			<td class="column-3">Minnesota</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.3%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-16"><td class="column-1">14</td>
			<td class="column-2">Phoenix</td>
			<td class="column-3">Arizona</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.3%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-17"><td class="column-1">14</td>
			<td class="column-2">Providence</td>
			<td class="column-3">Rhode Island</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.3%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-18"><td class="column-1">17</td>
			<td class="column-2">Birmingham</td>
			<td class="column-3">Alabama</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.1%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-19"><td class="column-1">18</td>
			<td class="column-2">Memphis</td>
			<td class="column-3">Tennessee</td>
			<td class="column-4">4.0%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-20"><td class="column-1">19</td>
			<td class="column-2">Denver</td>
			<td class="column-3">Colorado</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.7%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-21"><td class="column-1">19</td>
			<td class="column-2">Las Vegas</td>
			<td class="column-3">Nevada</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.7%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-22"><td class="column-1">21</td>
			<td class="column-2">New Orleans</td>
			<td class="column-3">Louisiana</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.5%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-23"><td class="column-1">21</td>
			<td class="column-2">Riverside</td>
			<td class="column-3">California</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.5%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-24"><td class="column-1">23</td>
			<td class="column-2">Houston</td>
			<td class="column-3">Texas</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.4%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-25"><td class="column-1">24</td>
			<td class="column-2">Cleveland</td>
			<td class="column-3">Ohio</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.3%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-26"><td class="column-1">25</td>
			<td class="column-2">Baltimore</td>
			<td class="column-3">Maryland</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.2%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-27"><td class="column-1">25</td>
			<td class="column-2">Dallas</td>
			<td class="column-3">Texas</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.2%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-28"><td class="column-1">25</td>
			<td class="column-2">Tampa</td>
			<td class="column-3">Florida</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.2%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-29"><td class="column-1">28</td>
			<td class="column-2">Charlotte</td>
			<td class="column-3">North Carolina</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.1%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-30"><td class="column-1">28</td>
			<td class="column-2">Chicago</td>
			<td class="column-3">Illinois</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.1%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-31"><td class="column-1">28</td>
			<td class="column-2">Philadelphia</td>
			<td class="column-3">Pennsylvania</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.1%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-32"><td class="column-1">31</td>
			<td class="column-2">Miami</td>
			<td class="column-3">Florida</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.0%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-33"><td class="column-1">31</td>
			<td class="column-2">St. Louis</td>
			<td class="column-3">Missouri</td>
			<td class="column-4">3.0%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-34"><td class="column-1">33</td>
			<td class="column-2">Kansas City</td>
			<td class="column-3">Missouri</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.9%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-35"><td class="column-1">34</td>
			<td class="column-2">Austin</td>
			<td class="column-3">Texas</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.8%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-36"><td class="column-1">34</td>
			<td class="column-2">Columbus</td>
			<td class="column-3">Ohio</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.8%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-37"><td class="column-1">36</td>
			<td class="column-2">Orlando</td>
			<td class="column-3">Florida</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.6%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-38"><td class="column-1">36</td>
			<td class="column-2">Seattle</td>
			<td class="column-3">Washington</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.6%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-39"><td class="column-1">38</td>
			<td class="column-2">Jacksonville</td>
			<td class="column-3">Florida</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.5%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-40"><td class="column-1">38</td>
			<td class="column-2">Milwaukee</td>
			<td class="column-3">Wisconsin</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.5%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-41"><td class="column-1">40</td>
			<td class="column-2">Washington, D.C.</td>
			<td class="column-3">District of Columbia</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.4%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-42"><td class="column-1">41</td>
			<td class="column-2">Atlanta</td>
			<td class="column-3">Georgia</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.3%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-43"><td class="column-1">42</td>
			<td class="column-2">Portland</td>
			<td class="column-3">Oregon</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.2%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-44"><td class="column-1">43</td>
			<td class="column-2">Richmond</td>
			<td class="column-3">Virginia</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.1%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-45"><td class="column-1">44</td>
			<td class="column-2">San Francisco</td>
			<td class="column-3">California</td>
			<td class="column-4">2.0%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-46"><td class="column-1">45</td>
			<td class="column-2">San Diego</td>
			<td class="column-3">California</td>
			<td class="column-4">1.7%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-47"><td class="column-1">46</td>
			<td class="column-2">Sacramento</td>
			<td class="column-3">California</td>
			<td class="column-4">1.6%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-48"><td class="column-1">47</td>
			<td class="column-2">Boston</td>
			<td class="column-3">Massachusetts</td>
			<td class="column-4">1.4%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-49"><td class="column-1">48</td>
			<td class="column-2">Los Angeles</td>
			<td class="column-3">California</td>
			<td class="column-4">1.3%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-50"><td class="column-1">49</td>
			<td class="column-2">New York</td>
			<td class="column-3">New York</td>
			<td class="column-4">1.2%</td>
		</tr><tr class="row-51"><td class="column-1">50</td>
			<td class="column-2">San Jose</td>
			<td class="column-3">California</td>
			<td class="column-4">0.8%</td>
		</tr></tbody></table><p>The Music City’s housing-price growth has slowed from <a href="https://www.redfin.com/city/13415/TN/Nashville/housing-market">its pandemic peak</a>, and a steady influx of jobs in healthcare, tech, and entertainment is giving young workers both stable incomes and loan approval power.</p>

