Best Counties for First-Time Homebuyers
These counties combine affordable entry prices with stable markets and reasonable tax burdens — ideal for first-time homebuyers who want to enter the market without overextending.
| # | County | Median Home | Tax Rate | Market Score | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calhoun County, AR | $110,700 | 0.47% | 65.9 | Balanced |
| 2 | Smith County, MS | $112,600 | 0.42% | 63.0 | Balanced |
| 3 | Wyoming County, WV | $82,900 | 0.45% | 67.4 | Balanced |
| 4 | Eureka County, NV | $82,600 | 0.62% | 59.1 | Challenging |
| 5 | Carroll County, MS | $109,600 | 0.53% | 64.5 | Balanced |
| 6 | Harper County, OK | $99,200 | 0.64% | 68.3 | Balanced |
| 7 | Coosa County, AL | $115,500 | 0.27% | 62.5 | Balanced |
| 8 | LaSalle Parish, LA | $119,500 | 0.45% | 60.2 | Balanced |
| 9 | Tyler County, WV | $121,300 | 0.57% | 68.2 | Balanced |
| 10 | Cimarron County, OK | $98,600 | 0.4% | 52.3 | Challenging |
| 11 | Winkler County, TX | $148,200 | 0.76% | 57.2 | Challenging |
| 12 | Calhoun County, WV | $100,500 | 0.42% | 66.8 | Balanced |
| 13 | Sheridan County, ND | $110,300 | 0.7% | 69.8 | Balanced |
| 14 | Buchanan County, VA | $94,900 | 0.44% | 55.2 | Challenging |
| 15 | Boone County, WV | $93,100 | 0.67% | 63.5 | Balanced |
| 16 | Wetzel County, WV | $107,900 | 0.67% | 75.5 | Strong |
| 17 | Harding County, NM | $70,000 | 0.44% | 40.1 | Stressed |
| 18 | Twiggs County, GA | $111,300 | 0.73% | 54.8 | Challenging |
| 19 | Knox County, MO | $101,400 | 0.83% | 71.8 | Strong |
| 20 | Clay County, IN | $153,000 | 0.41% | 59.3 | Challenging |
| 21 | Webster County, WV | $76,100 | 0.4% | 49.7 | Stressed |
| 22 | Parke County, IN | $151,200 | 0.49% | 61.6 | Balanced |
| 23 | Nicholas County, WV | $121,600 | 0.46% | 58.4 | Challenging |
| 24 | Wirt County, WV | $115,800 | 0.52% | 65.4 | Balanced |
| 25 | Warren County, IN | $182,500 | 0.5% | 71.1 | Strong |
| 26 | Grant County, ND | $93,200 | 0.91% | 66.1 | Balanced |
| 27 | McHenry County, ND | $151,000 | 0.66% | 71.2 | Strong |
| 28 | Catahoula Parish, LA | $101,800 | 0.32% | 49.9 | Stressed |
| 29 | Leslie County, KY | $69,000 | 0.82% | 50.2 | Challenging |
| 30 | LaMoure County, ND | $117,200 | 1.01% | 68.0 | Balanced |
| 31 | Beauregard Parish, LA | $161,700 | 0.36% | 69.8 | Balanced |
| 32 | Greer County, OK | $109,100 | 0.5% | 58.9 | Challenging |
| 33 | Major County, OK | $149,600 | 0.63% | 67.4 | Balanced |
| 34 | Greene County, MS | $92,700 | 0.85% | 65.6 | Balanced |
| 35 | Boyd County, NE | $104,000 | 1.1% | 64.8 | Balanced |
| 36 | Alfalfa County, OK | $101,500 | 0.58% | 62.8 | Balanced |
| 37 | Little River County, AR | $113,500 | 0.5% | 55.9 | Challenging |
| 38 | Kent County, TX | $122,200 | 0.68% | 59.6 | Challenging |
| 39 | Logan County, ND | $102,000 | 1.0% | 66.1 | Balanced |
| 40 | Roger Mills County, OK | $157,800 | 0.46% | 56.1 | Challenging |
| 41 | Miner County, SD | $142,600 | 0.92% | 63.4 | Balanced |
| 42 | Franklin County, MS | $101,900 | 0.73% | 64.6 | Balanced |
| 43 | St. Helena Parish, LA | $77,300 | 0.61% | 42.1 | Stressed |
| 44 | Ellis County, OK | $119,100 | 0.74% | 57.4 | Challenging |
| 45 | Cottle County, TX | $59,300 | 1.15% | 70.0 | Strong |
| 46 | Kittson County, MN | $134,800 | 0.92% | 65.8 | Balanced |
| 47 | Slope County, ND | $170,000 | 0.23% | 52.6 | Challenging |
| 48 | West Carroll Parish, LA | $94,400 | 0.21% | 49.9 | Stressed |
| 49 | Nuckolls County, NE | $96,500 | 1.17% | 69.7 | Balanced |
| 50 | Livingston County, KY | $125,600 | 0.61% | 54.8 | Challenging |
