Market Upset

San Antonio surprises as one of worst U.S. cities for first-time buyers

San Antonio is one of the five worst Texas markets for first-time buyers this year.

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The San Antonio housing market may not be for everyone. In a surprising turn of events, San Antonio has landed near the bottom of a new list of the best U.S. cities for first-time homebuyers.

WalletHub's new study — which analyzes the affordability, quality of life, and real estate market in 300 U.S. cities — ranks San Antonio No. 208, or the 92nd worst city overall in the U.S. to buy your first home. And, when broken down by city size, WalletHub ranks San Antonio among the 25 worst big cities for first-time buyers (No. 46 out of 69).

San Antonio's lack of appeal for first-time buyers is essentially due to its poor affordability and quality of life scores, rather than the state of the city's housing market, according to the report's findings.

The Alamo City ranks 226th out of all 300 U.S. cities for its affordability, and it appears farther down the list for its quality of life, landing at 233rd nationally. The city's real estate market ranking is among the top 100 in the U.S., at No. 57, but that wasn't enough to outweigh its less-than-stellar rankings in the other main categories.

Overall, the Lone Star State has taken a tumble among the best places for first-time buyers. In fact, only one Texas city — the Dallas suburb of McKinney — lands among the top 100 of the report. A total of 20 Texas cities rank outside the top 100, with Laredo (No. 200), Mesquite (No. 202), Dallas (No. 233), and Houston (No. 271) joining San Antonio as the state's worst.

First-time buyers across the country are entering the housing market at a difficult time, the report says. The National Association of Realtors reported the share of first-time homebuyers sank to an all-time low in 2025, to 21 percent, whereas the historic national average is 40 percent.

"Buying a home for the first time is an exciting and important milestone for many Americans, but achieving that milestone is getting more difficult as prices and interest rates continue to rise," the report's author wrote. "People willing and able to invest in a house this year must balance what they want and need with what they can afford. Often, people begin searching for their dream home without a realistic idea of market prices, interest rates or even their eligibility for a mortgage."

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renter livability report

San Antonio surprises on new list of best U.S. cities for renters

Photo by Isaac Fellows on Unsplash

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A new national study comparing the best places to rent in America has determined San Antonio's rental market apparently leaves much to be desired.

WalletHub's new report, "Best & Worst Places to Rent in America," analyzed 182 U.S. rental markets based on 21 relevant metrics, including the difference between rental rates and mortgage payments, rental affordability, the local cost of living, job availability, and more.

Surprisingly, Amarillo was deemed the No. 1 best Texas city for renters, and it ranked 10th nationally. Hot Dallas suburb Plano came in second place statewide and ranks 12th for a second year in a row.

Renters looking for a place to live in Central Texas that balances affordability, convenience, and quality of life may want to look at living in Austin, which ranked third place statewide and 13th nationally.

The report said San Antonio has the 83rd best quality of life out of all 182 U.S. cities in the report, and the city ranked 70th nationally in the "renter market and affordability" category.

San Antonio residents know their city better than a study ever could, so they can decide if the city's renter market isn't up to par. A separate report found the city has one of the fastest-growing renter markets in the nation, and now that local rent prices are declining, things might be starting to look up for renters.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the best cities for renters offer much more than inexpensive housing, a good job market, and recreational activities. For example, rent prices in the top cities cost tenants as little as 15 percent of their income.

"You’ll also have access to robust laws that protect renters, such as limiting deposits to only a month or two of rent," Lupo added.

Though renting can be more cost-effective than owning a property, WalletHub said it's not always a better choice.

"The right road to take depends on a variety of factors, including an individual’s or family’s financial means and how well the local real-estate market is doing," the report said. "Like home prices, rental rates can vary significantly by region, state or city."

Other Texas cities that ranked among the top 100 best places to rent in America include:

No. 24 – El Paso
No. 34 – Grand Prairie
No. 37 – Laredo
No. 48 – Brownsville
No. 49 – Arlington
No. 50 – Fort Worth
No. 63 – Corpus Christi
No. 66 – Irving
No. 71 – Dallas
No. 79 – Garland
No. 81 – Lubbock

At the bottom end of the ranking, Houston ranked as one of the worst cities to rent in America and landed 144th nationally.

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