<p><strong>Indianapolis</strong> (8.4%) and <strong>Pittsburgh</strong> (7.0%) follow, proof that mid-sized metros with diversified economies and moderate price tags remain happy hunting grounds for first-time buyers.</p>

<p>These leaders share several traits: median home prices well below the national average, shorter commute times that widen the geographic radius of affordable neighborhoods, and state-level programs that reduce down-payment hurdles.</p>

<p>ℹ️ Related: Here’s the latest <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-average-house-prices-by-u-s-state/">median home prices</a> by state.</p>

<h2>Midwest Cities and South Dominate Home Affordability</h2>

<p>Beyond the top three, the next dozen cities are heavily concentrated in the <strong>Midwest and South</strong>.</p>

<p>Cincinnati, Louisville, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio all break the 5% threshold.</p>

<p>Lower land costs and more flexible zoning keep construction pipelines open, while relatively low student-debt balances reduce the debt-to-income ratios that lenders scrutinize.</p>

<p>ℹ️ Related: See how Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, and Oklahoma perform on <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-average-student-loan-debt-by-state/">average student debt</a> by state.</p>

<p>Even mid-tier <strong>Rust Belt metros</strong> such as Detroit (4.5%) and Minneapolis (4.3%) do better than larger coastal cities.</p>

<p>Their affordable starter-home inventories help offset slower wage growth. This illustrates that absolute price matters more than headline salary figures when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage before age 30.</p>

<h2>Coastal State Economies Are Punishing for Home Ownership</h2>

<p>At the other end of the spectrum stand San Jose (0.8%), New York City (1.2%), and Los Angeles (1.3%).</p>

<p>Sky-high property values inflate required down payments to six figures, while stricter land-use rules limit new supply and keep entry-level stock scarce.</p>

<p>Even Boston (1.4%) and Seattle (2.6%), cities with strong job markets, show that surging demand can overwhelm wage gains. This can and push homeownership beyond the reach of many young professionals.</p>

<p>ℹ️ Related: The median age of <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/ter01-the-rising-age-of-first-time-home-buyers/">first-time home buyers</a> in the U.S. is now 38, the oldest ever recorded.</p>

<p><em>For a broarder perspective, check out: <a href="https://www.voronoiapp.com/real-estate/Where-Homes-Are-Least-Affordable-in-2025--6443">Where Homes are Affordable in North America</a> <strong>Voronoi</strong>, the new app from Visual Capitalist.</em></p>


Nearly 10% of Nashville’s residents below the age of 30 hold a mortgage... San Jose just 0.8%!


These Are The US Cities Where Young Americans Can Still Afford A Home

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