| 51 | Hidalgo County, NM | $111,000 | 0.48% | 58.1 | Challenging |
| 52 | Nevada County, AR | $83,300 | 0.52% | 53.3 | Challenging |
| 53 | Schleicher County, TX | $122,700 | 1.25% | 65.7 | Balanced |
| 54 | Simpson County, MS | $122,200 | 0.61% | 53.2 | Challenging |
| 55 | Chariton County, MO | $160,900 | 0.64% | 53.7 | Challenging |
| 56 | Lafayette County, AR | $81,000 | 0.61% | 51.0 | Challenging |
| 57 | Grant County, OK | $105,700 | 0.49% | 54.1 | Challenging |
| 58 | Pike County, IN | $154,900 | 0.78% | 67.0 | Balanced |
| 59 | Washington County, AL | $159,700 | 0.23% | 53.7 | Challenging |
| 60 | Jerauld County, SD | $150,800 | 0.84% | 61.3 | Balanced |
| 61 | Quitman County, GA | $104,600 | 0.0% | 54.6 | Challenging |
| 62 | Wayne County, WV | $127,100 | 0.47% | 66.3 | Balanced |
| 63 | Benton County, MS | $105,100 | 0.69% | 51.8 | Challenging |
| 64 | Mercer County, MO | $104,900 | 0.96% | 68.1 | Balanced |
| 65 | Grant County, AR | $161,700 | 0.54% | 75.8 | Strong |
| 66 | McMullen County, TX | $97,100 | 0.41% | 47.5 | Stressed |
| 67 | McLean County, KY | $148,500 | 0.64% | 70.2 | Strong |
| 68 | Ritchie County, WV | $115,900 | 0.66% | 70.6 | Strong |
| 69 | McDowell County, WV | $50,000 | 0.67% | 49.2 | Stressed |
| 70 | Kinney County, TX | $82,000 | 1.41% | 55.7 | Challenging |
| 71 | Marion County, AL | $106,600 | 0.28% | 65.2 | Balanced |
| 72 | Mora County, NM | $122,600 | 0.72% | 48.1 | Stressed |
| 73 | Jay County, IN | $117,500 | 0.6% | 70.6 | Strong |
| 74 | Cotton County, OK | $113,900 | 0.74% | 59.1 | Challenging |
| 75 | Gilmer County, WV | $83,800 | 0.49% | 42.6 | Stressed |
| 76 | Apache County, AZ | $63,700 | 0.9% | 48.3 | Stressed |
| 77 | Worth County, MO | $96,600 | 0.82% | 57.9 | Challenging |
| 78 | Jasper County, MS | $107,100 | 0.69% | 51.5 | Challenging |
| 79 | Divide County, ND | $167,600 | 0.6% | 54.3 | Challenging |
| 80 | Choctaw County, AL | $123,400 | 0.17% | 56.3 | Challenging |
| 81 | Putnam County, MO | $119,500 | 1.01% | 66.9 | Balanced |
| 82 | Franklin County, NE | $95,600 | 1.28% | 62.4 | Balanced |
| 83 | Carlisle County, KY | $120,400 | 0.78% | 60.1 | Balanced |
| 84 | Perry County, AR | $130,200 | 0.49% | 56.1 | Challenging |
| 85 | Bland County, VA | $152,100 | 0.56% | 69.2 | Balanced |
| 86 | Traverse County, MN | $114,100 | 0.99% | 71.6 | Strong |
| 87 | Lawrence County, MS | $100,000 | 0.67% | 55.5 | Challenging |
| 88 | Edmunds County, SD | $163,300 | 0.8% | 56.2 | Challenging |
| 89 | Morgan County, TN | $166,300 | 0.52% | 65.2 | Balanced |
| 90 | Kemper County, MS | $99,600 | 0.57% | 52.3 | Challenging |
| 91 | Lewis County, KY | $96,000 | 0.64% | 51.7 | Challenging |
| 92 | Taliaferro County, GA | $68,900 | 1.31% | 60.6 | Balanced |
| 93 | Beaver County, OK | $130,100 | 0.78% | 65.5 | Balanced |
| 94 | Wabash County, IN | $157,200 | 0.52% | 69.6 | Balanced |
| 95 | Wayne County, MS | $91,100 | 0.63% | 50.3 | Challenging |
| 96 | Sabine Parish, LA | $123,100 | 0.39% | 65.6 | Balanced |
| 97 | Choctaw County, MS | $117,200 | 0.48% | 58.4 | Challenging |
| 98 | Washita County, OK | $118,400 | 0.52% | 60.1 | Balanced |
| 99 | Winston County, AL | $118,900 | 0.32% | 55.3 | Challenging |
| 100 | Stonewall County, TX | $48,600 | 1.79% | 62.3 | Balanced |
Methodology: Rankings are editorial, based on percentile ranks across all U.S. counties. Filtering and weighting are applied per preset. Data source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, FHFA, BLS, IRS, FRED. These rankings are not investment advice or recommendations.
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